Engaging the Unreached

I was sitting in a crowded Italian hotel as a young missionary with a crowd of teenagers, listening to a speaker’s presentation. My fellow missionaries and I had helped to plan a week-long camp that focused on sharing the gospel with hundreds of US military teens. The speaker’s PowerPoint displayed a photo of Mauricio Palacio’s artistic interpretation of a vision of lost souls written by General William Booth, founder of the Salvation army. I remember being awakened to the needs of the unsaved when I saw it. 

The visual picture of people who had once been rescued from the dark tempestuous waters were now ambiguous and uncaring about the people drowning around them.  The picture depicts men and women focused on careers, hobbies, music, and exercise while just 2 people out of the 20 notice and take action to help rescue those in need.  The full vision and photo are available here.

I now have this picture hanging in my office as a reminder of that pivotal day I first saw it.  When God nudged my heart and confirmed my calling that I wanted to join Him in “rescuing the perishing”.

Matthew 10:30 records Jesus’ words of comfort that each and every person is valuable to God.  He knows the number of hair on our heads and how valuable we are to Him. With this knowledge, we apply the truth to the world’s population of 8 billion people.  Each and every person has a name, a story and a soul.  Yet, in the 2000 years since Jesus’ commission, there are still over 4.7 billion missing worshippers. 

People Groups or Joshua Project are great resources to learn more about the unreached. We define unreached as places where less than two percent of the population is evangelical Christian. At Avant, we focus on sending our missionaries to proclaim the gospel to the unreached.

The “International Day of the Unreached” is on May 28. This day focuses on those who are still denied access to the gospel. We are partnering with the Alliance for the Unreached because our heart and vision for the unreached beats in sync with our partners who focus their efforts on sending, going and reaching them with the redemptive truth of God’s Word.

You can join Him in what He is doing. Help us bring awareness to about the third of the world who are still denied access to the Gospel. Here are a few ideas on how you can help:

 1. Participate in the International Day of the Unreached by drawing 3 lines on your hand to raise awareness and find opportunities to share. Learn more about how you can join this movement.

2. Download the “Unreached of the Day” app and pray daily for 7600 different people groups who are unreached. Or use other resources like Operation World.

3.Gather friends and neighbors and host a cultural night where you focus on a people group and pray.

4.Meet new international students, refugees or immigrants who live near you and show hospitality and begin a friendship.

5. Take a short-term trip to experience and learn the names of some of the unreached.  Avant has summer, mid-term and internship opportunities.

6. Reach out to a missionary that your church supports to receive their newsletters, make a connection, and partner with them.