Day: March 25, 2026

Source: J.D. Payne, March 10, 2026

The US is the third largest country in the world in population. It is home to 357,000 churches. This country is also home to the third largest number of unreached people groups in the world.

A great deal of US church planting is not guided by these realities. We must ask questions related to gospel need.

• Where are the least-reached states, cities, and counties?
• How many evangelical churches exist per population?
• Where are the least-reached areas that include unreached people groups?

Read more and see also a post with links to current data on least-reached US areas, including an interactive map where you can pull up info about each state and certain counties and cities. Also note four dangers of research. I didn’t see anything about the distribution of unreached people in the US, but the author will be posting more in coming weeks.

Sources: Various

Spiritual Warfare Explained: What Every Christian Needs to Know

Source: Everyday Radical

In this episode, David Platt and Austin Huang explore what the Bible says about unseen spiritual warfare and the return of Christ.

Listen in.

For Such a Time as This: An Iranian Pastor on War, Hope and Revival

Source: The Reflexio Podcast

This conversation will help you better understand the spiritual, political, and human dynamics of what God is doing in Iran today—and how to stand with Iranian Christians in informed hope-filled prayer.

Catch the conversation.

Why I Can’t Look Away: Iran, the Persian People & Fighting for Peace

Source: The Global Goer Podcast

Hear Jeannie Marie’s raw, personal take on why this war matters to every Global Goer—and why the Persian people need our voice right now.

Get this take.

Developing Resilience in Future Mission Workers

Source: The Global Missions Podcast

Drawing from his new book Godly Grit, Kyle Farran shares why perseverance matters to God, what causes many to leave prematurely (like unmet expectations), and how both individuals and churches can better prepare the next generation.

Hear from Kyle.

Why Mental Health Matters for the Church and Global Mission

Source: The Lausanne Movement Podcast

Drawing from over three decades of ministry and counseling experience, Dr. Gladys Mwiti explains why mental health care is essential to God’s mission of restoring the whole person.

Watch this episode.

What are you listening to lately? Let me know.

Source: A Life Overseas

Dear parent or sibling of a loved one living in a conflict zone,

I see you. Oh how I see you. I see you grabbing your phone before you are even out of bed to see what happened overnight in the Middle East and find reassurances that your family there is okay. I see you wondering why they haven’t gotten on an airplane and come back “home” to safety. I see you texting them, asking them several times a week (several times a day maybe?) “How are you? How are the kids? What do you need?”

Read more. Not related to such a worker, but know one? Check on them. Let them know they are not forgotten.

Source: International Bulletin of Missionary Research

Each year, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary provides statistics about the world’s 2.6 billion Christians. This year’s IBMR article highlights new future projections to the year 2075 (while previous data went only to 2050). Major findings of the 2075 data include:

• The continuation of Christianity’s shift to the Global South
• The increased importance of Christian-Muslim relations in light of the latter’s increasing share of the world’s population
• The Demographic Republic of the Congo eventually replacing the United States as the country with the most Christians in the world

The full article is available to subscribers or can be purchased.

The one-page statistical snapshot, though, is free and well worth perusing and using if you write or teach about missions and the state of the world. 

Source: Everywhere to Everywhere

More than 300 million people today live outside the country of their birth, a population that, if gathered in one place, would rank among the largest nations on earth, representing nearly 4% of the world. Most have moved because the world is broken: war, economic collapse, famine, environmental disaster, violence. Christians rightly pray for justice and peace and work toward wise and compassionate policy. Nations have the responsibility to order their borders and laws.

But Christians must also ask a deeper question: What if God is at work in this movement?

Read Four Ways to See the Nations at Our Doorstep.

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

April 6 to August 9, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly. A Perspectives class in Spanish is being offered these same dates.

April 7-8, Support Raising Bootcamp (Dallas, TX, USA). Provided by Via in various locations throughout the year.

April 9, Mobilization DNA—What Greg Livingstone Taught Me (and What Churches & Mobilizers Still Need Today (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus

April 13-17, Abide Debriefing (Joplin, MO, USA). Check the website for dates of upcoming debriefing retreats. Provided by TRAIN International.

April 14-16, Debriefer’s Toolbox Training (Marietta, GA, USA). Get equipped to debrief global workers or refresh your skills. Provided by TRAIN International.

April 15, Mobilizers—Join the Conversation! (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus and Gospel Mobilization.

April 15-17, Gather (online). Thrive’s three-day virtual event for women serving cross-culturally.

April 16-19, Haven Retreat (Santa Clara, Panama). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations; different locations each year. Provided by Azmera.

April 20-24, Storytelling Training (online). Offered regularly by StoryRunners, a ministry of Cru.

April 23, Recruitment or Mobilization? What’s the Difference and Why it Matters (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

April 23, Ignite Online Training: Intro to Discovery Bible Study (online). Provided by All Nations.

April 23-26, Haven Retreat (Cape Town, South Africa). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations; different locations each year. Provided by Azmera.

April 23-26, The Christian Medical and Dental Association National Conference (Loveland, CO, USA). An annual event; the largest of its kind.

April 24, The Nexus: Blue Ridge (Roanoke, VA, USA). A one-day regional event for church mission leaders; provided by Missio Nexus.

April 24-25, The Mobilized Church Workshop (Calgary, AB, Canada). Unlock your church’s potential to reach the nations. Hosted by the Global Missions Toolbox with Pioneers Canada, The Sending Collective Canada, 16:15, and The Damascus Road Foundation.

April 27 to May 23, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

See the complete calendar. Submissions welcome.