2 Billion People Without Hope

One fourth of humanity lives in people groups where there are 1 in 1,000 or fewer Christians. These are the Frontier People Groups, communities with virtually no established gospel presence.

4,762

Frontier People Groups (PGIC)

2 Billion

People

<0.1%

Christian

Explore the Data

The Most Unreached

When cross-cultural missions is discussed, conversations often center on "unreached" peoples, but there's a sub-category of unreached peoples that demands urgent attention: the Frontier People Groups. While unreached peoples have minimal gospel presence, Frontier groups represent a crucial frontier of gospel need.

What makes a people group "Frontier"?

Christian Adherents: 0.1% or fewer (1 in 1,000 people or less)
No evidence of a self-sustaining church movement among the people group
Even large populations may have thousands of believers yet still fall below the 0.1% threshold
Requires pioneer church planting strategies due to minimal Christian presence

Here's the stark reality:

71%

of all unreached people groups are still frontier

29%

of unreached groups have some believers to partner with

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The Numbers That Reveal Our Opportunity

The scope of frontier lostness reveals both the magnitude of our mission and the specificity of our opportunity:

The Concentration Effect

50%

of all frontier peoples live in just 38 mega-groups

Each of these groups exceeds 10 million people
Strategic engagement here could create gospel movements that reach surrounding unreached people groups

The Geographic Reality

272

frontier groups have populations over 1 million

The vast majority exist within the 10/40 Window
A small number of missionary efforts focus on these groups

The Pioneer Gap

In Frontier People Groups, every gospel worker is a pioneer.

Few, if any local believers to partner with
Likely no established churches to build upon
Probably no cultural bridges already in place

It's gospel work in its rawest, most challenging, and most necessary form.

Adopt a Frontier Group

The Opportunity Hidden in the Challenge

While frontier peoples represent our greatest challenge, they also present our clearest strategic opportunity. Consider this: if we could catalyze gospel movements in those 38 mega-frontier groups, we'd potentially impact half of all frontier peoples.

Why Frontier Groups Matter Strategically:

Movement Potential

Gospel breakthroughs in large groups create ripple effects

Resource Efficiency

Concentrated populations offer maximum impact per worker

Network Effect

Many frontier groups influence surrounding unreached people groups

Completion Vision

Reaching frontier groups brings us closer to true gospel saturation

The Partnership Reality:

40% of unreached groups

Cross-cultural workers can partner with local believers

↓

In Frontier groups

Pioneer workers must start from almost zero

This isn't just about church planting; it's about creating the first sustainable gospel presence.

Strategic Insight: If we could catalyze gospel movements in those 38 mega-frontier groups, we'd potentially impact half of all frontier peoples.

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The Hard Reality

💬

Prayer Gap

How much of our intercession focuses on the 2 Billion people who have never heard the name of Jesus?

💰

Funding Gap

Very few mission agencies send their missionaries to Frontier Peoples, despite representing one-fourth of humanity.

👥

Worker Gap

The vast majority of mission workers focus on strengthening Christians where Christians are already present.

This Isn't a Criticism, It's a Call to Rebalance

While discipleship and church strengthening remain vital, the frontier reality demands we ask hard questions about our missions priorities. The 2 Billion people in Frontier People Groups aren't optional; they're essential to completing the Great Commission.

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Your Role in Frontier Engagement

The frontier challenge isn't insurmountable, it's strategic. Every great commission movement in history began with someone who looked at impossible odds and chose to act anyway.

Immediate Steps You Can Take:

Pray Specifically

Use Joshua Project's Unreached of the Day to pray for frontier peoples by name

Give Strategically

Support organizations specifically focused on frontier engagement

Go Boldly

Consider if God is calling you to pioneer work among the unreached

For Churches:

1 Adopt a specific frontier people group for focused prayer and engagement
2 Reallocate a percentage of missions giving toward frontier-focused organizations
3 Invite Joshua Project speakers to bring data-driven clarity to your missions vision
4 Train your congregation to pray intelligently for the unreached using real data

Book a Speaker Adopt a People Group Explore FPGs

The Vision That Drives Us:

When Jesus returns, representatives from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship around His throne (Revelation 7:9-10). The frontier peoples aren't optional; they're essential to completing that glorious picture.

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