Unreached People Groups
An unreached people group is an enthno-linguistic group bound by a common ethnicity and language where no self-governing and reproducing church exists. In some cases, this will be a people group where the gospel has not been preached at all and where the name of Jesus is not known. In other cases there may be a handful of believers, but there is no viable church among that people group.
A viable church has raised up from that people group elders to lead the church, who are preaching the word, practicing the Lord’s ordinances, and evangelizing their people group with a goal of planting more churches. The Joshua Project lists a total of 16,350 people groups in the world of which there are 6,642 unreached people groups, or 40.6% of all people groups.
The Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul was a missionary to unreached people groups. Paul’s primary objective was to preach the gospel to unreached people groups with the goal of establishing a self-governing and reproducing church. In Romans 15:18-22 Paul wrote this,
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.
Paul says several things which highlight his priority to preach to unreached peoples. First, he says that he has preached the gospel and planted churches “from Jerusalem and all the way around Illyricum.” Second, his desire is to “preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named.” Third, he is going so that “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Fourth, this priority of preaching the gospel to unreached peoples has “hindered” him from going to the church in Rome.
Missionaries
When raising-up and sending-out missionaries from CrossWay, our priority is to send them not where the church is already established – indigenous pastors can do that better – but to unreached people groups.
CrossWay has sent out two couples to do this work. Ch@d and Ch@rity have been sent to work among the Ansari Muslims in South Asia. B@bby and H@pe have been sent to support those reaching unreached people groups in North Africa.
CrossWay Exists
CrossWay exists to send out missionaries to preach the gospel where Christ has not already been named and where the church is not established. Please join us in praying for the larger church to reached the unreached people groups on The Joshua Project, pray for our own mission partners, and find ways to encourage and support those who have already gone out from our midst.
Related Posts:
Conviction 1 – The Glory of God
Conviction 2 – The End of Human History
Conviction 3 – The Rejection of God
Conviction 4 – God’s Mission of Redemption
Conviction 5 – Redemption Through Jesus Christ
Conviction 6 – The Mission of God for the Church
Conviction 7 – The Church Exists for the Gospel
Conviction 8 – Humanity’s Response to the Gospel
Conviction 9 – God’s Mission is to All Nations
Conviction 10 – Evangelism, Mercy, Pastor Training, Church Planting
Conviction 11 – The Scope of CrossWay’s Mission is Local
Conviction 12 – The Scope of CrossWay’s Mission is Regional
Conviction 13 – Committed to Church Planting
Conviction 14 - The Scope of CrossWay’s Mission is National
Conviction 15 – The Scope of CrossWay’s Mission is Global
