Adopt A People Clearing House - Frequently Asked Questions



	Q1.	What's the big deal about unreached peoples? Why can't we just send missionaries to countries like we always have in the past?
	A1.	God sees faces, not places. His Son, Jesus, died for people . . . not countries! Many times in the Bible, like in Rev. 7:9,10; Psalm 22:27, and Mathew 24:14, the word "nations" really means "ethnos" or "peoples".
	Q2.	What is an unreached people group (UPG)?
	A2.	A group of people among which there is no viable indigenous church movement with sufficient strength, resources, and commitment to sustain and ensure the continuous multiplication of churches.
	Q3.	What is World A?
	A3.	An unreached people for which the majority of its members have little, or no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
	Q4.	What is the difference between an unreached people group and an unevangelized people group?
	A4.	The definition of an unreached people group is answered in Question 2. An unevangelized people group is made up of people, the majority of which have never heard the gospel with such cultural and personal relevance that it results in sufficient understanding to accept Jesus Christ by faith as a believer (disciple) or to reject Him.
	Q5.	How many unreached people groups are there left in the world to reach?
	A5.	No one can absolutely be sure. But mission research organizations generally agree that the number is around 6,600.
	Q6.	How many people groups are there in the world altogether?
	A6.	People groups used to be generally classified only by language. But with some groups, that poses a big problem, as in the case of the Hui people. They are a large Muslim group of nine million in China who speak Mandarin like the Han Chinese, but definitely have their very own culture within the Chinese culture. Now, researchers believe there are about 17,000 people groups in the world, diversified by language AND culture.
	Q7.	How long does my church need to commit to the adoption if we choose to adopt?
	A7.	That is a difficult question to answer, because each situation within a particular people group will be different, depending on the openness or resistance of the people to the Gospel, the number of other churches partnering together for the people, the amount of resources available (like Scripture translations) already in print for the people, etc. But one thing is for sure, the church needs to go into the adoption agreeing that it will not abandon the people until they are strong enough Christians to be able to start other churches within themselves and beyond!
	Q8.	I don't know if I like the set pattern of "Stages of Adoptions." Why is everything so planned out? Can't our church just be "led of the Lord?"
	A8.	Each church is different, and that's why there are mission organizations like AAPC and the Antioch Network who will help your church find their own pattern they are comfortable with. The Stages of Adoption are proven guidelines to get you started! The overall process is living and God-directed.
	Q9.	Our church has given to missionaries in Guatemala, Kenya, and Germany for the last 20 years. Are we supposed to stop giving to them and just concentrate on unreached peoples?
	A9.	No!!! But a church SHOULD periodically review its mission's giving to make sure that it is strategic. Did you know that only .001 percent of church budgets go to unreached areas? Perhaps those missionaries that your church is supporting in countries listed above and in areas of great receptivity to the gospel could begin to look for people groups within their county that have never heard the Good News. Or …what about training nationals from within those countries to be sent to unreached areas?
	Q10.	I am very excited about the idea of reaching unreached peoples but I don't think my pastor is. What should I do?
	A10.	First of all, pray that God will open his heart to the unreached peoples of the earth. Then, learn all you can about the adoption movement and how local churches can get involved. Order a video about unreached peoples (a picture often paints a thousand words!) and equip yourself with knowledge. Finally, set up a time to meet with him or the missions committee to share this information and even offer to be the "champion" for your local church. Sometimes pastors are so busy that when they hear of a new idea like this, no matter how good it seems, it makes extra work which they, understandably so, cannot handle.