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The “10-40” window is an area of the world that for many years has been a place overseas missionaries have sought to go. The area contains two-thirds of the world’s population, and most of the people living in this region follow non-Christians worldviews such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and others.
In recent years, the countries in the 10-40 window have been the countries from which most of the United States’ and Canada’s refugees, immigrants, and international students have come.
Doing Missions “Without a Passport”
While Western churches have poured tremendous resources into getting missionaries into many of these “closed countries” in the 10-40 window, we are now living in a time where the Lord has brought these very people into our schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces through study abroad programs, immigration, and refugee resettlement.
In recent years, an average of one million international students studied in the US per year, and 350,000 studied in Canada. That’s a lot of people, and at least 70% of them come from the 10-40 window. Of the 70,000 refugees who come to the US and Canada each year, close to 90% of those are from the 10-40 window. There are tremendous opportunities to reach the lost with the gospel right in our own neighborhoods.
God Is Bringing the Lost to Us
The book of Acts gives us some insight into this:
Acts 17:26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
We can trust that God is sovereign, and when we see that he is taking people out of “closed countries” and bringing them to us, we are being given a golden opportunity to reach out with the love and truth of Jesus Christ.
Who Is My Neighbor?
“Who is my neighbor?” This is a question Jesus was asked by a religious leader in Luke 10:25-37. Jesus then told the Parable of the Good Samaritan, driving home the point: being a neighbor isn’t about your ethnic, political, or national identity. Being neighborly is about showing compassion and kindness to those in need, even if your culture tells you they’re your enemy.
We don’t get to choose our neighbors, and believe it or not, refugees aren’t just found in big cities. All across North America, refugees are being relocated to small towns for work, study, and living. Even if you don’t live in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, you’re probably not that far off from a foreigner living in your midst. You can reach out.
God has made the call. Will you answer?
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do you know anyone who is from another country? How do you know them?
- What do you think should be the Christian response to so many students, immigrants, and refugees coming to the US and Canada? Explain.
- Think about the places you regularly go. How could you be an influence for Christ in these places?
- Read Acts 17:26. If God is sovereign and determines where we live, what does that mean about the people you regularly encounter and how you should interact with them as a Christian?
- Read Luke 10:25-37. What do you think is the point of this story? How should it affect how we view people who are from different ethnic, cultural, or national backgrounds?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
This content is adapted from Without a Passport: Reaching the Global Community Living in Our Community by D.H. Bud Fuchs. Written content for this topic by Daniel Martin.
