How does one identify a “needy field” for potential mission work? It’s not a simple task! In fact, I fear that some overly simplistic missiological strategies have become common even among those who are most passionate about Christian missions. The appeal of these strategies lies in their clear-cut formulas, which allow individuals, churches, and organizations to easily categorize areas of the world as “needy” or not. However, their danger lies in the very same simplicity: reducing the complexity of missions to a predetermined list. Two cautions come to mind.
Beware of an overly-simplistic view of geography and its impact on missions.
Two of the most popular ways to prioritize Christian missions are via geographical location or the identification of “people groups.” While the concept of people groups can be helpful, it can also be misleading. In Europe, for example, we are witnessing a major cultural shift as diverse people groups from across the globe come into contact with one another and with previously established European populations. This ongoing migration reflects a larger global reality: according to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 122 million people—roughly 1 in 67 people worldwide—have been forcibly displaced in 2024, a figure that has nearly doubled during the last decade.
This movement and blending of people groups challenges traditional concepts of a “mission field”—typically based on geographical region—requiring us to rethink “who” and “where” the unreached actually are. In this context, it becomes clear that determining the “need” for missions cannot be based solely on whether a country falls within a particular “window” defined by degrees north of the equator. Instead, we must thoughtfully assess the unique needs and gospel opportunities present in each region, considering both cultural shifts and the evolving realities on the ground.
Conditions within a single country can often vary more than the overall averages between two entirely different nations. In some ways, I am not really a “missionary to France,” but rather to “Sarcelles (a suburb of Paris) and its surrounding area.” The majority in the area where I minister is made up of people groups who currently have no possibility of access to the Gospel in any form unless someone from outside of their culture brings it to them.
Beware of overly-simplistic definitions of the “unreached.”
One of the most overused and underdefined words in missions today is “unreached.” I remember when one French lady walked off the street into our church building (to get out of the rain!). We began talking, and I discovered she had never read the Bible. I offered her one and tried to give her a crash course on how to read it. “Do you know how many Gospels there are?” “Have you heard about the Gospels?” “Do you know that the Bible is divided into two Testaments, Old and New?” Her answer to all these questions was “no.” Is she to be considered more reached or less reached than a person in another city on the globe? What is it, after all, to “reach” a culture? It seems to me that the Biblical definition would be that the people have the Gospel preached to them. Knowing that no man seeks after God, simply providing “access” (such as through short-wave radio, TV, or the Internet) is insufficient, even if we could agree on what constituted sufficient access. We must actively take the Gospel to real people. Perhaps, in defining the “unreached,” we should ask, “Is someone actively preaching and making known the Gospel in that center of life and commerce?”
Consider this final plea.
In seeking “the lost,” remember that millions of them are even now on the move and settling in places far from their birthlands. As such, I would encourage churches and those interested in missions to seek to work globally at the same mission—and in all its aspects—as they work locally. In other words, we should invest our mission efforts not simply in “reaching the unreached,” but in making disciples and teaching those disciples. Think of the health and growth of the Christ’s church at every stage and in every city. I don’t doubt that God has a role for you to play in this great effort and a place for you to serve.