Understanding the 10/40 Window: Reaching the Unreached
What Is the 10/40 Window? "The 10/40 Window represents a rectangular area on the globe between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. It encompasses North...
Countries on the 10/40 Window list have a large number of unreached people groups and are within or near the 10°N and 40°N latitude lines forming a box that extends from North Africa through Southeast Asia.1,2
Afghanistan | Albania | Algeria |
Azerbaijan | Bahrain | Bangladesh |
Benin | Bhutan | Brunei |
Burkina Faso | Cambodia | Chad |
China | Djibouti | East Timor |
Egypt | Eritrea | Ethiopia |
Gambia | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau |
India | Indonesia | Iran |
Iraq | Israel | Japan |
Jordan | Kazakhstan | Kuwait |
Kyrgyzstan | Laos | Lebanon |
Libya | Malaysia | Maldives |
Mali | Mauritania | Mongolia |
Morocco | Myanmar (Burma) | Nepal |
Niger | Nigeria | North Korea |
Oman | Pakistan | Palestine |
Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Senegal |
Somalia | Sri Lanka | Sudan |
Syria | Taiwan | Tajikistan |
Thailand | Tunisia | Turkey |
Turkmenistan | United Arab Emirates | Uzbekistan |
Vietnam | Western Sahara | Yemen |
Beyond its geography, the 10/40 Window is significant for several reasons: it is the most densely populated region in the world, contains many of the poorest areas, includes the majority of countries where Christians face severe persecution, and is home to all major world religions.
Christian persecution within the 10/40 Window is a serious and pressing issue. In many countries, Christians face severe restrictions on their religious freedoms, from social discrimination to violent attacks and imprisonment. Governments in some of these nations enforce strict anti-Christian laws, making it illegal to practice Christianity openly or to share the faith with others.3
The 10/40 Window is also the birthplace of major world religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many indigenous faiths. It includes countries with the largest Muslim populations like Indonesia and Pakistan, and nations where Hinduism and Buddhism are predominant like India and Thailand. These religions influence the culture, society, and politics of the countries, often resulting in complex interfaith dynamics. The presence of these major religions in such close proximity emphasizes the importance of the 10/40 Window as a key location for missions.
Only 3.4% of missionaries around the world serve within the 10/40 Window. That's 3.4% of missionaries for the 97% of the world's unreached people.4 Let's do the math...
So a city the size of Nuremberg would have 2 Christian workers to reach an entire city who has never heard of Jesus. Now that's a task!
Only God knows the exact numbers, and He knows each of these people by name. He also knows how many people are needed to go so that everyone has the opportunity to hear about Him. And that's why He's not calling a select few. The Great Commission is a command to all Christians.
According to the Center for Study of Global Christianity, 270 billion dollars are given to Christian work by believers globally each year (this is way less than tithing, just 1.76% of that same group's income is given to Christian work). Of what is given, 5.6% goes to missions. But only 0.1% makes it's way to work in the 10/40 Window.5
The Great Commission calls us all to be involved in seeing Jesus made known throughout the whole world. And maybe not every one of us has the ability to go and move to the 10/40 Window to serve. But we all have finances to give, and we definitely all can pray.
The Joshua Project defines unreached as "a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance."2
Unreached people have limited or no access to Christians and are unlikely to hear the gospel without intentional efforts. The term "unreached" emphasizes the lack of access to the gospel rather than the individuals' personal response to it.
An unengaged people group is also unreached, but there is no active church planting going on in the area. According to the Joshua Project, a group becomes engaged when committed, long-term church planting work is done within the local language and culture.2
Unless someone decides to cross geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries, unengaged people groups will not hear the Gospel.
People from unevangelized people groups, on the other hand, may not have personally heard the Gospel but have had some exposure to the Gospel.3 They may have encountered Christianity through media, conversations, or interactions with Christians, however, they have not yet fully embraced the Gospel with faith and acceptance.
People in unevangelized people groups need to hear the Good News! Thankfully there are many Christians already living in their communities who are able to share.
You can make an impact. Your willingness to step out, to leave your comfort zone, and embrace the unknown makes room for Jesus to bring incredible transformation.
We can help you begin that journey.
1 Pray 10/40. (n.d.). 10/40 Window the Ultimate Guide. Retrieved from https://pray1040.com/10-40-window/
2 Joshua Project. (n.d.). What is the 10/40 Window. Retrieved from https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/10_40_window
3 World Watch List 2024. (2024). Open Doors. Retrieved from https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/
4 The Traveling Team. (2024). Mission Stats, the Current State of the World. Retrieved from https://www.thetravelingteam.org/stats
5 World Christian Trends. (2001, experts and authors above have determined this trend hold true as of 2022). David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson. World Christian Trends Table 20-3, lines 41-44.
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