So many people around the world face each day without knowing that God loves them. Or that His own Son, Jesus, died for them, and rose from the dead—all to give them hope and the opportunity to enjoy Him forever.
But what can you and I do? Realistically, can we “reach least-reached people”? It’s a big question.
How can we reach the more than 321 million Muslims of North Africa, and the Middle East—with little or no witness to Jesus Christ? That number of people is close to the entire population of the United States.
What about China with 462 ethnic minority people who are considered unevangelized? There are only a few believers and churches within these groups. And only a small percentage of the 1.2 billion Han Chinese are followers of Christ.
Then there’s 1.1 billion Hindus of Nepal, India, and across South Asia. What can we do to point them to the one true God, among the thousands of Hindu gods? Or the 494 million people of Buddhist background, mainly in Southeast Asia, determined to find enlightenment—but never knowing Jesus, the Light of the World.
Is there a way to reach the one-third of our world that is still waiting to hear the Good News of Jesus in a way they can respond?
Yes, there is! We can work together to equip and mobilize the Body of Christ around the world. We can train and send out those who follow Jesus and who already live within reach of these unreached people groups.
These disciples have access to regions where North American Christians can’t go. But Muslims who have come to know Jesus can reach their own people. Chinese Christians can. Former Hindus and Buddhists can share the freedom found in Christ to their people.
As Global Disciples, we focus on reaching those who have yet to hear the Good News of Jesus.
And we believe one of the most effective ways to do this is by working with and through the global Body of Christ. When we work side-by-side with believers and indigenous churches around the world, we can be part of reaching those who have yet to hear the Good News of Jesus.
It’s a big job—a task that seems impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.
“How’s the food?”
“It’s great!”
We use that phrase of approval frequently. It can be our response to a question about the weather, coffee, worship, a football game, a Bible teaching, or prayer.
Great is also a word used to describe something which is ‘large in amount, size, or degree.’ In Global Disciples—and for most of us involved in taking Jesus to the world—we often attach the word great to the Great Commission.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
I was startled by the results of a 2022 study which said, “When U.S. churchgoers were asked if they had previously heard of the Great Commission and what it means, only 17% knew its meaning. Though 28% vaguely knew the phrase, just over half (51%) were unfamiliar.”1
That is not a great sign! While I’m confident it’s not true in many of the churches I relate with, it’s very sobering.
Why do we call this commission Jesus gave to his disciples and us before he ascended to heaven great?
- The Great Commission is ‘notably large in size and in scope.’2 Today over eight billion people occupy our world. In my lifetime, world population has grown by one billion people every 13 years. About one-third of all people self-identify as Christians and nearly another one-third are unreached. But before “the end” comes, the Good News of the Kingdom will be preached to all nations/ethnic groups (Matthew 24:14).
- The Great Commission is ‘remarkable in magnitude.’ Between 10,000 to 24,000 ethnic groups (depending on how ethnic group is defined) speak over 7,100 languages in our world today. But one day we’ll join “a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).
- The Great Commission was given to us by the greatest man to ever walk on earth: Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, our crucified and risen Lord and Savior. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
It’s great to be able to participate in the Greatest Co-mission assignment ever given—to be co-workers with Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9), sons and daughters of God and fellow workers empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Let’s make the most of this great opportunity! What a great honor to be alive at this time in history!
–Galen Burkholder, CEO
[1] The Great Disconnect: Reclaiming the Heart of the Great Commission in Your Church, Barna Group Research, 2022.
[2] Single quotes for words borrowed from the Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Pentecost! What a glorious day!
Jesus’ disciples, his closest friends and followers, were all gathered together when the promised Holy Spirit came and filled them with God’s power! They spilled out onto the streets, speaking in languages that were not their own but could be understood by people from every nation.
Crowds gathered, Peter started preaching, and before you know it, another 3,000 people came to faith in Jesus!
Pentecost is about more than numbers; it’s about Spirit-filled mission.
Already a celebration on the Jewish calendar, Pentecost drew people from all over the known world to Jerusalem— “devout men from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). Add in travelers, businesspeople, Roman officials, Jewish religious leaders, and the pilgrims to the Temple, and you had the perfect hotspot for spreading good news.
At least 16 people or linguistic groups are listed in Acts 2:8-11. They came from Asia (Minor and Major), Africa, and Europe. They spoke languages that ordinary fishermen from Galilee may never have heard of—let alone be able to speak to them with power and joy to communicate the hope of Christ.
Those who heard and believed in Jesus that day were the first to carry Good News to the least-reached. After all, beyond the small band of Jesus followers in Jerusalem—everyone and everywhere was “unreached”!
Today, a third of us on this planet are without the Good News of Jesus Christ.
A third of us. One in three. Around three billion people. And 7,419 people groups or 42% of the 17,468 groups in our world. Unreached!
People who have not yet heard the message of salvation and hope that Peter preached. They are waiting for someone to speak to their heart, mind, and soul, to bring the Gospel in a way they can understand and embrace. Poverty, politics, culture, prejudice, geography, language, accessibility, belief systems, isolation—so many factors keep people from hearing, understanding, and accepting Christ’s offer of salvation and eternal life.
While the challenge seems enormous, God’s people are working diligently to accomplish the task. Individuals, churches, and agencies are aligned in their vision to take the Gospel to every people and language. Many missions-minded agencies, including Global Disciples, work in concert as the Alliance for the Unreached. Together, we mark Pentecost as the International Day for the Unreached. This year, that’s Sunday, May 28.
Just as Peter and the disciples presented Jesus Christ to people “from every nation under heaven” that day, we want to do all we can to do the same for those still waiting.
One simple step is awareness—getting the word out, helping our brothers and sisters in Christ understand that so many people live without knowledge or access to the saving grace of Jesus. We use a simple mark of three lines as a reminder. Check out A Third of Us to learn more and join the movement.
Another step is prayer. Never underestimate what God will do when His people pray! Just ask Peter and the disciples. Pray for God to move among least-reached people. Pray for the Spirit to draw them to Christ. Pray for God’s people to engage with them, no matter where they are. Pray for organizations and agencies focused on taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Many resources are available to help—including several from Global Disciples here.
Next is understanding. Learn more and get to know the unreached peoples of the world. Remember, they are real people who face the challenges of life everyday as you do, but without knowing Jesus. Get to know their names, what they face, where they live, how they can be reached, etc. A good place to start is Joshuaproject.net (they even have an app!).
The Alliance for the Unreached also offers a Great Commission Action Guide. Something you can use personally, with your family or a study group, and with your church. The sign-up form is at the bottom of this page.
Finally, don’t be discouraged by the task. Today, by conservative estimates 3,000 people an hour are coming to faith in Jesus, every day, all over the world! That exceeds Pentecost by 69,000 people each day!
God has promised—in fact, he’s even given us a sneak peek—that one day, there will be people from every tribe, and language, and nation before His eternal throne in worship and praise (Revelation 7:9-10). His promises are true and trustworthy; they never fail.
Here and now, in our day, we live on mission to bring people to Jesus Christ, so they can be part of that eternal celebration. So, for now, we remember Pentecost, and celebrate the power of God poured out to reach the unreached.
–B Gerhart