(Photo courtesy of A Third Of Us)

David Bogosian with the Alliance for the Unreached says, “Missiologists are now talking about what they call polycentric mission.” 

Polycentric missions are when missionaries are not just sent from Europe and North America in the “West-to-the-rest” approach, but from everywhere to everywhere.

Despite the incredible progress that has been made in the last century, Bogosian says, “Many of the places today that are unreached are unreached in part because they are resisting the gospel as a form of westernization.” 

An example of this is in India, where the BJP persecutes the Christian church because Christianity was associated with the British colonial power. 

“Things are beginning to change in an amazing way because of the globalization of the missions movements. The face of the missionary has changed. It’s no longer a white person necessarily showing up someplace, but you have African missionaries, you have Asian missionaries,” Bogosian says.

This globalization of missions can lessen resistance to the gospel. 

Today, most of the world’s unreached people groups live in restricted-access countries or places where traditional missionaries cannot go. Because of this, the church is rethinking how it engages in global mission.

“The good news is that God does have people in all of these contexts, the Open Doors produce a map every year of the places that have the highest level of persecution in the world, and if you were to overlay on top of that map the location of all the world’s unreached people groups, you would see that 80% of them live in these persecuted, restricted access contexts,” Bogosian says. 

Three billion people in these difficult-to-reach places. But Bogosian says, “Here’s the amazing thing. One third of the world’s evangelical Christians live in those contexts.”

Believers in places like East Asia and India live in close proximity to the unreached. 

It is very difficult for people to evangelize in these contexts with radical and surveillance groups that seek to shut down any preaching of the gospel. 

“It’s not easy for them to do that, but they are there, and so it’s our job as Christians to pray for them, to encourage them, to help them in the task that God has given them within their own country,” Bogosian says. 

(Graphic courtesy of A Third of Us)

In the Western church, it is important to be careful to recognize when helping hurts and how the desire to help can cause more harm than good. 

Though blessed with incredible financial resources, Bogosian says Western Christians need to get involved wisely and carefully, listening to the Holy Spirit and connecting with organizations that specialize in things.

“I would encourage anyone who wants to help, if you want to connect with the persecuted church and with those that are working in this restricted context, connect with those organizations that God’s raised up for His purpose,” Bogosian says.

The future of missions will require further collaboration and dialogue with Christians across the Global church. 

“We need to learn from one another,” Bogosian says. “What’s happening today is a challenge for everybody. You’re seeing the world in meltdown mode right now. We need to lock arms.” 

Bogosian says God is building his kingdom and wants His people to be united. This will require approaching the future with humility as learners. 

Bogosian says, “Mission brings us to that place of humility before God and before one another where we realize we can’t do this ourselves. It brings interdependency within the body and dependence upon Christ.” 

Please pray that in areas where house church movements are, God will work through these churches and regions, reaching whole countries and even neighboring ones. 

Pray that God will unleash that church and that those around the world will reach people for Christ.

(Photo courtesy of Chuttersnap/Unsplash)

It’s been two thousand years since Jesus gave the Great Commission, yet millions still haven’t heard His name. If every Christian shared the Gospel with just 3 unreached people, the whole world could hear the Gospel! But real barriers stand in the way.

David Bogosian from the Alliance for the Unreached says, “These 3 billion [unreached] people live in places that are difficult to get to — Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, northern India… These are places where Christian witness is heavily persecuted.”

The good news is that God sends workers into these fields — both local believers and foreigners who have responded to His call. They bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to regions thirsty for truth.

They need your support! Bogosian explains:

“Our job is to pray for those people, to get behind those that are trying to reach them and to stand with God’s people that are on the front lines of this type of witness.”

Heaven’s perspective on the world builds faith (photo courtesy of Maksim Shutov via Unsplash)

Yet, often our daily troubles distract us from God’s greater work. World news can seem unbearable and the future hopeless — yet this is exactly what Jesus’s disciples experienced!

“Jesus wanted to lift their eyes,” says Bogosian, “above all of that, to see what God is doing, to see what Heaven sees!”

