from June 5, 2011 prayer update

Let me preface my comments by stating my total commitment to both the local and global components of the Great Commission. This is not an “either/or” proposition, rather it is a “both/and”. If it is our desire to live Biblically, it is absolutely vital that we meaningfully engage the lost both locally and among the least reached globally. Both as individuals and corporately as a local church. Better yet, as part of a small missional community of like-hearted believers.

However, there are some disturbing patterns that are emerging regarding the response of the U.S. Church to this bi-focal vision. We are extremely unbalanced in our focus and in the allocation of our resources. Sadly most churches have little involvement in evangelism on either front (local or global). And for those churches that are involved in reaching the lost, it is disproportionally a focus on reaching our own communities.

Did you know that 29% of the U.S. population is composed of evangelical Christians (1 out of every 3.5 Americans)? Even in our most unreached urban centers, evangelical Christians number somewhere in the 10-15% range. According to 2007 stats from researchers Todd Johnson and Charles Tieszen, 98% of the non-religious in North America personally know a Christian. At least creating the potential for them to hear the gospel.

Most of the evangelism efforts in the U.S. target “seekers”. Seekers are mostly nominal Christians with a few non-religious folks in the mix that might visit our church or a Christian event with us if we invited them. They represent about 1/3 of the 71% who are lost in this country. What about the other 2/3s of the lost? They can only be reached incarnationally, on their own turf, by someone presenting an authentic and contextualized gospel to them. If the Church of Jesus Christ in North America is obedient (in inviting the seekers and living incarnationally among the non-seekers), almost all the lost within our country have easy and repeated access to the gospel.

But this is not true globally, especially in Asia and north Africa. According to Johnson and Tieszen, worldwide 87% of Muslims do not personally know a single Christian (not one). Neither do 86% of all Hindus and Buddhists. These are not folks who have rejected the gospel after repeated exposure. These are folks with absolutely no access to the gospel. What priority are our churches assigning to reaching the billions of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists without access to the gospel?

“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One who they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15)

Do you have beautiful feet?