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Across the Pastor’s Desk by Nancy Overgaard

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

As I entered the aging coffee shop, I was greeted by the stale smell of a fast-food restaurant in need of a deep cleaning. Yet, when I exited, I left with a fresh perspective.

As I stepped up to the counter, the young woman behind the counter stepped away. Leaving me standing there, the skeletal, weary looking worker smiled weakly and walked to the restroom. I had seen that look before. While working as an addiction counselor and a chaplain at a treatment center, I had seen it in individuals struggling with addiction, often heroin or methamphetamines.

Many would be shocked to learn how prevalent heroin is even in rural areas. While serving as a pastor, I had seen a similar look in a young woman suffering from malnutrition, and in others with terminal illness. Whatever the reason for her gaunt appearance, my heart went out to her.

After waiting for what seemed like a long time to place and receive my order, I was greeted by another young woman, this one with neon green hair. As she completed my order, it must have been obvious to her that I was fixated on her hair, wondering why she chose that color and what she was trying to communicate. She disrupted my thoughts by raising her eyebrows, as if to say, “Don’t like my hair? Tough!” Holding her tongue, she stated simply but emphatically, “Have a nice day!” In doing so, she arrested all judgment by besting me in politeness.

Why was I not first to wish her a nice day? After all, I call myself a Christian. My heart went out to her, also.

As I turned to select a table in the all but empty seating area, a chubby male barista turned to his coworkers for support. Choking back tears, he confided that yet another drive through customer had treated him rudely. “It takes time to make these drinks,” he said to understanding nods, “but people expect you to have them ready right away.”

Though not that day, I could easily have been a silently impatient customer wanting my coffee faster than it could reasonably be made.

As I sat eating my cold, stale coffee-cake, I found myself thinking about unreached people groups, a concept I probably first heard of in a global missions class in seminary.

By one online definition, a people group is “an identifiable group of people distinguished by a distinct culture, language or social class.” To say a group is unreached is to say there is no one within the group able to share the message of John 3:16, so the group has never heard it.

Until that day, I had always thought of people groups as ethnic groups, but maybe there is another way to look at it.

Specifically, I began to wonder if these hurting young adults working in the fast-food industry might be a kind of unreached people group, themselves, without anyone to talk with them about how much God loves them.

I can think of many Christian ministries focused on reaching out to young adults on college campuses, but none focused on reaching young adults in jobs such as theirs. I have also heard many recent reports about Christian revivals breaking out on college campuses, but none about young adults in the workforce. And I would hate to see them left out.

I also began wondering if anyone has thought of starting a ministry to this particular people group. The purpose of identifying unreached people groups is to pray for them and make sure they have opportunity to hear the gospel. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus urged his disciples to pray, not only for individuals, but for God to raise up workers to reach out to them: “The harvest is plentiful,” Jesus said, “but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Why pray for young people you do not even know? Because God’s heart goes out to them (John 3:16) and he would not want anyone left out (1 Tim.2:1-6).

Nancy Overgaard is a member of the Freeborn County Ministerial Association.