A day to focus on the unreached
“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” –Acts 1:8
May 28 this year bears special significance to Christians around the world. It marks the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first empowered believers to witness to the whole world (Acts 1:8). It is also the International Day for the Unreached. What does that mean, and why does OneWay care?
Seven years ago, Alliance for the Unreached called on the Church to set aside Pentecost as a yearly reminder of the 3.2 billion unreached people around the world.
It is a day “to rally as many people as possible to spread the word as far as possible so that as many Christians as possible become aware that a third of the people on earth are denied access to the gospel of Jesus Christ,” says A Third of Us, a ministry of Alliance for the Unreached.
WHAT IS AN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP?
An unreached (or least-reached) people group has “no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance” (Joshua Project).
More than a third of the world’s population across nearly 7,400 people groups is both unreached and unsaved, which means they have little to no chance to hear and believe the gospel until someone from outside their community brings it to them.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
“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: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” –Romans 10:14–15
An estimated 140,000 people will enter eternity today without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, tens of thousands of them unreached.
That reality grieves us deeply. And it is our job as believers to do something about it.
If you have never heard these statistics before or are moved as profoundly as we are by them, we hope you will consider your part in the call to make disciples of all nations, tribes and tongues.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH DOING ABOUT IT?
Faithful organizations around the world work every day to change that reality by informing the Church, equipping missionaries and taking the gospel to people who have never heard. For example, Alliance for the Unreached is a coalition of ministries dedicated to just that.
At OneWay, we are working to help people reach unreached people groups through several global initiatives:
OneWay Africa trains and mobilizes young missionaries and uses media such as The Jesus Film and OneWay’s BiblePlus audio players to bring the message of the gospel to unreached peoples of Ghana.
Streams of Living Water trains believers within the Middle East/North Africa region to reach least accessed people groups in the Arab world for Christ.
Mission Network News, a founding member of Alliance for the Unreached, exists to inform multitudes about stories that matter and empowers them to take action that changes lives. MNN is a voice of missions, the persecuted Church and Christians in hard-to-reach areas of the world.
Prayercast videos are used regularly in more than 200 nations to activate world-changing prayer for the lost.
WHAT CAN I DO?
There are nearly 100 unreached people groups in the United States alone, which means you might be closer than you thought to some of the most spiritually needy people in the world.
OneWay is here to help you reach people. Learn about our church partnerships, access our free missions resources or learn how you could use your unique gifts to serve and expand God’s Kingdom.
Join A Third of Us as they kickoff the International Week for the Unreached on Moody Radio. Hear interviews with mission leaders, including OneWay’s Ruth Kramer, along with news from the field.
Listen on Saturday from 3–5 p.m. CDT (UPDATE: Listen to the replay here.)
A Third of Us also provides resources for reaching the unreached with your church and family.
thanks so much to the people who sit in a desk and write theese blogs for us to read!