In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus instructs His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations.
This call often leads us to assume that believers need a passport and must travel to far away places to obey this command. Many who can’t travel overseas may feel like they’re missing out on God’s mission, believing that real ministry only happens abroad and that they have no role to play at home.
But, did you know there are likely unreached people groups living in your city right now?
Unreached people groups (UPGs) are groups among which there are no indigenous believing Christians able to evangelize the rest of the community.
Today, there are more than 7,000 UPGs in the world, but these groups are not just overseas. They may be present among the refugees, immigrants, or international students in your city.
What if God is calling you to serve right where you are—no passport needed?
UPGs in the United States
While the United States has been known as a melting pot of different ethnic groups and cultures, the Pew Research Center notes that the U.S. foreign-born population reached a record 47.8 million people in 2023.
In the city of Houston alone, there are more than 145 languages spoken, and 28.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
Metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, and many more have become home to diverse people groups and their places of worship.
This means the nations are moving into our neighborhoods, sitting in our classrooms, working in our offices, and shopping in our stores. UPGs are in our backyards, waiting to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and experience freedom in Him.
Willing and Ready
It’s one thing to feel a tug on your heart for the nations. It’s another thing to know what to do with it. Cross cultural ministry can be intimidating. It’s easy to feel unequipped or unsure where to start.
But remember that we are created by God to know Him, love Him, and go out and make His name known. He equips us for this mission He has called us to.
So, all you really need is a heart that desires for people to know Jesus and the willingness to trust that He will prepare you for what He calls you into.
This willingness is expressed in small steps of obedience. This can look like being present in places where people from other cultures might spend time or being willing to ask questions and be available. It’s pursuing friendship through kindness, curiosity, and proximity.
You don’t need to have all the right things to say. You don’t need a perfect plan, but you can faithfully consider what your next right move is.
Reaching the Nations in Your Backyard
With your heart prepared and your intentions set on reaching the nations in your backyard, you can consider how best to engage UPGs in your area.
Here are some ideas:
Learn About the Nations in Your City
Start exploring the presence of different people groups in your area to become more aware of opportunities to serve and engage with those communities or individuals.
Do a quick Google or AI search to learn more about UPGs in your city.
Check out density maps on places like Joshua Project to see where UPGS might live near you.
Ask members of your local church or an elder or pastor that oversees community outreach about immigrant or refugee groups present in your area.
You can also use resources like UPG North America to find larger cities with foreign born residents and take virtual prayer walks through places of business and worship in those communities.
Start Praying Intentionally
As you become more aware of communities in your area, begin to set aside time to pray for individuals, opportunities, and for boldness.
Pray for hearts to be open to the gospel and for access to God’s Word.
Pray for open eyes and divine appointments through friendship, media, or the local church.
Pray for boldness to engage those you don’t know and the courage to cross cultural boundaries to build relationships.
Pray for comfort for those who feel disoriented, isolated, or fearful as they have moved from their homelands or have been displaced.
If you don’t find any UPGs in your city, you can still pray for UPGs in your state, region or around the world. Consider resources like Unreached of the Day through Joshua Project app, which lists different people groups around the world that don’t have believers among them to share the gospel.
Prayer is a powerful way that we can impact the nations from home.
Engage Locally
Volunteer at ESL classes, refugee ministries, international student programs in secular contexts. These outreaches need a gospel presence.
Visit a restaurant that serves different ethnic foods, a cross-cultural coffee or boba shop, or an international food market, and start conversations in those places.
Be a friendly and curious face in those spaces, seeking to be respectful and kind.
Partner With Existing Ministries
Connect with local churches doing diaspora outreach. Your church may not work with foreign individuals, but another church in your area might have connections.
If you’re a student or willing to welcome students into your home, consider international student outreach programs like International Students, Inc., InterVarsity ISM, or Bridges International.
Equip Yourself
You can prepare yourself for ministry at home by taking a cross-cultural training course through programs like Perspectives or Crescent Project.
Explore books that shift your perspective around navigating cultural boundaries and provide tools for engaging in conversation while grounding you in Scripture:
- “Across the Street and Around the World” by Jeannie Marie
- “Crossing Cultures with the Gospel Anthropological Wisdom for Effective Christian Witness” by Darrell Whiteman
- “Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity ”by David I. Smith
- “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” by Nabeel Qureshi
The bottom line is, you don’t have to go far to fulfill the Great Commission.
Through prayer, proximity, and intentionality, you can take the gospel to the nations in your own community. This work is hard, but it is so rewarding and, above all, honoring the Lord.
Ask yourself, what is one step you can take this week to engage someone from another culture?
That one step can lead to a chain reaction of steps that impact people’s lives. Take that step. Start praying. Start learning. Start walking across the street.
A Guide to Unreached People Groups
In the United States, a person would not have to travel far to find a church or a person who can explain the basics of the gospel. That is not the case in other areas of the world. In some places, there are entire populations of people who have never seen a church, a Bible, or even heard the name of Jesus. These are unreached people groups. Learn more about the unreached below.
