When Jesus commanded His followers to “make disciples of all nations” in Matthew 28:19, He was not referring to political nations. The word Jesus used for nations in Greek is “ethne,” from which we get the English word “ethnic.” Jesus commanded us to make disciples from every ethnic people group. In Matthew 24:14, He said, "And this Gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Until we accomplish this, the task is unfinished.
Reach Beyond is committed to helping the global Church to make disciples among unreached people groups (UPGs). These are cultures and locations where Jesus Christ is largely unknown, and the church is relatively insufficient to make Him known in its broader population without outside help.
According to Joshua Project, there are still 7,000 UPGs, making up over 40 percent of the world’s population. The map below shows where the unreached are primarily located, but we also know we have the opportunity to reach displaced people groups in our own countries.
We want unreached people everywhere to hear about Jesus, see Him in action and learn how to follow Him. Because of our strengths in media, Reach Beyond has prayerfully decided to prioritize the 1900 largest unreached people groups of 100,000 or more in population.
Weekly UPG Prayer Focus
Country: Pakistan | Population: 108,000 | Language: Pahari-Potwari | Main Religion: Islam | Evangelical: 0-0.1%
The name Bafinda was derived from the Persian word baften, or cotton dresser, which has been their traditional occupation. When foreign-made fabrics caused a decline in cotton cultivation, the Bafinda mostly shifted to carpet weaving. Today, they engage in many different vocations. The Bafinda generally only marry within their own community and follow the Islamic law of inheritance. Pray that God would open doors for believers to engage with the Bafinda. Pray for those who have been working on translating portions of Scripture. Pray for seeds of the Gospel to be planted among the Bafinda and that their eyes would be opened to the Good News and the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Country: Russia | Population: 226,000 | Language: Karachay-Balkar | Main Religion: Islam | Evangelical: <0.1%
The Karachay live in the North Caucasus region of southwestern Russia. They have had a long and difficult history of being conquered, including by the Mongol-Turks in the 14th Century (who converted them to Islam), the Russian Czars in the 19th Century, and the Germans during WWII. When Stalin reconquered the Karachay after the war, he deported them to remote parts of Central Asia as a reprisal for “accepting” German rule. Some 35% of the Karachay died during that forced relocation. Most Karachay have returned to their homeland and have preserved much of their heritage and cultural traditions. There are fewer than 50 known followers of Jesus. Pray that God would strengthen, encourage, and multiply the church by His Spirit. Pray that the believer’s daily demonstration of God’s love and redemptive grace would cause people to ask about the hope that they have found in Christ. Pray that the Karachay would choose to follow Jesus and find refuge in Him.
Country: Madagascar | Population: 1,639,000 | Language: Malagasy, Merina | Main Religion: Ethnic | Evangelical: 0.1-2%
The Tanala are a Malagasy people living in a forested inland region of southeastern Madagascar. Translated to “People of the Forest,” the Tanala are skilled woodsmen, food gatherers, and hunters. They trade in beeswax, honey, and other forest products and engage in slash-and-burn agriculture. Their ethnic religion is deeply rooted within their identity, making it even more difficult to accept Christianity. Pray for the small number of believers among the Tanala. Pray that many more will come to faith in Christ.
Country: Uzbekistan | Population: 809,000 | Language: Karakalpak | Main Religion: Islam | Evangelical: 0.1-2.0%
The Karakalpak are literally named for their black hats. They primarily live in an extremely dry region of northwestern Uzbekistan where rainfall is less than 4.5 inches per year. They rely instead on water from rivers to irrigate their cotton fields—Uzbekistan’s primary cash crop—and to grow alfalfa for their livestock. Unemployment is very high among the Karakalpak, and they must be ever resourceful to meet their own most basic needs. Even though the Karakalpak language did not exist in written form until 1930, literacy is quite high. The Karakalpak are Sunni Muslims who highly value conformity with the majority. Getting the Gospel to them is challenging, and few have responded. Pray that God would open their hearts and begin building His Church among them. Pray for the believers who are using digital media and other evangelistic tools to reach this people group.
See more Weekly Featured Unreached People Groups: Alphabetical List or By Date
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