Missional Gaps

This summer I got a glimpse of what heaven might be like as 130 people from over 30 countries came together to worship Jesus in joyful celebration. Each person was dressed in beautiful clothing that reflected their culture. We sang! We danced! We praised God together! 

This event made me wish each and every one of you could have joined us. I have that same yearning when I think about the throne room of heaven that we were anticipating together with our celebration. We long to see people from every tribe, tongue and nation joyfully celebrating our God together!

It is motivating to remember those who still do not know the love and forgiveness of Jesus. And we cannot rest until the world’s missional gaps no longer exist. This is why we do what we do. The love of Jesus compels us. 

The event that set the stage for our joyful Jesus party was the Africa Digital Champions Summit, and the theme was “Pioneering Into the Missional Gaps.” People from various strategies and partnering organizations came together to consider what next steps we can take to reach the missional gaps in our world. Representatives from each country met to create a plan with goals and a timeline. They are already beginning to implement those plans, and I am confident there will be fewer missional gaps next year due to this summit. 

My friend and teammate, Josh Newell, shared a video, in which he talks about missional gaps and what it will take to reach them. What are the missional gaps God has called you and your team to reach? Keep reading to hear more about a tool that could help you understand the audience of your missional gap. The tool can also help you take your first steps toward using digital approaches and tools to engage that audience. 

May we continue to see the celebration grow as we make Jesus and His mission accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere they want to be a part of it. 

Together with you,
Cheryl

As Paul closed his letter to the church in Rome, he told them, “I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand’” (Romans 15:20-21).

This is the heart and spirit that drives our Strategic Intent of Pioneering into Missional Gaps — that the name of Jesus would be known everywhere, and that those who have never heard of Jesus would hear, understand and be transformed.

Digital approaches offer unique opportunities to identify these missional gaps and engage them with the gospel. In Global Digital Strategies, we are currently using the following definition to help us understand what missional gaps are:

Identifiable communities and audiences that lack the critical mass of multiplying disciples to effectively reach their community with the gospel. Examples of missional gaps include specific neighborhoods, demographic audiences, people groups, or digital platforms where there is currently no Christian ministry presence.

Ultimately, missional gaps are all about audiences. And one of the things that digital tools do very effectively is to help identify audiences and give us a chance to connect with them.

The GDS VP team has created a Missional Gaps Tool to help with this. The tool is a simple audience journey built using Next Steps — an exciting new platform that Jesus Film Project recently developed. It uses content from Cru’s Digital Academy to provide basic training in how to create a digital strategy. It also provides access to coaching and funding for those who need it.

This tool is intended to help those who use digital approaches to reach their missional gaps but who may need help getting started. It is also intended to provide resources for those who have a clear, specific missional gap audience they are trying to reach and who want to try new approaches to engage that audience.

May God bless us abundantly as we take steps of faith to use digital approaches to preach the gospel to those audiences who do not yet know His name.

“Look the land over, see what it is like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? Observe the land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or fortified with walls? And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring back some of the fruit of the land” (Numbers 13:18-20).

I recently went with some friends on a mission trip to a country in South Asia where the gospel is heavily suppressed. This place is a favorite vacation destination known for its beautiful beaches. But at the same time, it’s one of the few countries in the world that has zero religious freedom. With a population of slightly over 500,000, this is a missional gap where we don’t know what to do or where to start. 

But God opened doors for us and led us to influential “people of peace” and even a tent-making missionary. From those interactions we found out many locals do their higher education in neighboring countries. This opens up so many possible outreach strategies and intentional collaboration opportunities! I am so excited when I see that a portion of the Bible is translated into their national language and is available on the Bible app. They can also watch the complete “JESUS” film in their heart language.

The people are not as scary as I imagined. They’re friendly and laid-back, but most of them are satisfied with their beliefs without raising questions. One of our teammates even had the opportunity to share her testimony with the national athletes. She shared about how she still has the hope to continue after a series of tragedies in her life.

I know that the dangers and the persecutions are real, like the sharks lurking below in the pristine waters. But we believe that God loves them, and that He has a wonderful plan for their lives. We just need to be obedient and go out in faith, bringing His good news to the lost!