The Basics of Adopting an Unreached People Group and Carrying the Gospel to Them | pt. 2

“Getting started“

Focus group: church members and pastors

This is the second in a series of articles which are being written to show you how to effectively engage an unreached people.

By Clint B.

Prayer is foundational in missions

A mission effort without prayer is activity without power, a very frustrating situation to be in. Note the success which comes through persistent prayer  in Jesus’ teaching in Luke 11:1-13. Jesus models persistent prayer. Prayer is so foundational  that I ask all my mission teams to  find  a prayer coordinator/mobilizer for their work. This  prayer coordinator should be as well-trained and committed as all of the other members of the missionary team. I recently heard that there is a network of prayer coordinators from across several agencies/churches who are working to share resources and ideas with each other…the task is very real!  In fact, I am currently looking for someone to serve as prayer coordinator for the African Affinity at Global Gates. 

Adopting a UPG

Once you have your prayer effort going, how do you find a UPG to adopt? Great question! One place  is our Global Gates website. The matrix on our site lists all the concentrations of unreached people groups in North America with populations above 5,000 . Pray over which one to adopt. You may be surprised to discover that there are members from an unreached people group living near you. There are other locations such as Joshua Project which can aid you with further information about these groups. 

Coaching

Let’s say you have made your choice and the Lord has called you to adopt and pray for a people group, what then? We at Global Gates would be happy to coach you in that work and we arewilling to provide training to assist you. Why do training? Glad you asked!

Training helps better prepare teams so that they are much less likely to make mistakes in how they present the Gospel, so that those receiving the message can actually hear what you are trying to communicate. Sometimes our lack of understanding of someone else’s culture can greatly interfere with our ability to share the Gospel effectively with them. We can inadvertently create barriers which we can’t overcome if we use an inappropriate approach  or  method in sharing the Gospel. Through our training, we equip individuals—whether church staff, members, or new missionaries—to develop a long-term plan for effectively engaging a people group. From the Pre-Entry phase to the possibly far-in-the-future Exit phase, we can better prepare you for this work. 

This work requires a commitment of time, energy, and financial resources. It also requires a clear calling from the Lord and deep love for Him and His Work. Are you willing to make such a commitment? You may run your own business or be many years into a good career, that doesn’t matter. He can use you as you are and the same goes for your church. If God is calling you to such a privileged opportunity, He doesn’t make mistakes. He already knows what and who you are. Just say “Yes!’ And get ready for a very exciting time of service to the Lord… you won’t regret it!

Next post: Pre-Entry issues