ICOM and RENEW.org Online Forum

TCM is connected with many great disciple-making movements around the globe.  Is it possible to bring one to the USA? TCM's own Tony Twist and Mihai Malancea will be presenting on this topic in a free online event put on by Renew.org and ICOM on August 13th.   

Register here for the free event - 10:00 AM-4:00 PM EDT, Thursday, August 13th. 

Other speakers include David Empson, Bobby Harrington, Ajai Lall, Stephanie Garman Freed, Shodankeh Johnson, Curtis Seargent, Brett Andrews, and Monte Cox. 

See you there! 

TCM and e2: Effective Elders

Recently, Tony Twist, TCM President and Gary Johnson, Executive Director of e2:  effective elders met online for a conversation about being disciple makers and the new endeavor between TCM and e2: effective elders. Click below to listen to their conversation and learn more about TCM and e2 working and serving together.

A Word From a Professor

As a result of COVID-19 and travel restrictions Rick Justice just completed teaching his second class fully online. In those classes he had students from six countries and was translated into four languages. When one class discussed the roles and responsibilities of the elder in leadership a student said, “This is great stuff! Can we use the video conference so that you can meet with MY elders?” There are leadership struggles everywhere. When he asked students about meeting by video conference one response was, “We have stable bandwidth, BUT I have five kids at home since the schools are shut down!” It seems all around the world people are experiencing similar challenges as a result of COVID-19. Even with leadership struggles and engaging from home, we praise God for the ability to finish TCM courses online. God is so good!

Under the Holy Cross

On August 25th a celebration was held at Haus Edelweiss, re-dedicating it to the Lord to be used for His kingdom purposes. In 1890, the Spanner family, the original owners of Haus Edelweiss, painted above the front door, “We, Anton and Irene Spanner always trusted in our Lord, and therefore we built this house under the holy cross.”

In the German language “holy cross” translates to the name of the town Heiligenkreuz. Over the course of the last few months, Franz Hobl and Raphaela Krisits restored that dedication to its original appearance. Tony Twist unveiled the restored dedication at the celebration attended by short-term workers, faculty, staff, and special guests. Among the special guests was the mayor of Heiligenkreuz, along with members of the evangelical church in Baden and representatives from Stift Heiligenkreuz.

U.S Cohort

Did you know? TCM is now offering courses in the United States, providing the opportunity for U.S. disciple makers to earn their Master of Arts degree or Certificate. TCM students who are disciple makers in the Phoenix and Indianapolis areas are in Indianapolis this week completing their Servant Leadership course taught by Rick Justice or Hermeneutics course taught by Sara Fudge. For information about becoming a TCM student in the United States contact Ryan Akers – ryan.akers @tcmi.edu.

Upcoming Events

TCM is excited to partner with Renew.org and Discipleship.org for upcoming events on November 6 - 8, 2019 in the Nashville, TN area.

· Join us November 6th for the Renew Gathering at Harpeth Christian Church as more than 20 speakers talk about being disciple makers of Jesus. For details and registration go to https://renew.org/2019gathering

· Immediately following Renew Gathering on November 6th join Tony Twist, TCM President, Shodankeh Johnson, Disciple Making Leader in Sierra Leone, and Bobby Harrington, Renew.org Executive Director, for a Celebration of Prayer and Fasting.

· Stay November 7th and 8th for The National Disciple Making Forum at Brentwood Baptist Church to learn practical tools for disciple making from men and women who are active disciple makers. For details and registration go to https://discipleship.org/kingjesus/

Preparations underway…

The staff at Haus Edelweiss is preparing for Session 6. Disciple makers from 11 nations will gather to complete New Testament Theology, Pastoral Ethics, Discipleship, and Principles of Christian Teaching. In addition to the staff and students there will be professors, translators, and volunteers involved in the Session. Be praying for the preparations that are taking place this week –

·        for the staff as they prepare the Haus, for the volunteers as they prepare to serve;

·        for the translators to have strong healthy minds and voices;

·        for the professors as they make final preparations for in-class discussions; and

·        for the students as they complete assignments, prepare to be away from family and ministries, and when the course is completed they are better prepared to serve in God’s Kingdom.

