The Story of TLI (Part 5): Graduation and Expansion

This is the final post in a five part series. 

• Part 1: Beginnings
• Part 2: How to Start an Organization
• Part 3: Sending, School Planting and Staff
• Part 4: Missionaries, Curriculum and Growth

In the beginning of 2015, I was able to celebrate with students something I could have only dreamed of in 2008—a graduation. Students in Athens from Iran, Afghanistan, Romania, Ghana, Eritrea and Nigeria completed all 12 of our core classes. The progress of the students was amazing. They now were to turn and teach others what they had learned.

“In the beginning of 2015, I was able to celebrate with students something I could have only dreamed of in 2008—a graduation. Students in Athens from Iran, Afghanistan, Romania, Ghana, Eritrea and Nigeria completed all 12 of our core classes.”

It has also been a year of new ministry focus. We launched the Journal of Global Christianity. The hope is to stir conversation between western and non-western pastors and leaders. By translating it into Spanish, French, Chinese and Farsi, we hope to expand its reach!

We also announced plans to add a second major focus to our mission—the reaching of unreached people groups. The number one request from majority world Christians is for more training for their leaders. The number one need is to reach the final 4000+ people groups who have little to no access to the gospel.

What's ahead? By the end of this year we anticipate we will have 30 US staff, 10–12 missionaries and 2 schools up and running. We will have 17 staff in our office in Minneapolis, up from 7 when we opened last fall. In 2016 we have 51 short-term trip planned, which is more than our first four years combined. This all translates to real impact as we seek to provide theological education in the hardest places and spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.

This ministry was an idea started by a 29-year-old who had just been let go from his first ministry job and had never been overseas. In case you were not sure, it most certainly is the LORD who has made this happen.