Adopting an Unreached People Group

How your church can adopt a people group

Hawa is a teenage girl who lives in Mali. An infection left her with fused hips that cause her to walk with a distinct limp. Because of her physical limitations, she likely never will marry or have children.

Many in Hawa’s world would consider her life useless, but she has a different perspective. A few years ago some Christians from South Carolina visited Hawa’s village and told her about Jesus. She left Islam – the religion followed by the vast majority of her relatives and friends – to follow Christ. Now she finds great purpose in telling other people what God has done in her life.

Hawa is part of the Bambara people group. (To learn what"people group" means, read "How to understand the term 'people group'" on the GlorifyCD.) They live primarily in West Africa and the vast majority follow Islam. A few years ago, though, Beulah Baptist Church in Hopkins, S.C., adopted the Bambara people group. Adopting a people group means different things for different churches, but Beulah Baptist committed to pray for the Bambara and to become a “virtual missionary” to them – to take responsibility for taking the gospel to them. At the time Beulah Baptist had around 150 members, and they committed to sending a team to the Bambara every six weeks.

As a result of Beulah Baptist’s witness, churches have started in six villages. Now those African Christians are taking the gospel themselves to nearby villages.

Terry Reedis one of many women from Beulah Baptist who have visited the Bambara. She was part of the baptism of the first five Bambara women to follow Jesus.

“God chose me … a nobody from Hopkins, S.C., to go to a place that’s never heard His name and used me in such an incredible way,” she said. “Our church was just willing to take a step out and sometimes you have to do that in order to see what amazing things He has planned.”

To learn how your church can adopt an unreached people group, read the article below.

Adopting an Unreached People Group

Where to begin?

1. Pray for God’s guidance

As in any spiritual endeavor, your search for an unreached people group for adoption must begin with prayer. The IMB wants God’s best for your church, and only God can show you what that is.

2. Discover your church's Natural Affinity (DNA)

As you pray for God to show you the unreached people group He has for your church, be alert to what He may be showing you:

Do you already have a connection to an IMB missionary? Have you sent out a missionary from your church? Do you have a parent or children of missionaries who are members? Has a team been on a mission trip where they felt a connection to the people group(s) they served?

What are the skills and spiritual gifts of your church members?

What people groups live near your church or its members? Who have you met at the local hotels, gas stations, fast food or convenience stores? What about the physicians of your members? Check the website to find people groups in your area.

Is there a place in the world that keeps coming up in your corporate prayer times or just keeps coming to mind?

3.Determine yourchurch’s expectations for adoption

Is prayer the reason you want to adopt an unreached people group? Are you ready to pray consistently and continually? To pray that God will send the workers, that He will prepare the hearts of the people to hear the truth of the Gospel and that the message will spread unhindered? If prayer is the extent of what you feel your church is ready for, contact the prayer office at IMB or go to CompassionNet and sign up for PRAYERthreads at Praise God for your prayers.

Is your church ready to pray AND to connect with missionaries on the field and join their strategy for reaching a people group? Going on multiple volunteer trips, engaging in their strategy, praying specifically for their needs?

Is your church ready to pray AND to become the “virtual” missionary to an unreached people group that has no missionary assigned to them? Are you ready to study the people, develop the strategy and take ownership of an unreached people group that may never hear unless you go?

Work with church leaders and identify a mission "champion"

Has God laid a particular affinity or part of the world on the heart of one or more church leaders?

Are they ready to find ways to take the Gospel to those who have little or no access to the Gospel?

Who among your church’s laity will become the "point person" to communicate with the field?

Is this person willing to be trained in security measures to allow communication to restricted areas?

Can this person help influence the congregation to focus prayer for your UPG?

Is this person willing to lead teams and work with the leadership in the church and field personnel to reach your UPG?

Investigate opportunities

Do you feel led to reach a mega-city or a rural area or something in between?

Are there volunteer opportunities available that might help you discover the affinity where God is leading? Check

Has your state convention or local association adopted a UPG?

Assign teams or individuals to research various affinities/people groups and then join together to pray for God’s direction. Check the IMB “Peoples Around the World” site at: Look at

When God directs you to a specific unreached people group

1. Pray and celebrate God’s direction

Prayerfully agree to follow His leadership.

Find ways to bring the whole church into the process.

Meet with various church leaders and find a way to publicly celebrate the direction.

2. Communicate, follow through and keep your commitments!

Learn from field personnel in your affinity.

Connect with other churches to multiply your efforts.

Communicate with field personnel as your team trains and prepares.

If you make commitments to the field (or to other churches on the UPG team), do what you say you will do! Trust must be built.

Follow-through will lead to more opportunities.

Evaluate your role every year. If God leads you in another direction, find ways to communicate this to the field and other churches that have joined in this effort, and develop a strategic exit plan.

Contact your Mobilization Specialist if you want to share your vision or are ready to connect with the field. You can find your Mobilization Specialist here.