OUR WORK
Formal Biblical Training for a Yearning People
In developing nations, Christian leaders want authentic biblical teaching they can understand, engage with, and give to their growing congregations.
We meet them where they are in ways that no one else does.
Introducing: The 21C Biblical Training Program
Four adaptable components that deliver biblical integrity to pastors and church leaders in developing nations, where new Christians abound.
Leadership Seminars
Biblical teaching, discipleship, and discussion sessions in person, in country.
Timothy Program
Print Curriculum
Bible studies developed specifically for pastors and church leaders in remote places unreached by traditional pastor training.
Social Media
A daily direct line to our pastors, church leaders, and partners, and a supportive learning community for them.
Leadership Seminars
WHO THEY'RE FOR
Anywhere from 10 to 150 pastors and church leaders come to seminars from their hometowns and villages. Many are subsistence farmers who shepherd rural churches. Most have never been able to find, afford, or relate to modern Bible training - until now.
WHAT THEY ARE
WHERE THEY HAPPEN
We hold seminars in the countries where our international partners live and work. So far, we've trained primarily in Africa. The venue might be a mud-brick church with a tin roof and dirt floor, a modern conference hall, or anything in between.
We can and do venture far into a country for seminars. And sometimes our students do too - on foot or by bus.
WHY WE DO THEM
Seminars are a time for face-to-face connection with pastors and church leaders who have been searching for biblical truth. In the places they call home, we invest time and resources into them. And they meet us with energy and passion. The result is immediate growth in their Bible literacy and confidence. They often preach what they’ve learned as soon as the first Sunday after a seminar.
Timothy Program
WHO IT'S FOR
We create longstanding partnerships with Christian organizations in key developing regions. They are our liaisons with pastors and church leaders looking for biblical training.
Our partners steer the Timothy Program from their side of the world. They invite pastors to seminars, identify those who can train more leaders, and ask them to be Timothy participants.
WHAT IT IS
The Timothy Program is typically a weekly Bible study for three months following a seminar. Our partners on the ground decide the best format.
The goal for each Timothy participant is to pay it forward in his or her own congregation. Each identifies 10 more Christian leaders and takes them through the program.
We often return to seminar sites to graduate Timothy participants. These are celebrations of great joy!
WHERE IT HAPPENS
The Timothy Program extends biblical training beyond the location of any one seminar. The program reaches pastors and church leaders in all the spheres of influence held by our partners.
WHY WE DO IT
The Timothy Program is an excellent fit for Christianity in developing nations.
First, it gives a firm biblical worldview to pastors and church leaders who must battle counterfeit religions and false teachings.
Second, it grows Bible-teaching churches quickly, even in places that lack academic resources.
Print Curriculum
WHO IT'S FOR
21C develops and publishes Bible lessons, studies, and reference materials for adults without a Western-style education. We lift the written word off the page with storytelling, prompts, activities, and communal experiences.
WHAT IT IS
We write scriptural truths, stories, and commentary with the utmost biblical integrity. Then we have a team of biblical experts review it.
Through our trusted partnerships, we find and vet translators. We verify that they interpret and transcribe our curriculum with accuracy, clarity, and accessibility.
WHERE IT HAPPENS
21C curriculum is available in English, Swahili, and Portuguese. Coming soon is Xhosa, a South African language; and Tanzanian Swahili, which is different in slight but important ways from “regular” Swahili.
We personally handle curriculum distribution. In this way, we ensure that the biblical understanding achieved by our trainees – and by the leaders they train, too – adheres to truth.
WHY WE DO IT
21C trains pastors and church leaders who are able to carry the unerring Word forward. They grow deep roots in the faith, and produce real fruit in their congregations and countries. This is because up front, we maintain strict biblical standards for curriculum development, translation, and distribution.
Social Media
WHO IT'S FOR
WHAT IT IS
For people with mobile phones and few other resources, social media is an essential resource. The 21C Facebook community is a space for daily Bible study, discussion, prayer, and growth. It is an uplifting corner of the digital world.
WHERE IT HAPPENS
Our Facebook followers represent many different countries, ethnicities, environments, and governments. They’re often from places where conditions are harsh, freedoms are restricted, and biblical training would be impossible without social media.
WHY WE DO IT
Social media wasn’t part of our original vision for a pastor training organization. But when we started posting short lessons and commentary in 2019, an international community showed up asking for more. Then they showed up in droves. Read our story.