“Not because they’re Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim, but because they will never have a single opportunity to hear of Jesus.”

People in this category are known as unreached people groups. The International Day for the Unreached, coming up on Sunday, highlights their plight. Unreached people groups have no access to the Bible, and there are no believers among them.

“By definition, outside assistance is needed, and it starts with prayer,” Kelley says.

“Before Jesus said ‘Go,’ He said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, and the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest.’”

One-third of the world’s population is still waiting to hear the Gospel. More about that here. Partnerships make it possible to reach them by providing manpower, awareness, resources, and more.

(Graphic courtesy of A Third Of Us)

“That (partnership) can start with advocacy because not everybody will go and have that opportunity to engage those places. Very few would,” Kelley says.

Though partnerships can include a financial aspect, they don’t often start there. “When we talk about partnership, people think it’s a code word for money. No, forget about money,” Kelley says.

“You can’t effectively use money unless you’re properly educated and your heart is burdened.”

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Pray for humility among ministries serving the unreached.

“Territorialism in the Church is one of the stifling elements of seeing the perpetuation of indigenous church planning movements,” Kelley says.

“We’ve got to put our pride and ego [aside] and be about seeing Jesus made known in these places.”

Header and story images courtesy of A Third Of Us. 

You never know what kind of spiritual legacy reaching just one people group can have.

John Pudaite, President of Bibles For The World, says his grandfather’s unreached Hmar tribe in northeast India had a reputation as fearsome headhunters.

“This would be back at the turn of the 20th century. [They] had a reputation of being one of the most savage groups of headhunters in the British Empire. We had developed this reputation because as the British had advanced across India converting a lot of the land into tea plantations, our tribe had revolted against this.

“In one attack on a tea garden, they had chopped off the heads of over 500 tea garden workers in one night, as well as kidnapping the daughter of the tea garden manager.”

Pudaite says, “We see it now, in retrospect, as divine providence that this reputation spread back all the way to the UK, because it resulted in a number of missionaries hearing the call of God to come to India and to reach out to the savage group of headhunters and the neighboring tribes.”

One young missionary, Watkin Roberts, mailed the Gospel of John to the Hmar tribe in 1910, and the village chief invited him to explain it. Roberts defied British authorities’ no-contact ban with the dangerous tribe and he went.

Rochunga Pudaite and his wife, Lalrimawii. (Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

Pudaite says, “He snuck up through the hills and walked more than a week on foot to reach my grandfather’s village. In a short visit there, just five days, he was able to share the Gospel message…. My grandfather who was only probably 14 or 15 years old at the time – he was probably a young headhunter in training – he gave his heart to Christ!”

Pudaite’s father, Rochunga “Ro” Pudaite, eventually founded Bibles For The World — a ministry that has provided 100 million Bibles to people around the world, including the unreached.

This IDU Sunday, pray for unreached people groups to know Jesus!

Maybe, like Roberts, God is calling you to go?

“It was not an easy decision for him,” Pudaite says. “But [Roberts chose] to follow in obedience to that calling to bring the Gospel to our people.”

You can read the full story of Bibles For The World’s history here.

Header a representative photo of a remote village in India. (Photo courtesy of Deepak Srinivasan/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.

Yet, the Gospel is still going out. Every year, unreached people across the MENA region are being touched by the Good News of God’s Word!

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

We’ve connected with our partners at FMI who work in these hard places. FMI’s Nehemiah explains, “The countries FMI is serving, they’re some of the spiritually darkest places on the face of the earth. We serve in Muslim-dominant nations. We are in Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkiye, [and] we are in Bangladesh.”

Around 70% of Indonesia’s population is unreached with the Gospel; and Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkiye are all 99% unreached.

Also, Nehemiah says, “We are serving in Kenya, which is not really a Muslim country. But we are in Kenya because we see that Islam is storming this African nation like anything. We are there because Kenya is on the base of the Horn of Africa so we can reach out to Muslim nations from Kenya.”

To support Gospel initiatives among the unreached, FMI has trained over 100 pastors, church planters, and evangelists in these nations.

Every Christian leader FMI supports is indigenous to the country they are reaching. These ministry workers don’t need visas, they don’t need to learn the language, and they already have a deep understanding of the culture and Gospel context to reach the unreached in their nation.

“It’s very difficult now — nearly impossible — for people travel to these countries. This is a unique and great opportunity for the people who want to serve God in such areas by praying for these indigenous pastors, church planters, [and] evangelists,…and by giving them financial support, which is about $150 for a month to support a pastor.”

Click here to support a Gospel partner with FMI!

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

“We understand because of the financial realities, $1 goes very far in countries like Pakistan or countries like Bangladesh. When we send $150, that helps an indigenous church planter and disciple maker not worry for the rest of the month so he can perform his ministry in a very effective way.”

As we approach the International Day for the Unreached, Nehemiah asks, “Please pray that God would open the minds and hearts of the unreached to the light of the Gospel. Pray that God sustains the faith of missionaries and indigenous believers through trials, persecution, and pressure they face every day.”

Header photo courtesy of FMI.

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.