Marginalized people groups. I have been hearing this in the news, and at church this week the pastor spoke about marginalized people in his message. There are so many facets to those two words. Who are marginalized people? Who determines which groups are marginalized? What is being done for marginalized people? Truthfully, I don’t have many answers to those questions because I am still wrestling with the answers.
This one thing I do know. There are approximately 3 billion people who have had little or no opportunity to hear about Jesus. They have no hope. They live on the edge just beyond the reach of the gospel. I would say that these are the most marginalized people.
God’s word tells us, “Where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be.” Are the hearts of American Christians turned toward the marginalized people who have never had the opportunity to hear? According to David Joannes author of The Mind of a Missionary, on average American church attenders give 2.58%of their earnings. Of that 2.58% of giving, 85% is allocated to internal operations of the church and 15% goes toward outreach. This 15% giving can be broken down further. 13% is given to local ministries, and 2% is given to global outreach which includes both charitable and evangelical organizations and projects. David Joannes says: “To put that in perspective, if you make $50,000 a year, that is only $25.80 per year that goes toward missions work—that is, IF you give toward Great Commission efforts among the unreached.”
I am very grateful to be part of Ethnos360 whose heart and treasure is directed toward the most marginalized people in the world. Please pray for laborers who are willing to go and laborers who are willing to give generously and pray.