Embrace
Reaching the Unengaged, Unreached People Groups (UUPGs) of East Asia
East Asia is home to some of the world’s largest people groups and home to 295 unreached people groups (UPGs) that still remain unengaged. The Embrace initiative offers churches exposure to East Asian Peoples strategic priority groups, exploring who these peoples are and what it will take to reach them, being trained and educated on strategic methodology and fruitful practices most effective among these peoples, and being the “boots-on-the-ground” to engage these UUPGs with the Gospel.
Expose
With 3800 unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs) worldwide and 295 within the East Asian Peoples Affinity Group (EAPAG) alone, it is hard to know where to begin. We invite you to attend an Embrace Equipping Conference or connect with the East Asian Peoples Embrace Coordinator to learn more.
The IMB website, call2embrace.org offers further information about the conferences. Click here for more details.
Other ways your church can partner in reaching the UUPGS of EAPAG:
The East Asian Peoples Affinity Group (EAPAG) invites you to join them in either partnering together with field personnel already engaging a people group or becoming a strategic prayer partner.
I would like more information on partnering together with field personnel already engaging a people group!
I would like more information on becoming a strategic prayer partner for a UUPG!
Explore
This is a gathering phase to learn about specific, high priority unengaged, unreached people groups that your church feels should be explored more in depth for a possible commitment.
East Asia UUPGs
- 295 UUPGS 21,496,683 in population
- 169 UUPGS less than 10,000
- 76 UUPGS greater than 10,000 to 49,999
- 20 UUPGS 50,000 to 99,999
- 26 UUPGS greater than 100,000 to 999,999
- 4 UUPGS greater than 1,000,000
As you explore the highest priority UUPGs of EAPAG, prayerfully consider how your church fellowship is best equipped to Embrace a UUPG. Some questions that may guide you through your decision process are:
- Do we feel drawn to a people of a specific religious background? (Islamic, Animistic, Buddhist, etc.)
- Does the size of the people group make a difference?
- Is there a specific geographic area we feel led to explore?
- How remote is the UUPG? How long will it take in travel time to get to where this UUPG is located?
- Is it strenuous to get to this location?
- Are there potential dangers to consider? (government restrictions, bad roads and terrain, good medical facilities are 3 days away, stricken area, etc.)
- Are risk and location too limiting for our church to commit to actively engage in reaching a particular UUPG?
- Does the church or our church members have the financial means to commit to extending the church mission field to this location?
- Can church members make extended time commitments to travel to this location?
- Is it possible for the church to place long-term laborers among this UUPG in order to increase your fruitfulness in ministry?
- Have we considered the pros and cons to choosing a UUPG spread out over a large geographic area or are we better equipped to take on a UUPG concentrated in a smaller geographic location (e.g., segments of this UUPG population residing in a major city)?
- Do we have anyone in the church that may be able to assist linguistically with any UUPGs listed in East Asia?
- Do we have churches members that may be able to bring technical skills or expertise that would benefit reaching a particular type of UUPG (for example, agriculture experts to assist with rural UUPGS that are mainly farmers, or medical workers who can assist with a UUPG that has a high infant mortality rate) and/or in developing a creative access entity to facilitate your engagement among your UUPG?.
Resources to assist
Educate (Research Unreached, Unengaged People Groups)
Training is a multi-prong and ongoing process catered to the needs the UUPGs. An initial, one day to one and one-half days training will be provided in the USA, while subsequent trainings will be provided on the field in order to increase your effectiveness in multiplication ministry among your UUPG.
The third step in the Embrace process is to provide the training necessary to equip your churches to engage your UUPG(s). This training will be provided in two segments:
Stateside Training. Training that takes place in the USA prior to engagement. This training will be one to one and a half day sessions, offered two (or more) times per year. It will include topics such as:
- God Builds His Kingdom Around Persons of God. The people God uses to launch movements of God!
- Prayer: A Strong Foundation. How to pray? How to develop and sustain prayer strategies?
- Cross Cultural Issues and Research. How to research and discover the worldview of your UUPG?
- Parts of a Kingdom Plan. Introduction to Strategy Planning
Field Training. Training that takes place on the field before and during engagement (ongoing training). This training involves both research and strategic application.
The following is a listing of the highest priority Unreached, Unengaged People Groups (UUPGS) within East Asia. Please look through this list and pray over which UUPG(s) your church would like to embrace. Narrow down your list to top UUPGS that meet your church’s criteria.
Engage
The final phase in the Embrace process involves “boots on the ground” implementation of an effective evangelism and church planting strategy. What this looks like will vary depending on the situation. Any effective strategy implemented to reach a UUPG will utilize national believers. EAPAG has worked diligently to train national believers and could possibly work to connect these nationals with Embrace churches working among their chosen UUPG.
Our Commitment
We are committed to working together to Expose potential embracing churches to Embrace an “Ends of the Earth” strategy that will impact lostness among one or more of these East Asian UUPGs. We will assist these partners as they Explore the realities and implications of what it will take to go to the ends of the earth to fulfill God’s calling! We will walk alongside of them and support, coach, mentor and provide training that will Educate and assist them in developing an effective evangelism and church planting strategy to Engage their UUPG and see these precious people in God’s sight come to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
