MEDIA
What is an unreached people group?
Suppose you wake up tomorrow as usual, but when you open the pages of your well–worn Bible, to your surprise and consternation, there are no English words inside the covers. There are words on the pages to be sure, but you don’t understand any of them.
You decide to ring your pastor to seek advice. But you can’t find the number in your contacts. Your concern rises a notch.
Now you decide to drive to the church – he’s sure to be there. But as you near your church a strange building confronts you. It’s a temple to another god exactly where the church was last Sunday. In fact, there are no churches in town at all. The nearest one is miles away and they speak a completely different language.
This, of course, is the stuff of nightmares. But it helps us consider what it means to be part of an unreached people group (UPG). A UPG is an ethnic group where the people typically have no Bible, no church and no Christian neighbours…
No Bible
1.45 billion people in the world do not have a full Bible translated into their heart language. Even those who do may face serious difficulty getting hold of one; they may not even know that it exists. As a result, translating, printing and distributing Bibles is a key way to reach UPGs.
No church
If somebody in the West wants to find out about the Christian faith, they can usually walk (or catch a bus) to the nearest church. They may even have a wide choice of denominations, and will likely research churches online before attending. But for somebody in a UPG, the nearest church may be in another town or district altogether, the congregation may speak a language they don’t fully understand, and persecution may mean there is no public information to help them find it.
No Christian neighbours
Even where a local church does exist, few people suddenly decide to go inside and enquire. Often, a relationship with a Christian friend or colleague sparks questions about Christ. For this reason, the absence of believers is a huge hindrance to the spread of the gospel within UPG’s.
Raising up ‘near–neighbour’ evangelists and cross–cultural workers is essential for bringing the light of the gospel to people walking in darkness.
Please pray with us for the world’s many UPG’s, that they would receive faithful translations of the Bible in their own language, that believers would be sent to live and minister among them, and that local churches might be established as a result.
Want to make a difference?
You can help people in a UPG hear the good news of Jesus by supporting our Asian Workers Fund.
ASIAN WORKERS FUND