Latest News
Featured
Vision
SEAN is Biblical and interdenominational and has been serving the church for 50 years in more than 100 countries and 70 languages. SEAN courses have been specially prepared for use by ordinary people, without the pre-requisite of higher education or advanced theology.
OUR VISION
To see local churches worldwide empowering all their members for:
whole-life discipleship
mission
ministry in their context
OUR MISSION
SEAN's mission is
to provide accessible Biblical training materials
to partner with others to make them available globally
equipping others to use the materials effectively in each context
OUR VALUES
For SEAN International to effectively and efficiently work towards achieving our vision and mission, we believe how we work is just as important as what we do. As a result, throughout all we do we seek to uphold the following values:
Prayerfulness
We are committed to prayer as a key foundation on which all our work is established and as an integral part of our life together. We believe that nothing of lasting value can be done unless it is bathed in prayer.
Biblical Discipleship
Out of our dedication to the God revealed in the Scriptures, we are committed to helping local churches in their task of making disciples of all nations, building up the body of Christ to maturity and passing on what has been learned to others.
Service
Embracing the model of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve, we seek to honour God by giving our best in the service of others. As we stand alongside each other together we hope to encourage one another to persevere and know the joy of the Lord as our strength.
Partnership
We are committed to partnership based on good relationships with our partners, supporters and colleagues, showing humility and integrity in our dealings with others.
Local Ownership & Leadership
We are a grass-roots organisation and are committed to working with indigenous ‘TEE’ programmes in partnership with local churches to encourage local church ownership and leadership of the programmes. We believe these are the best people to understand and apply the courses to their local context.
Accessibility
We desire to make our courses accessible in terms of:
understanding - education levels should not be a barrier to someone working through our materials
language & culture - we seek to support contextualised & relevant materials in the locally spoken language
availability – we want churches to be able to get hold of our courses wherever they are based
affordability – we wish that cost will not be a barrier to anyone seeking to study our courses
Method
1.
SEAN courses are best used when they are part of a serious TEE programme set within a well-planned academic year.
2.
SEAN courses are carefully programmed and self-teaching, so the student does his/her main study during the week at home, interacting with his/her Study Book, his/her Bible and other books.
3.
Once a week, students meet with a Tutor, who, with the aid of a Group Leader's Guide, corrects the tests and leads group dynamics to deepen students' understanding of what they studied during the week.
4.
Students are encouraged to live out what they have learned by serving the Lord in their community as active members of a local church.
5.
SEAN studies can be greatly enhanced if, during the Study Year, students can also share in well-planned seminars with competent visiting teachers and pastors.
Testimonies
Tony Barratt
History
SEAN began at a real ‘grass-roots’ level, and that’s where we try to keep it - but adaptable enough for all to use! The seeds of the idea came and were developed initially in a rural area of southern Chile by Tony Barratt of SAMS (the South American Mission Society).
Why Our Courses Work
One of the things that has confounded pundits and surprised us all is the near-universal acceptance of SEAN in most denominations and many countries. SEAN has effectively cut through the barriers and united people of all nations and social and educational levels.
1. Well Prepared
SEAN courses are well prepared with theological depth and educational skill and, most importantly of all, they have been rigorously field-tested.
2. Biblical and Interdenominational
SEAN courses are Biblical and interdenominational. They are firmly based on Scripture and SEAN has been very sensitive to denominational divisions. So, if there is a point that causes division, it is left open-ended for the local church to provide the point of view of the denomination.
3. Simple Yet Profound
SEAN courses are simple yet profound. Like Jesus' teaching, everybody can understand yet the teachings provoke discussion and demand an answer.
4. Self-Teaching and Not Academically Exclusive
SEAN courses are self-teaching and not academically exclusive. Someone has illustrated theological education as a fireman's ladder with the bottom 20 rungs missing. In most places, to read theology a student must already have a degree. SEAN has filled in the bottom rungs so that even students of limited educational background can gradually climb the ladder. In fact, in several parts of the world SEAN students who would not have dreamed of obtaining a degree have now done so, and with excellence.
5. Easy to Use and Economic to Buy
SEAN courses are easy to use and economic to buy. The programmed instructional method has made learning easy and remembering even easier. Students are taught to underline and colour-code their Bibles and add significant notes.
6. Promoting Discussion and Further Investigation
The whole point of the home studies is to enable students to reflect on what they are studying and have a desire to deepen their understanding of Scripture. All home study is then discussed and applied in the group study.
7. Promoting Fellowship and Ministry
Over the months, most SEAN Study Groups become bonded as friends and form ministry teams. There are many examples of SEAN Study Groups evangelising, visiting and even planting new congregations.
Where We Serve
SEAN serves through partners in mission, who use our courses in their ministries of discipling and training. Our partners are now spread over 100 or more countries around the world.
If you are interested in obtaining our courses for your ministry in a particular region or language, please use the ‘Contact Us’ form.
Contact
Choose your region
