Reach the Unreached? There’s an App for That

By far, the Lord of the Harvest Himself is the best mobilizer for missions to the unreached. Read how a YWAM Center commits to pray for and send workers to an unreached people group (UPG) on a distant continent. Then, God adds His special, unexpected endorsement.

YWAM currently operates in more than 1,100 locations in over 180 countries. Typically, these locations are training centers. Many serve as campuses for YWAM’s University of the Nations while also serving as “Missional Hubs.” YWAM sends over 25,000 people out in short-term teams each year. Some intentionally focus their prayer and outreaches upon Unreached People Groups (UPGs). In some situations, the UPG is on the other side of the road, sometimes, on the other side to the world. Either way, things get exciting when trying to reach people of a different culture. People who have never heard the gospel even once.

Over the years, YWAM Chico, in Northern California has sent a lot of short-term outreach teams. Many of them go to a restricted-access country in Asia. The gospel is spreading within the majority ethnic group of the country. But not yet among the many minority peoples. Recognizing this, they decided to focus their efforts upon one of the remaining UPGs. They began by learning more about the needs and opportunities within this country.

Get Advice. Get in Touch.

They called me, one of the leaders in YWAM-FM, to get advice. I offered what I could then told them about my friend Andrew*. He is a fellow FM leader who has lived in that country for about 25 years. I talk with him often. Knowing he’d eagerly help, I recommended that the YWAM Chico leaders get in touch with him. They also invited me to come to their campus to teach what it takes to start a Disciple-Making Movement.

About a year later, I was with Andrew in Asia. As we spoke, I happily discovered that the YWAM Chico leaders had talked with him, just as I had suggested. Andrew went on to tell me that he recommended to them a specific Muslim people group in the country. I was even happier when he proceeded to inform me that YWAM Chico followed through on his suggestion. They sent a team to this people.

Encouraged by their commitment, I welcomed their next invitation to teach. As I made my way up the final stretch of winding road to YWAM Chico, I smiled. I felt confident that visiting them again would be well worth my time. The next morning in the speaker’s guestroom I awoke, brewed some coffee and began my quiet time. Of course, I was thinking and praying about what to say and do during my teaching session with their new staff members. How could I best cast vision and encourage them to pray for and send more workers to the unreached?

Get Resources

It occurred to me that I should introduce them to a free mobile app for smart phones. It’s “Joshua Project: UNREACHED of the Day”.

The app has information on over 7,000 UPGs. It features a different people group to learn about and pray for each day. For each group the app provides:

• a brief description of the people
• ministry obstacles
• outreach ideas
• prayer points for any existing followers of Jesus among them
• prayer points for the entire people group
• a map
• resources in their language: Bibles; online audio New Testaments; Jesus Film; audio Gospel recordings; etc.
• how to get involved: support a national missionary; help fund Bible translation; help fund Jesus Film in their language; use Facebook to share the gospel with people in a UPT; network with others interested in this people group

To help me prepare to show them all the features of the app, I decided to open it myself. I tapped the icon on my screen. At the top, it read “UNREACHED of the Day”. As soon as I glanced down at the photo and read the name of the people group for the day, I filled with amazement. The UNREACHED of the Day was the very people group YWAM Chico had adopted!

I could hardly believe it.

Today is the Day for this People!

I thought, “Out of 7,000 possibilities, today is the day for this people!” This was obviously God’s way of encouraging this YWAM Center to keep up their good work. I could hardly contain my excitement as I headed out the door. My teaching session was not until early afternoon. But, I took off to tell everyone I could find throughout the large campus. “Hi I’m Kevin. Guess what happened to me this morning….”

Later in the morning, I climbed up the side of a ridge. I got out my smartphone. I lodged it on a rock so people could see the beautiful Chico campus in the valley below me. There I made a 3-minute video for my YWAM-FM friends around the world. I began, “Hi this is Kevin. Guess what happened to me this morning at YWAM Chico….”

The Lord of the Harvest is with YWAM Chico. He seemed to go out of His way to confirm He is with them. Surprisingly, the people He put on their hearts have been in the headlines during 2018. They are facing overwhelming injustice. This is a reason we are not mentioning the country or the name of the people. The God of Moses sees their plight. He is faithfully sending His messengers. He longs for them to hear and understand the good news and to turn to Jesus as their hope and their deliverer. Can you hear His demands to their enemy? “Let My people go!”

A Missional Hub to Change History

By God’s grace, this unreached Muslim people group will not stay unreached for long! God has great plans for them. He wants to use YWAM Chico as a missional hub that helps change history.

What about you? What would it take to mobilize your group, church or YWAM campus to become more of a missional hub? What unreached people group will you adopt for prayer? There’s an app for that!

How willing are you to be part of the answer to your prayers if the Lord of the harvest says, “go make disciples”?

*Not his real name