Core Value: Prioritization
This is the first article in a series by our Lead Team, spotlighting the core values that define Global Gates—Prioritization, Migration, Multiplication, Catalyzation, and Collaboration.
Over 15 years ago, I found myself in a small room with a few friends and a young South Asian man. It was my second short-term mission trip and my first to South Asia. Our missionary friend suggested we ask the young man what he thought about Christians. When the question was posed, he seemed puzzled, unsure of how to respond. After a brief pause, he said something I’ll never forget: “I’m not sure what to think of Christians, because there are none here. Even if I wanted to know about Christianity, I don’t have anyone to ask.” At that very moment, as my heart broke for this people group, God began to speak to me about the great need for prioritizing those unreached with the gospel of Jesus.
Oswald J. Smith once said, “Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once?” While opinions on this quote may vary, it highlights the importance of focusing on those with little to no access to the gospel. At Global Gates, one of our core values is Prioritization—we prioritize the unreached. As Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). In the Great Commission, He commanded us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20a).
God has identified and provided redemption for every people group on earth. He has commanded us, His disciples, to share this message of redemption with those who have not yet heard. Not only does this put us in the middle of God’s plans for the nations, but it hastens the return of Jesus and the picture we see in Rev. 7:9-10, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
At Global Gates, we prioritize unreached people groups because, like the young South Asian man mentioned above, they are the least likely to encounter the gospel, become disciples of Jesus, or belong to an indigenous church without intentional outside effort. When unreached peoples remain outside the Church, the full mosaic of God’s Kingdom on earth is incomplete, lacking the diversity and beauty that each nation, tribe, and tongue brings to the body of Christ.
The apostle Paul exemplifies prioritization in Romans 15:20a: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known…” Yet today, statistics tell us that only 3% of missionaries are sent to unreached peoples. Globally, 87% of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists have never met a Christian, and just 1.7% of Christian giving supports efforts to reach the unreached. There’s a need for a shift. Our desire at Global Gates is to mobilize more missionaries to reach the unreached, ensuring that all Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs have access to the gospel through a Christian they personally know. We, also, aim to see more resources dedicated to reaching those without access to the good news of Jesus.
We invite you to join us in prioritizing spreading the good news of Jesus and His glory among the nations. As believers, we have been blessed with the greatest gift we could ever receive in salvation. Psalms 67:1-2 says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” We have been blessed with salvation so that God’s saving power may be known among the nations. What will we do with the blessing God has entrusted us with? As we invite you to join us in prioritizing the gospel among those unreached with it, there are several ways you can get involved:
- Prioritize Prayer – commit to praying for the unreached and missionaries reaching out to the unreached. Find some prayer resources below:
2. Prioritize Partnership – commit to a short term trip to partner with a Global Gates missionary in reaching the unreached with the gospel or explore long term opportunities with Global Gates. Contact Mike Sowers (msowers@globalgates.info), Senior Director of Great Commission Partnerships, for more information.
3. Prioritize Giving – so more unreached people have the opportunity to hear the gospel. You can give here: Donate
