Our purpose is to come alongside local believers in hard-to-reach places of our world, where there is little access to biblical and theological training. Missionaries from the outside simply can’t access all the unreached peoples of the world, but increasingly formerly unreached peoples are finding new life in Jesus. As they do, they understand the need to reach out to their neighbors and plant new churches. ITEN seeks to help them do that.

Our discipleship goes in two directions. ITEN helps ground the new believers’ understanding in the Jesus-centered story of the Bible. Much like Philip guided the Ethiopian Eunuch to a Jesus-centered understanding of the Old Testament, new followers of Jesus need guidance to understand the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus. It is a powerful story with potential for total life transformation-head, heart and hands.

The other direction is our own spiritual formation. As we walk alongside brothers and sisters in these hard-to-reach places, we are also formed more deeply in the Jesus way. Jesus said, “Give and it will be given back to you.” We often wonder if we benefit most as we give away what we’ve received. Discipleship is reciprocal in Christ’s global church- giving and receiving.

The faith is passed from person to person. It started when Jesus opened the minds of his disciples so they could understand the Scriptures of the Old Testament (Luke 24). He sent them into all the world to teach the things He had shared with them.

ITEN is deeply collaborative, carrying this call forward by responding to the invitation of church leaders in those hard-to-reach places of the world. Together we work to help their people understand the Scriptures so they can train and send their own. The Great Commission of Jesus Christ belongs to the global church. Through this joint effort with brothers and sisters around the world, our desire is to see the global body of Christ built up and bringing glory to Jesus.