News Update from Haus Edelweiss

For the last two weeks 90 men and women have been at Haus Edelweiss, studying or serving those who studied. Students came from 11 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa to complete Introduction to Old Testament, Small Groups Ministry, Young Children and Children’s Ministry, Theology and Practice of Worship or New Testament Teaching and Preaching. Five churches in the United States were represented by the volunteers who served the students. As the Session ends pray that the students return home with new understandings of scripture and new ideas for their ministries and pray that the volunteers have expanded their understanding of being a Christ-follower as they have served in a cross-cultural setting.

National Disciple Making Forum

Do you want to grow as a disciple of Jesus and as a disciple maker?

Join TCM as we partner with Discipleship.org for the National Disciple Making Forum on November 7-8, 2019 in Nashville, TN.

The National Disciple Making Forum is an opportunity to hear from disciple makers who practice disciple making as a lifestyle every day. (Embed video here)

To learn more and to register go to: https://discipleship.org/kingjesus/

Prayer Calendar

Prayer Calendar

New addition to the TCM Prayer Channel page is HERE!

Join us in praying for the classes being held each month. The Prayer Calendar, showing the classes, locations, and professors can be printed so that you have it to refer to during your times of prayer.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16).

Everyone Will Know...

On May 5, 2019, TCM International Institute celebrated its 25th Graduation with TCM graduate, Meego Remmel as the speaker. Meego, from Tallinn, Estonia earned his M.A. in 1995 as a member of TCM’s first graduating class. Focusing on Christian Ethics, he continued his education, earning his M.Div. from TCM and his Ph.D. from the University of Wales. Today he serves as Elder and Teaching Pastor of 3D Church in Tallinn. He is a member of the TCM faculty and is the Estonian Regional Representative for TCM. He is also a leader in several church-related councils and Christian Ethics organizations within Estonia and the European Union.

Listen as Meego shares his thoughts with the 2019 TCM graduating class, based on Jesus’ words to His disciples, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Second TCM Cohort Launches in Indianapolis

Last night, 19 TCM students gathered in Indianapolis, Indiana for the face-to-face portion of their first class for 2019. Eight of the students are beginning their second year in the program, and 11 students are just kicking off their TCM experience. We are so blessed to have Dr. David Roadcup and Dr. J.K. Stevens as our professors for this session. Over the next few days, the students will be finishing their courses in Discipleship and Research Methods. We praise God for the lives and ministries of each of these students and pray that the Lord richly blesses them through this process.
To find out more please see USA TCM Courses for 2019 or contact TCM directly.

25 Years of Dedication

06 MAY 2019

TCM International Institute hosted its 25th graduation service at the Stift Heilegenkreuz Austria on Sunday May 5, 2019. Forty-eight graduates from 19 countries earned diplomas this academic year.

TCM President Tony Twist stated “This graduation is a celebration of disciple making throughout the nation’s of the world. We are grateful for this celebration. This is the largest number of graduates TCM has ever had in one year”. As each graduate received his or her diploma from President Twist, he encouraged each recipient with this statement “This diploma is being conferred for our Lord and His Kingdom’s sake!”

Dr. Meego Remmel of Estonia a TCM graduate and professor, who is also a church planter, pastor, and a leader in the Christian church movement throughout Europe, became the first TCM graduate to deliver a TCM commencement address.

Currently TCM has over 1,500 students from more than 40 nations enrolled in either its Master of Arts or Master of Divinity courses of study.

David Wright, Vice President of Ministry Operations.

APRIL 2016

ALEXANDER – A Christ-follower and Christian Leader

As Alexander shares about his ministry one cannot help but think of Peter and John in Acts 4:18-20 when they have been charged neither to speak nor teach about Jesus. Acts 4: 20 tells us that they responded, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And Alexander does speak!

