The Unreached 

THE UNREACHED

The definition of "unreached" is any people group that is less than 2% Christian.  41% of the world's total people groups are considered unreached.

 

 

From the beginning, The BLESS Foundation has given priority to a part of the world nicknamed the "10/40 Window". The 10/40 Window is simply a term used to describe a region of the world within 10 and 40 degrees latitude from Western Africa to Eastern Asia. The 65 countries that make up this region involve the majority of humanitarian crises and people who have not had an opportunity to hear the Gospel live here.

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CHALLENGES

DIFFICULT TO REACH

Barriers

  • Fear of Persecution
  • Poverty
  • War
  • Political Turmoil
  • Geographical Isolation
  • Lack of Education
  • Lack of Medical Care
  • Lack of Access to Clean Water

These barriers, including security concerns, also prevent churches from hearing about and supporting disciple-making efforts among the unreached.

THE 10/40 WINDOW

What is the 10/40 Window?

The 10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia approximately between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude. The 10/40 Window is often called "The Resistant Belt" and includes the majority of the world's Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The original 10/40 Window included only countries with at least 50% of their land mass within 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. The revised 10/40 Window includes several additional countries that are close to 10 or 40 degrees north latitude and have high concentrations of unreached peoples.

Approximately 5.22 billion individuals residing in 8,883 distinct people groups are in the revised 10/40 Window.  6,169 (69.4%) of these people groups are considered unreached and have a population of 3.16 billion. This means approximately 61% of the individuals in the 10/40 Window live in an unreached people group.

The 10/40 Window is home to some of the largest unreached people groups in the world.

The 10/40 Window is home to the majority of the world's unevangelized countries.

The 10/40 Window: Spiritual Stronghold

The Yadav in India are one of the largest unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window.

The 10/40 Window includes numerous spiritual strongholds. The billions of people who live in the 10/40 Window have suffered not only the ravages of poverty and disease, they have also been kept from the transforming power of the Gospel.

The 10/40 Window: A Renewed Focus

The focus of the Christian missions community 200 years ago was for the coastlands of the world. A century later, the success of the coastlands effort motivated a new generation to reach the interior regions of the continents. Within the past several decades, the success of the inland thrust has led to a major focus on people groups. Today, followers of Christ are concentrating their efforts on the unreached peoples of the world, most of which are in the 10/40 Window.

BLESS partners with organizations working in the 10/40 Window