There are three steps we can take to gain Heaven’s perspective:

1. Pray for God to give you His vision for the world — “We need to ask God to give us a global vision, a heart that sees the world the way that he sees it. And God will do that.”
2. Learn about these nations: from open sources, testimonies, active workers— “So learn about the nations, learn about what God is doing.”
3. Act — “The third thing is get involved. Action fuels prayer!”

When we begin to see from Heaven’s perspective, our faith grows, and we recognize how deeply Christ’s message transforms individuals, communities, and even nations. Then we pass that message forward.

“We’re God’s people. We are His hands and His feet, and this is what Jesus was doing. Jesus went out to seek and to save the lost,” says Bogosian.

Be part of Christ’s global rescue plan! Visit the Alliance for the Unreached to learn more.

Header photo courtesy of Roman Melnychuk via Unsplash.

“While we’re enjoying all of our wonderful Christmas celebrations, we also need to remember those who have no clue what Christmas is all about,” says Jeff McLinden with Alliance for the Unreached. 

“The wonderful gift that we received at Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the Savior, has not been realized for more than 3 billion people, a third of the world’s population.” 

That’s what the Alliance for the Unreached wants you to hear today: A third of the world has never heard of Christ. But this darkness is not where God intends these people to stay.

“[The Great Commission] is a command from the One who has the most authority, both in heaven and on earth, and He’s giving this responsibility to believers, His followers — you, myself, the millions of Christians across the globe — to do this work to fulfill this command, to make disciples of all the nations,” says McLinden.

(Photo courtesy of Alliance for the Unreached)

He notes that “nations” does not simply mean countries or political boundaries. It means people groups, tribes, tongues, as in Revelation 7:9-17. That roughly 3 billion people break out into more than 7,000 people groups that have never had the chance to accept Christ as their Savior, McLinden says.

That means if you know Christ, your life matters in the Great Commission. So find your place in God’s story!

“It always begins with prayer. Prayer is our most important, most powerful, most potent weapon against the wiles of the evil one and to move heaven and earth in order to reach the unreached across the globe,” says McLinden. 

“If you have no idea about how to pray for the unreached, it begins with knowing who they are. I encourage you to visit our friends at the Joshua Project at their website joshuaproject.net. You will find complete listings of all of the unreached people groups across the globe. Pick out one to begin praying for, even on Christmas Day.”

Click to visit the Joshua Project. Then, to join with others to reach the unreached, connect with the Alliance for the Unreached and the movement A Third of Us. 

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Leon Oblak via Unsplash.

IDU, or the International Day for the Unreached, explains how you can be a change agent. Unknown Nations’ Greg Kelley, a member of the Alliance for the Unreached, says awareness is the first step.

(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

For example, “We need to become more aware of India and Nigeria because of how strategic they are from the Kingdom standpoint,” Kelley says.

“You can make a case that India and Nigeria are representative – more so than any other country in Asia and Africa – for the ends of the earth. Yet most Christians don’t think that way.”

Why start with these two countries? First of all, “There’s no country in the continent of Asia that has more people groups than India, and more unreached people groups, just like Nigeria is to Africa,” Kelley says.

Furthermore, “We talk a lot about the 10/40 Window. The Church is suffering greatly along the 10th parallel. It runs through both Nigeria and India.”

Save the date for IDU Sunday on May 19th if you haven’t already, and start preparing now by tuning into a special radio broadcast this Saturday, May 11. Find the details you need here.

Most importantly, pray. “We need to be praying, first and foremost, for the names of people groups inside of India, in Nigeria, and be praying to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into these two areas,” Kelley says.

Header and story images courtesy of Unknown Nations.

Unfortunately, “So few people understand what the Great Commission is all about,” says Jeff McLinden, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Unreached.

“It’s difficult in our culture because there’s so many distractions.”

A 2018 poll found that less than half of all churchgoers in the United States know about the Great Commission. The Alliance for the Unreached is a coalition of like-minded ministries focused on reversing this trend and serving the world’s unreached people groups.

“We’re focusing on those people who have no access to the Gospel at all,” McLinden says.

“Our purpose is to help reawaken an interest in and a pursuit of the Great Commission.”

This global vision has many applications, and it can be challenging to keep everyone moving in the same direction. So, the Alliance came up with a rallying cry that’s easy to remember and share.

