Africa Is Bigger Than You Think, and So Is What God Is Doing There

You may have seen articles about efforts to redesign the world map so it better reflects the true size of the continents. As those new maps circulate, people are finally seeing just how large Africa really is.

In terms of size:
The North American continent covers 25 million square kilometers.
The African continent covers 30 million square kilometers, making it 20% larger.

In terms of people:
The North American continent is home to 600 million people.
The African continent is home to 1.5 billion people, two and a half times as many.

And here’s another point worth noting:

God’s Word is moving across this vast, densely populated continent. Over the past 90 days, invitations to meet Jesus across Africa exceeded 726,000. In the past year alone, there were more than 2.7 million.

When you think of Africa, which country comes to mind first? When we dig into the data, some interesting countries rise to the top.

The chart below highlights the top five countries reached in the past six months.

And when we look even closer at the city level and factor in population, we see cities on fire for the Lord.

In Dakar, Senegal, roughly 1 out of every 44 residents is engaging with the Gospel of John. Conakry, Guinea follows closely, where about 1 out of every 62 people has received an opportunity to meet Jesus.

But it’s more than numbers. It’s people being invited to meet Jesus.

In Uganda, our partner recently wrapped up a community soccer tournament where more than 1,000 young people and families were invited to meet Jesus through a Gospel of John.

So what came from this seed planting?

After the tournament, a pastor shared the Gospel, and many young people responded to the message.

Of those who came forward, 30 students said they wanted to do more than simply receive the Gospel. They wanted to share it. Since then, they’ve been trained and equipped to carry God’s Word with them as they visit eight schools throughout their region.

Our partner also told us how the Gospel of John has become an important tool for ongoing discipleship. Students are memorizing Scripture, and in some schools, reading through the Gospel of John has even become part of the curriculum.

Thirty new evangelists! It reminds us of Jesus’ words in the Parable of the Sower, where seed planted in good soil produced “30, 60, and even 100 times what was sown.”

The people being reached across Africa today are becoming tomorrow’s evangelists, carrying God’s Word with them wherever they go.

This week marks the end of our fiscal year, and the demand for God’s Word is growing faster than our resources. We’re deeply grateful for your continued support.

Join us in praying for Africa. Until All Are Invited.