Go Ministries has recently partnered with Centre Street Church to reach the unreached in the 10/40 Window, a rectangular area between the latitudes 10oN and 40oN stretching from Africa to the Pacific Ocean. This window includes the countries of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia where most of the world's Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and unreached people groups live.
Joseph Ibrahim, the founder of Go Ministries, and his wife and five children live and work in this Window. Joseph frequently travels across the Middle East and North Africa to encourage his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Highlights of the 10/40 needs:
Two thirds of the world’s population, over 5 billion people, live in the Window. 99.9% of them don’t believe in Jesus. Those who have never heard the good news about Jesus are called “Unreached”. Today 3.4 billion people are still Unreached.
Fifty years ago 60% of the total world population was unreached. Today it is estimated to be just 25%, and the followers of Jesus have increased by 400%.
These numbers are very encouraging. They show that the global Church has made great progress over the past 50 years. But the shocking reality is that only 1% of the missionaries are sent to “Frontier Unreached Groups” and only about 2% of giving goes to the reach the Unreached. While the laborers are few, the harvest is plenty!
I am very excited to share with you some stories and miracles of what God is doing among the Unreached today through Go Ministries. This year we baptized many new believers. God is on the move!
Serving among the Unreached is hard. Sometimes it seems like homesteading. Lots of work and little change. Despite that, God is transforming lives.
Last year we visited a city of about 1.2 million people with zero Christian witness. We went to one of the highest spots, looked over the city, prayed for church there, and broke bread. Exactly a year later, I went back and helped to baptized 14 new believers.
The big question is, how do we respond to the huge needs of the Unreached?
What can we do together to reach the unreached today?
God had a big plan to deliver His people out of the slavery of Egypt, but first He had to transform Moses’ heart and mind to align with his life’s calling. God called him by name and started to explain what He was about to do through him. But Moses made excuses.
Then God asked the big question. “What is that in your hand?” Answer: his staff, what any shepherd would have had in his hand. The tool of his job.
Remember David facing the giant. He didn’t meet Goliath with a sword or spear; he came with what he had in his hand – a sling, and the name of the Lord. And God delivered them all.
God is not looking for complicated tactics and big plans to deliver His people. God is asking each one of us, “What do you have in hand?” God can use what you have in your hands to do what He wants to do.
God is asking you today, what is in your hands? Is it Your job, your time, your artistic skills, your prayers, your financial resources, your hospitality?
Ask yourself: Am I in a position where God can speak to me? What is in my hand that I want to offer to God? How will I respond in faith to God’s mission among the Unreached?
Use what is in your hands to work with God today!