“‘A Third of Us’ is the message we’ve developed to help people engage with Great Commission ministry,” McLinden says. “A third of the world’s population is without Christ. Not only are they without Christ, they also don’t have any access to engage with the Gospel.”

(Graphic courtesy of A Third of Us)

The Alliance observes the International Day for the Unreached on Pentecost Sunday each year. Go here for details, and save the date! The International Day for the Unreached is coming up on May 19, and your participation is critical.

“We want to see unreached peoples of the world have the opportunity to make a decision for Jesus Christ; 7,400 (people) groups around the world have never had that opportunity,” McLinden says.

Header and story graphics courtesy of A Third of Us.

(Graphic courtesy of A Third of Us)

McLinden comes to the Alliance after working for Christian nonprofit institutions since 1979, including senior roles in resource development, marketing, and management for Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), The Christian Broadcasting Network, and Bible Literature International. For 20 years, he was vice president of a consulting group that helped various ministries.

In 2015, as vice president of Bibles For The World, McLinden was one of the founding members of the Alliance for the Unreached and served on its board of directors for five years.

“We founded this organization to launch the International Day for the Unreached,” McLinden says.

“We said, ‘Let’s have an international day to focus on unreached people and get the church involved.’”

The Alliance for the Unreached is the parent organization for several initiatives, including the International Day for the Unreached and the “A Third of Us” media campaign.

‘Reaching the unreached’ is a theme spanning decades of McLinden’s work in several ministry roles.

“When I began my career, I worked for Campus Crusade for Christ on frontier types of ministries where there were no churches, Bibles, or believers. And that grabbed my heart,” McLinden says.

“I think the Lord laid this on me too, that ‘This is going to be your life. You’re going to be working with people sharing the Gospel with those who have no access.’”

As the new executive director of The Alliance for the Unreached, McLinden will spearhead growth plans. “One of the biggest challenges is getting common agreement on our objectives and priorities,” McLinden says.

Engaging North American Christians in “Great Commission awareness and activism” is a daunting task and a severe need. An estimated three billion people worldwide have little or no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More about that here.

“It’s not just about the International Day for the Unreached anymore. It’s providing opportunities for people to engage with ministries year-round,” McLinden says.

Pray for wisdom, discernment, and creativity. Ask the Lord to reveal how you can get involved in efforts to reach the world’s unreached people groups.

Header and story images provided by A Third of Us, the media campaign orchestrated by The Alliance for the Unreached.

Fittingly celebrated the same day as Pentecost Sunday, the International Day for the Unreached is highlighting unreached people around the world and the need to get the Gospel to them.

(Photo courtesy of A Third Of Us)

Greg Kelley with World Mission explains, “The unreached are people who don’t have access to the Gospel. So think of no access to the Bible, think of no missionary, think of no church, think of no pastor. They’ll never meet a Christian in their life.”

Roughly one-third of the entire global population is denied access to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

“When I came to the studio that we’re at right now, I passed by 50 churches as I was driving. [Unreached] people will never see a single Evangelical church from the day they’re born until the day that they die.”

So how do we most effectively reach unreached people for Christ? Kelley says, “I love the idea of reaching people by mobilizing leaders. I’m thoroughly convinced that the key ingredient to reaching the ends of the earth is through leadership training to raise up leaders.”

For example, World Mission has new leadership training launching in Pakistan to do just that: Train Christian leaders to reach the unreached.

“The first round of leaders coming through there are going to be former Taliban members — people have come to know Jesus — and they are going to go into Afghanistan and preach the Gospel.”

(Photo courtesy of A Third Of Us)

There are several ways you can get involved with International Day for the Unreached. First, visit athirdofus.com to join the #AThirdOfUs movement.

You can also download a Church Kit or Family Guide with educational materials on the needs of the unreached and ways to make an impact for the Great Commission.

There’s also the 1:11 Prayer Challenge! We will be praying at 1:11pm on Sunday, May 28th on the International Day for the Unreached. You can join here: https://athirdofus.com/idu/#take-action.

Finally, Kelley says, “I think we need to pray as Jesus said when He came down and He looked out and He said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest.’ I really believe that.”

