The 10/40 Window
The “10/40 Window” is an area of the world that stretches from Northwestern Africa to China.
It is home to 4.89 billion individuals (2/3 of the world’s population).
62% are considered “unreached”: no indigenous community of believers big enough to evangelize without outside assistance.
Hub of world’s major non-Christian religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.).
1/5 of the world’s population is Muslim- 2nd only to Christianity.
Many Christians in the West believe the world has been reached. Unfortunately, this is not true. But the resources directed toward this region don’t match the fact that 2/3rd’s of the world’s population lives here and 2/3rd’s of them are unreached. Per The Traveling Team, American Christians spend 95% of offerings on home-based ministry, 4.5% on cross-cultural efforts in already reached people groups, and .5% to reach the unreached. Additionally, among world mission organizations, somewhere between 10-20% of their budgets go toward this area of the world.
Why do so few missionaries and dollars go to this 10/40 window where two-thirds of the population lives and two-thirds of them are unreached?
Fear
The biggest reason is fear. It’s legitimate. The Middle East is a tough area. There is persecution, animosity, even death. But our fear betrays our lack of faith. John 14 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”. Being willing to die for our faith catches a Muslims attention; being willing to die because we love them opens doors.
Ineffectiveness
Missions to the Middle East, and to Muslims in general, often haven’t been very fruitful. A muslim’s faith, government, community and family is so intertwined in Islam it seems hard to us to break thru with the truth. This really isn’t an adequate justification for why we grossly ignore two-thirds of the world’s population. Sanctification is from the Lord. Our job is to go, to show love and to share the good news of the gospel, and God is opening doors for us.
Think about becoming a Ministry Partner
1000 Lighthouses loves to partner with other ministries, facilitate partnerships and be a catalyst for other ministries in the Middle East. Currently 1000 Lighthouses partners with:
Churches
Churches are our primary partners. Besides praying for and supporting the general ministry, churches can support and build relationships with individual lighthouses, become a GO MENA (Middle East and North Africa) CarePortal church, and send missionaries and teams to the field.
The Global Orphan Project
Significantly supports the ministry including the center for street kids and the foster-home initiative as well as meeting the needs of families in crisis through the CarePortal.
Kanakuk Camps
Kanakuk has partnered with 1000 Lighthouses to provide funding, curriculum and expertise for the K-Love summer camps where around 2,000 predominantly Muslim refugee children experience a quality summer camp and learn about the Lord Jesus Christ.