Approximately 66,000 people die each day without hearing Jesus’s message of salvation. Brian Weller reflects on this horrifying tragedy in Episode 2 of Today in Missions.

A news flash comes across your screen. “100 Jumbo Jets Crashed Yesterday, Killing All Aboard.” The chyron reveals more of the horrifying story: “66,000 Killed in Mass Jet Failure. No Survivors Found.” You can’t believe your eyes. This is a tragedy beyond measure! Immediately, the whole world is overcome with horror and grief. Countless churches worldwide hold prayer vigils, send support for the families, and rush to rescue sites to offer help. Every genuine Christian worldwide becomes consumed with one question: “What does God really want us to do?” 

True, 66,000 airline passengers have never plummeted to death in a day. But every single day, approximately 66,000 people die without ever hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ once.

That means that this very day, 100 Jumbo Jets worth of people will die without hearing the good news of Jesus’s salvation.*

Where do these unreached people live, and how come they still haven’t heard about Jesus’s work on the cross?

The vast majority of the unreached live in a region called the 10/40 Window. This missionary target rests between the 10th and 40th parallels and includes North India, parts of North Africa, and Central and Southeast Asia. The 10/40 Window is home to the world’s poorest, most demonically oppressed, and most persecuted nations. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population lives there—and almost 3 of every 5 of its inhabitants have never heard the salvation message.

No—tragically, churches worldwide have largely forgotten these precious people. According to The Traveling Team, Christians have access to roughly 14,000 times the resources needed to reach every unreached people group. But instead of working together to get the job done, churches have sent only 0.01% of offerings to the unreached world. Shockingly, Christians send only $1.83 to the unreached for every $100,000 they earn. 

Well then, are we at least sending enough missionaries? Shockingly, no. According to the Traveling Team, only 3.4% of global missionaries labor among the unreached. The church has sent 445,000 missionaries into the world—but only 15,000 are reaching unreached people groups. Therefore, the unreached world has only one missionary for every 216,300 people. 

I trust you’d agree—our negligence towards these dying billions is totally unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to God—and it should be unacceptable to us.

We know that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ—so how can we do nothing? As Missionary C.T. Studd famously asked, “How could I spend the best years of my life in living for the honors of this world, when thousands of souls are perishing every day?”

As the leader of a small missions organization, I have to answer that question constantly. What does God really want us to do to complete His Great Commission? Message Ministries receives constant requests to meet all kinds of needs on the world’s mission fields. Many come from reached nations—places where the gospel has already flourished and churches have already been established. Many of these needs are real, and we don’t dismiss them lightly. But we have to say “no” when we ask God, “What do you really want us to do?” 

I’ll give you an example.

We’ve worked in Peru for many years. When we started to focus on the unreached, we had to pray for guidance regarding Peru.

“Do we stop visiting and cut off support for our Peruvian partners? Do we continue to expand there? God, what do you really want us to do?”

He gave us a clear answer.

‘Don’t cut them off.’

‘Send one or two strategic teams every year to encourage them to make disciples and reach Peru themselves. Then invite them to reach the 10/40 Window with you.’

We obeyed, and the results have been so encouraging. These devoted believers have begun raising their own mission teams, reaching their own people, and giving financially towards the 10/40 Window.

And while most of our mission funds once went to Peru, now, the majority of our funding goes straight to native workers in the 10/40 Window!

Then how should we shift towards the 10/40 Window? Do we need to cut off the reached world? Of course not! We can still send strategic teams and missionaries to reached nations to help them in the harvest. But as we face the plight of the unreached, we must follow God’s missionary game plan for the 21st Century. 

1. First, we must radically shift our focus toward reaching the unreached in the 10/40 Window. 

2. Second, we must ignite our partners in reached nations with a passion for the unreached. And 

3. Third, we must invite them to help us reach the unreached by praying, giving, or going.