Unreached, Unengaged, and Unaware
Blog 3 in the series: Until All Have Heard — A Journey into God’s Heart for the Unreached
When we first heard the terms “unreached” and “unengaged,” we honestly didn’t know what they meant. They sounded like mission jargon—important, but vague. But once we understood what they actually meant, everything came into focus.
These weren’t just terms. They were people. And they were waiting.
What Does “Unreached” Really Mean?
When we say a people group is unreached, we’re talking about a community—often entire ethnic groups, regions, or nations—where less than 2% of the population follows Jesus, and where there’s not enough local believers to reach the rest of their community without outside help.
These are places where you can live your whole life and never meet a Christian, never see a church, and never hear the name of Jesus.
To be clear: unreached doesn’t mean lost. There are lost people everywhere—even in our neighborhoods. But the difference is access. In most places in the U.S., if someone wants to learn about Jesus, they can. That’s not true in many parts of the world.
What About “Unengaged”?
Then there’s an even more heartbreaking reality: unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs). These are communities where no one is even trying to reach them right now. No missionaries. No church planters. No known gospel movement. No strategy in place to change that.
They are not only unreached… but untouched. Not even on the radar.
As of today, there are still hundreds of unengaged people groups across the world. This should shake us to the core.
A Story That Made It Real for Us
We remember hearing about a people group in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco with over 2.9 million people—most of them Muslim—who had never once heard the gospel. Not because they were hostile. Not because they rejected it. But because no one had ever told them.
There were no known believers. No churches. No Bible in their language. No access.
We sat in stunned silence. These weren’t statistics. These were families. Children. Mothers. Elders. People made in the image of God.
If We Don’t Go (Or Send), They May Never Hear
This is the reality we carry with us now. If someone doesn’t go—or send—many of these people groups will live and die without ever hearing that there is a Savior who loves them.
Romans 10 asks the hard question: “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” — Romans 10:14
It’s not that God has stopped calling. It’s that too often, His people have stopped responding.
Why It Matters to Us
When we understood this, our calling became clear:
We had to be part of the solution.
That’s why we serve in the way we do—mobilizing, training, and equipping workers to go to the unreached and unengaged. We may not be able to reach every group ourselves, but we can help send those who will.
And here’s the truth: you can too.
What About You?
Maybe this is all new to you. Or maybe it’s something you’ve known but never fully felt the weight of.
Would you take some time this week to pray over the reality of unreached and unengaged people groups?
And ask God, “What is my role in reaching those who’ve never heard?”
Coming Up Next…
In the next post, we’ll share more about how discovering what God is doing through movements of disciple-making and church planting gave us hope—and a path forward.
Until then, thank you for walking this journey with us—until all have heard.
We would love to hear how the Lord is stirring and moving in your heart. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Blog 3 in the series: Until All Have Heard — A Journey into God’s Heart for the Unreached
When we first heard the terms “unreached” and “unengaged,” we honestly didn’t know what they meant. They sounded like mission jargon—important, but vague. But once we understood what they actually meant, everything came into focus.
These weren’t just terms. They were people. And they were waiting.
What Does “Unreached” Really Mean?
When we say a people group is unreached, we’re talking about a community—often entire ethnic groups, regions, or nations—where less than 2% of the population follows Jesus, and where there’s not enough local believers to reach the rest of their community without outside help.
These are places where you can live your whole life and never meet a Christian, never see a church, and never hear the name of Jesus.
To be clear: unreached doesn’t mean lost. There are lost people everywhere—even in our neighborhoods. But the difference is access. In most places in the U.S., if someone wants to learn about Jesus, they can. That’s not true in many parts of the world.
What About “Unengaged”?
Then there’s an even more heartbreaking reality: unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs). These are communities where no one is even trying to reach them right now. No missionaries. No church planters. No known gospel movement. No strategy in place to change that.
They are not only unreached… but untouched. Not even on the radar.
As of today, there are still hundreds of unengaged people groups across the world. This should shake us to the core.
A Story That Made It Real for Us
We remember hearing about a people group in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco with over 2.9 million people—most of them Muslim—who had never once heard the gospel. Not because they were hostile. Not because they rejected it. But because no one had ever told them.
There were no known believers. No churches. No Bible in their language. No access.
We sat in stunned silence. These weren’t statistics. These were families. Children. Mothers. Elders. People made in the image of God.
If We Don’t Go (Or Send), They May Never Hear
This is the reality we carry with us now. If someone doesn’t go—or send—many of these people groups will live and die without ever hearing that there is a Savior who loves them.
Romans 10 asks the hard question: “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” — Romans 10:14
It’s not that God has stopped calling. It’s that too often, His people have stopped responding.
Why It Matters to Us
When we understood this, our calling became clear:
We had to be part of the solution.
That’s why we serve in the way we do—mobilizing, training, and equipping workers to go to the unreached and unengaged. We may not be able to reach every group ourselves, but we can help send those who will.
And here’s the truth: you can too.
What About You?
Maybe this is all new to you. Or maybe it’s something you’ve known but never fully felt the weight of.
Would you take some time this week to pray over the reality of unreached and unengaged people groups?
And ask God, “What is my role in reaching those who’ve never heard?”
Coming Up Next…
In the next post, we’ll share more about how discovering what God is doing through movements of disciple-making and church planting gave us hope—and a path forward.
Until then, thank you for walking this journey with us—until all have heard.
We would love to hear how the Lord is stirring and moving in your heart. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
