Our Story

The Think Institute was born from Joel and Aliza Settecase's missionary work with Cru (Church Movements). As a former pastor in Chicago, Joel recognized the urgent need for reliable training and resources to help everyday believers confidently articulate and defend the truth of the Christian worldview. In 2018, Joel and Aliza joined Cru, eager to equip churches in this crucial area.

Amid personal challenges confronting the Settecase family, in 2019 they launched the first podcast and conducted trainings at several Chicago churches.

Despite the challenges of 2020 and 2021, including the impact of Covid, the Lord continued to bless the ministry. They built the thriving ThinkSquad community, taught online courses, and introduced apologetics training to homeschool co-ops in fall 2021.

In 2022, Cru “sent” the Settecases out, and they founded The Think Institute as an independent nonprofit ministry.

By God's grace, The Think Institute is now impacting countless believers and their families, as well as dozens of organizations, including schools, ministries, and local churches.