Surprisingly, no.  Not even close!  It is estimated that over 7,000 of the world's 17,000 people groups do not have a community of believers living among them.  And these are not small groups:  over 42% of the world's populations are included in those ethnic groups.

For many years Africa received missionaries who spread the Gospel far and wide across our continent.  However, now 60% of Christians live in Africa, and it is our turn to spread the Gospel to places where it has not been heard, or where the Church has grown cold.

There will always be local problems and those who need evangelizing in our own communities.  However, God's plan is for the whole world to know Him, and this will only happen if local churches reach out to the world.

Churches in various parts of Africa are joining hands to contribute what they can, whether it be financially or with prayer, or releasing their members who are called to go.   Read our issue on The Pastor's Role in Missions for encouragement and ideas.

First, your heart has to be passionate about God's mission.  Then you can share with church members and teach them what the Bible says about missions.  Take time in the service to talk about what is happening around the world.  Pray for the unreached and lead others in doing the same.

The Unreached are those who do not have a reproducing church in their midst, and Unreached People Groups are whole ethnic communities where there is no growing Christian presence.  In many of these groups, there is extreme oppression or danger for anyone who converts to Christianity.

There are a great many materials out there.  Some are free, such as courses taught by a trained facilitator. These may have some cost, but often provide a better foundation for your church to build from. Have a look at the training pages in AfriGO's mobilization issue for a list of many resources available, including free resources.

To "mobilize" someone means to get them active and moving toward a goal.  So, mobilizing people for missions describes the process of teaching them WHY we do missions, HOW we do missions, and WHAT they can do to be involved.  It may involve helping someone hear their missionary call, or getting your church to be involved in missions through prayer, financial support or encouragement of missionaries.

It is the responsibility of the sending church to make sure that a missionary has what they need to live, whether that be housing, food, or education for their children.  Some missionaries can run a business to support themselves, though they may need some help getting that business started.  Some missionaries receive all they need from their sending church, or from a group of churches or individuals.  As pastor, your role is to be sure your missionary is provided for.

Some missionaries start a business in a foreign country because they are not allowed to go in to that country as a missionary.  So, the business is a good way to live there and provide a service while sharing the Gospel.  Or, the purpose of the business may be to make enough money to support the missionary.  Or, the purpose of the business may be to help transform the community by providing jobs, and sharing a good model of Christian business practices while sharing the Gospel.  Read more about BAM in AfriGO's issue.