6 Facts About the Think Institute
What is the Think Institute? Where did we come from? And why are we here? I thought I would answer a few basic questions and tell our story, to help you understand what this movement is all about.
Fact 1: We started with a passion.
I (Joel Settecase) started blogging on apologetics in 2012. But that wasn’t my first foray into the sharing (evangelism) and the defense (apologetics) of the faith.
Back in high school I would engage my fellow students and wrestling teammates with the Gospel and why I believed the Bible’s message was true. I also sought out conversations online. I didn’t know the term “apologetics” in those days, but I was developing a passion for it nonetheless.
That passion grew as I taught Bible at Chicago Hope Academy, and it was during those days that I realized I needed to further my education. So I pursued an advanced degree and earned my M.A. in Philosophy of Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
When I became a pastor at Park Community Church in Chicago, my love for evangelism and apologetics grew. I also observed firsthand the need for training in these disciplines at the local church level. It became a dream of mine to start an institute within the local church that would provide an education in what the Bible teaches and how to communicate it. My wife Aliza shared that dream with me and supported me in pursuing it.
I envisioned an organization training believers who were never going to attend seminary, but who were loved their non-Christian neighbors, co-workers, friends and family members, and wanted to tell them about their hope in Jesus. As a pastor I started discussion groups for believers and non-believers to discuss Scripture and life’s big questions. I also brought my education experience to bear through the development of evangelism and apologetics classes for Park Church. I continued blogging and pushing to start the institute from within the church.
As it turned out, God had other plans. In 2018, I was candidating for the permanent position at my location at Park Community Church. But I was told that I would not be getting the position. Instead, it would be going to a good friend of mine. After the initial sting of that--I really did see the wisdom in it--Aliza approached me in my office and suggested, “What if you looked into support-raising, full-time missionary work?
That question changed everything. The Lord took me out of pastoral ministry and brought Aliza and me to Cru. I had looked into a bunch of organizations, but it was Cru City that provided the perfect pathway to pursue everything I had been trying to do and had a vision for. Cru is a vast, international organization, and City is a multifaceted ministry within Cru. Cities are big places, and so Cru City has many “audiences.” One of those is Church Movements. We joined Church Movements in the Spring of 2019. The Lord provided our funding in an unbelievably short period of time, which we viewed as further confirmation of our call.
As missionaries with Church Movements, we launched the Think Institute. Our mission is to equip believers to explain, share and defend the Christian message.
We believe that no Christian should get caught flat-footed when asked to defend his faith.
Fact 2: We create tools and content to equip the big-C Church
We launched the Think Podcast last Spring. It was originally a series of Facebook Live videos, and now we have over 55 episodes dealing with dozens of topics. I cannot believe the guests I’ve been able to interview! And a few times a month I record an episode with my brother Parker, as we are the Sons of Thunder.
We also have original Worldview and Apologetics training (#DATPRESUP), that I created for churches. You can download that on TheThink.Institute.
And also on the website you can download the Catakids! Tool, the catechism I wrote for little ones. You can order a copy on Amazon as well. Search for my name, Joel Settecase, or “Catakids!”
The website, TheThink.Institute, is there to equip believers with resources they need to share and defend the faith. Chaseton Hahn and other contributors help me with that.
Fact 3: We partner with churches
I’ll meet with pastors to determine whether they have an outsized vision--is their vision bigger than the staff and volunteers they currently have?
Church Movements has four key offerings for churches: Connecting People to Jesus, Mobilizing Churches to Multiply, Raising up Missional Leaders, and Serving their cities.
I work with pastors to create tailored resources and trainings to get their congregations to the next level of evangelism and apologetics readiness. I work with ministries too.
Fact 4: We engage believers and non-believers together in conversation.
We help people pursue “Truth In Conversation” through our Think Tank discussion groups, held around backyard bonfires, at coffee shops, and at local watering holes.
These are moderated, curated discussions based on Scripture and facilitated by an experienced conversation leader.
Fact 5: We are moving into new discipleship territory in 2020.
I will be launching a new cohort to train and equip believers in a very focused way. The purpose will be to make these guys ready to teach and train other believers to live out their calling and fulfill their own piece of the Great Commission, in strategic neighborhood locations around the city.
We’re also looking at expanding our impact into other cities as well. I can’t say much about that yet.
Fact 6: We’re supported by ministry partners.
The Think Institute is therefore the culmination of years of interest, study, and preparation. We are backed by hundreds of ministry partners who support Aliza and me through prayer and finances via Cru. You can join our team by going to give.cru.org/1018841.
We equip believers with knowledge, engage them in conversation with non-believers, and encourage them to share and defend the Christian message.
To connect with the Think Institute, go to TheThink.Institute or find us on social media. You’re welcome to check us out and become part of our community. Everyone interested in answering life’s big questions is welcome to shoot me an email or reach out on Facebook (@TheThinkInstitute) or Twitter (@JoelSettecase)… apathetic Christians who are uninterested in the Great Commission, which is the job of every believer, or uninterested in getting the Gospel out to the world, need not apply.
Unbelievers, atheists, skeptics, etc… you’re more than welcome. I love answering challenges to the Christian message, and I consider it an honor to engage with those who disbelieve.
If you haven’t done so yet, please leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
This is not goodbye… just a stop along the road on your spiritual journey. I hope you have a chance to engage with some of our high-quality content this week. And until next time, I hope it makes you think.