David Platt, Francis Chan Join 50 Plus International Mission Organizations to Bring Awareness to An Old Cause in A New Way.

MAY 23, THE DAY OF PENTECOST, IS ALSO THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE UNREACHED; “A THIRD OF US” WILL LAUNCH THE 1:11 PRAYER CHALLENGE DURING A FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT

(Wheaton, IL) May 11, 2021 — On May 23, 2021, the Alliance for the Unreached, a nonprofit collective made up of 50+ organizations, is inviting people across the U.S. to join a Facebook Live event at 1:11 pm (in each US time zone). This event will kick off the 1:11 Prayer Challenge, which is part of the “A Third of Us” movement. “A Third of Us” raises awareness for the one third of all people still without access to the Bible, the church, and other believers.

Throughout the day on May 23, the Alliance will release exclusive video chats with David Platt, Francis Chan and others, offering a more personal look at this issue.

During the 1:11 Prayer Challenge, participants will be asked to pause at 1:11 pm each day for 33 days to pray for the “third of us” who have no access to Jesus. The Alliance for the Unreached chose May 23 to kick off the challenge because it’s the Day of Pentecost — and it’s also the International Day for the Unreached.

“What many people don’t understand is that ‘unreached’ is not the same as unsaved or even unevangelized. The vast majority of people in communities across North America are reached with the Gospel, meaning that they have access to the good news in their language in some form or another,” says Marv Newell, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Unreached. “But this is not true for the 3.2 billion people living in gospel-destitute areas of the world. They are considered unreached because they have no access to the good news. They still await the opportunity to hear the message of Jesus for the first time, and based upon the number of professing believers in their community, it is extremely unlikely they will meet or know a Christian personally.”

The first step in helping to raise awareness for the “A Third of Us” movement is by drawing or placing the Three Line Symbol (I II) somewhere visible — on your hand or in your profile picture, for example. The three lines represent the third of humanity with the “three no’s”: no Bible, no church, and no other believers. People can share their Three Line Symbol image on social media and use the hashtag #athirdofus. This is a conversation starter to talk about the movement and invite others to join the 1:11 Prayer Challenge on May 23.

Those interested in joining “A Third of Us” or participating in the 1:11 Prayer Challenge can visit athirdofus.com and download the Action Guide. They can also follow “A Third of Us” on social media.

“Someone came and presented the Gospel to us and gave us the opportunity to be reconciled to God, to have a relationship with God, and to have our lives transformed by the Living God. Why would we hold that back from millions of others?” says Jon Fugler, Board Chair of the Alliance for the Unreached. “So, awareness is our focus. Our campaign is designed to help spread awareness, through our social connections, simply and quickly.”

There are over 50 organizations in the Alliance for the Unreached who assist in the mobilization of Christians in a myriad of activities including prayer, giving, and action, to ensure everyone has access to the life-giving message of the gospel. Founding members include Bibles for the World, FEBC, Door International, Ethnos 360, Frontier Ventures, Joshua Project, Missio Nexus, MIssion Network News, Operation Mobilization, Seed Company, TransWorld Radio, World Mission, and ZimZam Global. 

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The International Day for the Unreached (www.dayfortheunreached.org) and A Third Of Us (www.athirdofus.com) are initiatives of the Alliance for the Unreached, a group of evangelistic ministries and other organizations, including Bibles For The World (www.biblesfortheworld.org), Door International (www.doorinternational.org), Ethnos360 (www.ethnos360.org), FEBC (www.febc.org),  Frontier Ventures (www.frontierventures.org), Joshua Project (www.joshuaproject.net), Mission Network News (www.mnnonline.org), Missio Nexus (www.missionexus.org), Operation Mobilization (www.omusa.org), Seed Company (www.seedcompany.com), TWR (www.twr.org), World Mission (www.worldmission.cc), and ZimZam Global (www.zimzamglobal.org).

PHOTO CUTLINE:

Pamir Ministries, an Operation Mobilization (OM) broadcast media outlet, reaches thousands of Afghan families every year through the airwaves and the internet with Bible readings, prayer and teaching, advertising funnels and phone conversations. As one of the organizers of the International Day for the Unreached, OM is seeking to heighten awareness of and involvement in efforts to share the gospel with those who have yet to hear about Jesus. Photo © OM International.