As long as groups of missionaries have had a passion to take the gospel of Christ to the World, there have been strategies to reach the most spiritually impoverished areas of the globe. The latest and most influential strategy now centers on the concept of the 10/40 window. If you do not know what the 10/40 window is, go to http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/1040.htm or http://www.thinkwow.com/surgeup/10-40_window.htm for a brief look. Basically, the 10/40 window represents the most populated concentration of people and populations in the world who still have not heard or do not have easy access to the gospel. When one sees the massive need and hears the challenge of Christ in light of the staggering statistics and spiritual challenges of the 10/40 window, one cannot help but be moved to action.
My heart and my life passion is to focus on what I call the 10/20 window. This window represents young people from age ten to twenty who have not heard or do not have ready access to the gospel. It’s hard to believe that here in America, people do not have easy access to the gospel. We’re tempted to simplify the problem and smugly assume that they can just go to the nearest church and attend any time they want. “Hey, we’re right here, doing our Christian thing. The doors are open. All they have to do is come in.” But the real problem is that people right here in our midst are culturally distanced from the church and therefore from God. There is a chasm between us and them and they do not know how to cross it.
This is where we must take on the mindset of a missionary, heck, the mindset of Christ. We must go to them. Just as Christ humbled Himself and came to a broken world to show us the Father, we must go to these people here who do not know Christ – and introduce them to Him. The question we must ask ourselves, Will we do whatever it takes?
Over the next few weeks, I would like to introduce you to the 10/20 window and tell you about some of the unique challenges facing these young people and what we must do to reach them. Keep checking back and please comment. I am still learning about how to reach this group and I would really appreciate your insights. Jesus knew that the church must be united in our effort to reach a lost world. Let’s unite and together shine the light of truth and love into the 10/20 window.
