AIM focuses on unreached people groups, but what are they. According to Joshuaproject.net unreached people groups lack enough followers of Christ and resources to evangelise their own people. In other words: unreached people groups have no chance to hear the gospel.

An estimated 6,900 people groups are still unreached, 42% of earth’s population. That means almost 3 billion people! In Africa there are more than 900 groups still unevangelised, representing 27% of Africa’s people, or 316 million people.

Sometimes people groups are only partly reached, or it may seem they have acces to the gospel through the presence of a church. In Africa and other developing regions it is of the utmost importance to bring the gospel close to the people, to deliver it on their doorstep. There are tribes that live isolated from the outside world. Illiteracy prohibits people from taking in written information. To reach people in such circumstances, believers must physically visit the people where they live and work to tell the gospel in their own language.

The existence of a local church does not guarantee that people have a chance to hear the good news. An example is a small church in Betroka. Betroka, in South-Madagascar, is a central town in Bara territory. The church is not visited by Bara. Why? Part of the answer lies in the fact that the service is not in Bara, the only language they speak. The readings are from the Malagasi Bible, which they cannot read. The minister has no means to evangelise the Bara. In situations like these, AIM can come alongside (which has happened in Betroka). Read more here.

AIM expects its missionaries to learn the local language, study and – where appropriate – to live the culture of the people they serve. In that way the gospel message can be shared in a way that is culturally fitting, in the heart language of the people.