A people share a common history and identity. Often they are united by ethnicity and language. In urban contexts, a people's sense of being tied together may be influenced by socio-economic factors. Our world is made up of an incredible mosaic of peoples!
Why should a significant portion of the missional activity of the Church of Jesus Christ focus on least reached peoples? Here are five reasons:
1. Some peoples have little if any access to the good news about Jesus. They haven't been given the opportunity to hear about him. Giving them access is critical. After all, is it fair that we can sit in our churches talking about the second coming of Christ when least reached peoples haven't yet heard of his first coming?
2. God wants lost people found (Mat 18:10-14).
3. The Church of Jesus Christ has been given this responsibility (Mat 28:18-20).
4. Love demands it. We are called by Jesus to "love our neighbors as ourselves" (Mat 22:39). We can love least reached peoples, our global neighbors, by doing whatever it takes to get the good news to them.
5. The end will not come until least reached peoples have been given opportunity to hear, understand, and believe (Mat 24:14).
These are reasons why we as the US C&MA are focusing a considerable portion of our missional energy on least reached peoples, even if huge odds are stacked against us as we pursue them for Christ. And we're excited about partner churches around the world joining us in going to where the church isn't . . . in other words, among the least reached. This is ultimately God's agenda, not ours. He will bring this essential part of his redemptive work to pass. He empowers, we cooperate in quiet trust and unswerving obedience.