Header photo courtesy of A Third Of Us.

One-third of the world’s population today has no access to the Gospel. Yet that staggering statistic rarely, if ever, shows up in a sermon or study.

“In many respects, churches in North America have turned inward,” says Steve Johnson, Executive Director of The Alliance for the Unreached.

“We’re growing in our understanding of Scripture, in some respects. Worship is probably more dynamic than it’s ever been. But what’s been forgotten in the midst of that (change) is the Great Commission,” he continues.

“We’ve stopped praying for those who haven’t heard the Gospel.”

The Alliance introduces unreached people groups to Jesus by connecting you to the unreached. Comprised of more than 50 members, the Alliance seeks to educate believers about the Great Commission and raise awareness of remaining needs. You can join their efforts on May 28 – the International Day for the Unreached.

(Graphic courtesy of A Third of Us)

You don’t have to wait until then to start. Download a free action guide here.

“For those interested in the Great Commission, this book is full of ideas about ways to share the need with others,” Johnson says.

“You can advocate; you can give; if God calls you, you can go.”

First and most importantly, pray. “If we’re going to [reach] those who have never heard the Gospel, the battle has to begin on our knees. It isn’t about what we do; it’s about Who we know,” Johnson says.

“Be praying for those who still need access to the Gospel, [and] pray for each other. We will be more effective when we unite our hearts in prayer.”

Header and story images courtesy of A Third of Us.

“St. Patrick’s Day has become about ‘bangers and mash’ and green beer. If you read the history of the real St. Patrick, he was an evangelist who wanted to rescue people from persecution and poverty,” says Steve Johnson, Executive Director of Alliance for the Unreached.

“He was an incredible man of God and an incredible man of prayer.”

Ireland’s patron saint was born Maewyn Succat in the fourth century, and the Lord called him to reach the Druid people for Christ. He journeyed throughout Ireland, sharing Christ until his death on March 17, 461 A.D.

“St. Patrick spent his life trying to minister to people who desperately needed to hear the Gospel. He was a man of prayer and action,” Johnson says.

In honor of Saint Patrick’s legacy, Alliance members are praying today for the world’s unreached people groups. “Right now, there are more than three billion people on Earth who have no access to the Gospel,” Johnson says.

“That’s more than a third of the world’s population, and that’s what we’re trying to change. But it won’t happen until we get on our knees and [tell] the Lord, ‘Use us as You would choose.’”

Learn more and pray alongside the Alliance by downloading a free action guide here.

“Ask the Lord, ‘what is it You want me to do to be a part of Your mandate?’” Johnson suggests.

“Not everybody is called to do remote (overseas) ministry or be St. [Patrick], but everybody has a role to play in the Great Commission.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of alleksana/Pexels.

For example, touchscreen technology was brand new 12 years ago. Now, it’s on every so-called “smart” device, from TVs to watches.

Technology plays an important role in Deaf ministry, too. “Think about how easily you can record a video now or call somebody on Zoom. All of that has been a product of the last 10 or 15 years,” Rob Myers of DOOR International says.

“[Technological advances have] changed what Deaf ministry and sign language Bible translation looks like.”

Sign language Scripture is now easier to produce and distribute, giving Deaf church planters more capacity. “We used to distribute Bibles in VHS format, which changed to DVDs. Now, content is available through websites, apps, micro SD cards, and USB drives,” Myers says.

“Technology even exists nowadays where you don’t even need the internet. You can walk into a room with something like a Raspberry Pi, and it pushes out content to every phone that’s willing to accept it within a particular radius of that tool,” he continues.

(Photo courtesy of DOOR International)

“Technological advances are making what used to be a very labor-intensive process very quick. That allows our leaders to focus on the relationship-building aspect of ministry.”

Less than two percent of the global Deaf population knows Jesus, making the Deaf one of the world’s largest unreached people groups. More about that here. In fact, one-third of humanity doesn’t have access to Christ, but together, we can change that.

“Every person deserves the opportunity to know their Savior, and that includes every Deaf person on this planet,” Myers says.

Remember the Deaf on May 28, the International Day for the Unreached. You can learn more about the unreached and connect with groups like DOOR here.

Header image courtesy of DOOR International.