Alexander is a TCM graduate from a part of Central Asia where Islam is the predominant religion. For his safety as a Christ follower and for the safety of his church neither his last name nor his country can be disclosed. Even though Christians are regarded as members of a sect, the church in his country continues to grow and new leaders are being raised up and trained.

As the director of a Bible institute where he also teaches discipleship courses, Alexander feels a deep sense of satisfaction as he helps prepare and equip others. He works within a team that meets regularly to discuss new ideas and projects.

As a church elder and preacher he is involved in leadership of a newly-organized congregation as well as leadership in the “mother” church. In addition to preaching and serving as an elder he leads the ministry of in-home small groups.

Alexander says he has grown spiritually and academically through his studies at TCM. Courses such as Hermeneutics, Jesus and the Twelve, and Paul and the Early Church have had a special impact on him and the way in which he now serves in his own ministry. In addition to the course work, other students have provided enrichment through the examples of their ministries and their dedication.

Despite being believers in a country where Christianity is not welcome, Alexander and his team continue to speak and teach about what they have seen and heard.


Cow Barn Update 

Beds—lots of beds! Over the past few weeks the staff at Haus Edelweiss has purchased and assembled beds for the new apartments in the Cow Barn. THANK YOU STAFF! The apartments are not yet fully furnished but in a preview of things to come some of the single-night guests at graduation will be assigned sleeping quarters there. The completion of the renovation project is in sight!

MARCH 2016

2016 Winter Work Crew 2

A huge thank you to the men from Newbury Park First Christian Church, Newbury Park, CA and Indian Creek Christian Church, Indianapolis, IN for their service on the Winter Work Crew 2! They were able to complete the majority of the work on the Cow Barn renovation project. A key project was to install the tile on the steps from the ground floor to the third floor, requiring them to access the upper stories of the building by a ladder! Time ran out before they had the finishing touches done, but only a few days of work remain and then it will be ready for the last of the furnishings.

There is also time remaining for you to help with completion of the project! Still to be purchased and installed are beds and linens, pots and pans, dishes and tables, sofas and lamps, and every other item that is needed in an apartment (times 7)!

Thanks to the two GREAT winter work crews and to all who have made the project possible through prayers, service, and finances!


Student and graduate ministry snapshots

Oleg is a TCM student who leads ministries in Moldova and Turkey. In the last few years he has felt God leading him to help churches in Western Ukraine and Eastern Romania as well. As a result of that calling he and his team have developed a program whose mission is to reach the next generation for Christ. They are working with local churches to start centers where children and teens can build long-lasting relationships and meet Jesus. Part of their program involves providing food and teaching the young people life skills as they also teach about Jesus. Currently, they are providing such care for more than 500 young people each week!

Romi serves in ministry in a different area of Romania. A part of his ministry's focus is on serving a segment of the society that is often ignored. They have the opportunity to work with children who have disabilities and are living in state orphanages. They also provide care and encouragement to adults with disabilities. An additional facet to their ministy is providing summer camp opportunities for more than 800 children and teens each year. More than simply sports, music, or art camps the children are introduced to Jesus and His saving grace for each of them.

Bedrich, who lives and serves in Czech Republic shared exciting news about adding a fifth church to their network of churches. It is an opportunity for Becrich's ministry to help build healthy churches that plant churches!


Session 1 at Haus Edelweiss

The food will soon be purchased, the beds are almost made, and the classrooms are ready!

On Monday, March 28 seventeen short-term workers (STWs) along with four professors will be arriving at Haus Edelweiss to serve for Session 1 of the 2016 academic year. Within a few days, campus will be filled with activity as students from more than 14 nations arrive to complete coursework in one of four classes. Please begin praying today for their travels. Pray that the STWs will serve with the heart of Jesus. Pray that the students' time at Haus Edelweiss will provide refreshment and that time in the classroom will present new ministry ideas.

Courses during Session 1 include:

  • History of Christian Theology 1 taught by Oti Bunaciu
  • Indtroduction to New Testament Studies taught by Fred Hansen
  • Intercultural Studies taught by Mihai Malancea
  • Marriage and Family Life Education taught by Jim Buckley