80% of the world’s evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the last 50 years, God’s church has grown exponentially in these areas.

These regions have tremendous mission sending potential to help bring the gospel to unreached peoples, but they currently send only 20% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries!

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Cultural Bridges to UPGs

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This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

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THE WORLD IS THE MISSION FIELD

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As a child, I grew up learning about missions from a young age. My parents often shared how people in other countries did not have a Bible or church or would be persecuted if they chose to follow Christ. It wasn&rsquo;t until I was in my thirties that I met someone who had never heard about Jesus. Sitting next to each other on a plane, we started talking about work and life. While I was talking with her, I realized that she had no idea who Jesus was. It was a surreal experience; I felt as if I was talking with someone from another world. This encounter opened my eyes and broke my heart for the unreached peoples of the world.&nbsp;
What is an unreached people group?
The Joshua Project1 defines unreached people groups as ethnic groups with:
<ul>
<li>
no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize them without outside assistance.
</li>
<li>
2% or fewer Evangelical Christians.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
Currently, 3.4 billion people in the world live in unreached people groups. More than 40 percent of the world's population has never heard of Christ and doesn&rsquo;t have anyone in their community who can tell them about him.&nbsp;

Many unreached peoples live in the 10/40 Window, an area between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. This area includes countries like Sudan, Saudi Arabia, India, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Many barriers prevent people groups in this area from hearing the gospel. They may live in mountainous areas or deserts with poor infrastructure or in places where there are no Bibles or churches in their ethnic language. They may live in countries with government restrictions, war or terrorism. While some countries in the 10/40 Window are relatively easy to access, sharing the Christian faith with someone there could lead to imprisonment or death.&nbsp;
A testimony to all nations
In Revelation, we learn that Jesus died to purchase people from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). A few chapters further on, we read about a great multitude in heaven worshiping before the throne of God. They again represent every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9).&nbsp;
God has a big heart for the nations and wants everyone to hear the good news of Jesus. One day people from all nations will praise him in heaven. What an amazing worship time will that be!
Before Jesus&rsquo; ascension, he told his disciples to go into the world and share the good news with everyone everywhere (Matthew 28:18&ndash;20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). Thanks to their obedience, and the obedience of believers after them, we have been able to hear the gospel. Once we accept Jesus, we can be part of God&rsquo;s work, so that &ldquo;this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come&rdquo; (Matthew 24:14).
A big need
&ldquo;How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: &ldquo;How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!&rdquo; (Romans 10:14&ndash;15, NLT)
People cannot believe in Jesus if there is no one nearby to tell them about him. Believers need to go to the places where unreached peoples live. In the early church, believers were often sent out to new places to share the gospel (Acts 13:1&ndash;3). In modern times, people who are sent to new areas by the church are often missionaries or church planters. We also see professionals like engineers, teachers, and healthcare workers choosing to move to countries with unreached people groups so that they can both work and witness for Christ.&nbsp;
Jesus said, &ldquo;The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.&rdquo; (Matthew 9:37&ndash;38, NLT). Jesus knew that many believers would not be willing to go to these hard places. Of all the missionaries in the world, only three percent serve among the unreached.2
What does this mean for me?
Sometimes hearing all these facts makes us feel overwhelmed or guilty. One thing my husband and I have learned to do when we feel like this is to ask God, &ldquo;What do you want us to do?&rdquo; After a simple question like that, God often opened the door for us to be involved in his great kingdom work, whether it was through sending and supporting a missionary, going out to people to share the good news, or praying for an unreached people group. My challenge for you is to reflect with your family on what you have read. Then prayerfully ask, &ldquo;God, what do you want us to do with this?&rdquo;&nbsp;

1 <a href="https://joshuaproject.net/help/definitions">Joshua Project</a>, 2024.&nbsp;

2 <a href="https://www.globalfrontiermissions.org/missions-101/the-unreached-peoples-and-their-role-in-the-great-commission">Global Frontier Missions</a>, 2023.&nbsp;

Via Families

What is an Unreached People Group?

What is an Unreached People Group?

by Marleen Mortin

Marleen Mortin