Some definitions

Focus, Adoption, Advocacy...

  • "Adoption" is the most widely used term used about the relationship between a church and an Unreached People Group.
  • Other words used : UPG advocacy, UPG focus, UPGs as "hidden peoples," "underevangelized peoples."

Adoption :

  • n. To take (a child) into one's family legally and raise as one's own
  • n. To take and follow by choice or assent
  • n. To vote to accept
  • n. To take up and make one's own as an idea

Advantages : Disadvantages :

  • -implies responsibility
  • -implies paternalism *
  • -implies commitment
  • -implies superiority *
  • -implies purposeful choice
  • -may foster prejudice *
An advocate :
  • n. One who pleads another's cause
  • n. One who pleads in support of another
  • v. To speak or write in support of another's cause
  • v. To stand in the gap for another
Unreached People Group Focus
  • choosing a group (looking into it, weighing the responsibility, choosing well)
  • committing to that group (long-term)
  • taking responsibility
  • representing that group before God and before others on their behalf
*North America and Europe have erred in paternalism that still lingers from the colonial era. Use caution saying "adoption," careful to not encourage a paternalistic, dominating or superior attitude. "Adoption" is a choice made by informed consent and approval by a church to take responsibility for a UPG, seeing it towards a viable church. It implies pursuing, learning, selecting and choosing to love a people different from us, so they may know Jesus' love.

As an advocate of an Unreached People Group a church, small group or individual can represent the need of the Gospel to that group in prayer before God, and to the Body of Christ. It involves both a commitment to prayer, to understand by research, to pass on information, and to be supportive financially and in other ways so that this people will come to know Christ.