A nomadic tribesman stands on the plateau, herding his yaks and living in a tent. He burns yak dung to keep warm. His tent also has a solar panel on the side charging his iPhone X. It might take us days to travel to where he is, but we can reach him and many others by developing software for the devices in their hands.
In unreached contexts all around the world, many people have smartphones. They may not have running water or electricity, but they have a great 4G connection. We now have unprecedented access to the farthest corners of the earth through the internet. How can the Church leverage mobile app development to advance the gospel among the unreached?
Challenges abound. Literacy rates are low, so apps we develop are often accommodated for primarily oral cultures. The languages of the unreached are tricky and in some cases not well-documented. Wifi access is often limited. Yet despite these challenges, we know that God desires all tribes to have access to Jesus. Therefore, we labour to build high-quality, culturally sensitive tools to meaningfully present Jesus to the unreached.
We propose that mobile app development can be a tool for teams on the field to integrate into their church planting strategies. Rather than asking you to lay aside your technical skills, we ask you to use your talents to assist in bringing the gospel to unreached people groups. We can work together to develop solutions to put the gospel in the hands of the most unreached.
We will be taking project ideas from missionaries and developing mobile apps focused on church-planting efforts among unreached people groups. As an Edger, it will take your creativity, your talent in software, product, UI/UX, or web design to cross rivers, mountains and cultural barriers to deliver the good news.
To find out more about the Upstream Team summer trip or any of our other summer trips, get in touch with Pioneers UK’s mission mentors at info@pioneersnederland.org or ring them on 01302 710 750.