The following terms are defined on this page:
10/40 Window
The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that extends from West Africa to East Asia, from ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator.[ read more ... ]
Church Planting Movement ("CPM")
According to David Garrison of theInternational Mission Board, SBC, a Church Planting Movement is a rapid and multiplicative increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment.
Closed Country
A closed country is one that limits or prevents Christian ministry by expatriates as missionaries. Alternatively, these countries may be called creative-access countries or restricted-access countries.
Creative Access
Traditional missionaries apply for a visa to enter a country as a "missionary". However, most of the countries in the 10/40 Window do not issue "missionary" visas.
Creative access refers to using non-traditional means to gain formal permission to live and work long-term in a closed country. These non-traditional means may take the form of being a student, a teacher, a businessman, a medical professional, etc. The non-traditional missionary will typically be involved daily with the government-approved occupation, but at the same time will be a living light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the otherwise closed country.
Evangelical Christian
An Evangelical Christian is a person who:
- believes that Jesus Christ is the sole source of salvation through faith in Him,
- has personal faith and conversion with regeneration by the Holy Spirit,
- recognizes the inspired word of God as the only basis for faith and Christian living,
- and is committed to Biblical preaching and evangelism that brings others to faith in Jesus Christ.
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity ("GSEC")
The Global Status of Evangelical Christianity is a model that describes the progress of the Gospel among the peoples of the world by considering:
- the extent to which a people group is evangelical;
- access to the Gospel; and
- church planting activity, whether localized or widespread, within the past 2 years.
Great Commission
TheGospel of Matthew says plainly,
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19,20 (NIV)
Jesus instructed (commissioned) his followers to carry his words to all nations, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Great Commission Christians ("GCC")
Great Commission Christians are evangelical Christians or organizations that are actively engaged in or committed to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Last Frontier
The Last Frontier in world missions, also known as World A, is made up of unreached people groups that have little or no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Last Frontier People Group
The Status of Global Evangelization defines a Last Frontier People Group as a people group which is unreached and has not had a new evangelical church started within the past two years.
People Group
A homogeneous group of individuals, families, and clans sharing a common language and sense of ethnic identity.
Stategy Coordinator ("SC")
An SC is a missionary responsible for building and leading teams in the design and implementation of strategies that initiate and nurture a church planting movement among a specific ethno-linguistic people group or population segment.
Unreached People Group ("UPG")
A people group in which less than 2% of the population are Evangelical Christians. Also known as a "least reached people group".