Who are the Unreached People Groups in Indonesia and How to Pray for them
The Republic of Indonesia is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's largest island country, and has more than seventeen thousand islands. With over 269 million people, it is the world's 4th most populous country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country (82.1%) but Christians represent only 12.7% of the population. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population. The country's capital, Jakarta, is the second-most populous urban area in the world.
Indonesia has a total of 789 different people groups, among these, 235 (29.8%) are considered Unreached People Group (UPG), which means that in these UPG there are less than 5% of professing Christians and or less than 2% Evangelicals.
Very few of these UPGs have the whole bible translated into their own mother tongue. A few have access to some portion of the Bible, ie. the New Testament or The Gospel of John, while many have not even a part of the bible in their native tongue.
WNI has been working in Indonesia, among some UPGs, through medical camps in the most remote villages, where the communities don’t have any healthcare assessment.
In addition, WNI is bringing community development and transformation through the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Development in Indonesia (ISAD).
The institute provides theology and missiology classes, and also gives to the full time students practical training in sustainable agriculture, business, and community healthcare.
After their graduation, these students will be actively working in community development and transformation, as professionals and church planters.
Right now, we have 80+ Indonesian students, who are being prepared by ISAD to be missionaries in other countries and also to reach out to the many unreached people groups in their own country.
How Can I Pray for the UPGs?
- Pray that God will send missionaries to the different UPG in Indonesia;
- Pray for the ISAD (the teachers, staff and as well the students).
- Pray that the students will have all the sponsorship they need to complete their studies in the ISAD.
- Pray that the hearts and minds of the people, from the various UPG will be open to receive the Gospel;
-Pray for those who are working in the Bible translation for the different people groups. Pray that they will have anointing and wisdom from God for completing this task as fast as possible.
Resource : Joshua Project, Wikipedia
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