God has brought the world to Texas. In most every area in the state, there is a diversity of languages spoken and religions practiced. The SBTC equips churches to reach people groups with indigenous church planting strategies and language and interfaith evangelism training.
People Groups
+ Language and Interfaith Evangelism
Equipping the Local Church
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a people group?
A significantly large sociological grouping of individuals who perceive themselves to have a common affinity with one another.
“For evangelization purposes, a people group is the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance.”
(source: 1982 Lausanne Committee Chicago meeting)
Texas has over 400 people groups who speak over 300 languages. They represent the worlds major religions (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam) as well as many others.
Where do they come from?
Refugees come from many countries and people groups, including African peoples (Congolese and Somali), Bhutanese-Nepali, Arab (Iraq), Persian (Iran), Afghan, Burmese (Rohingya, Karen, Karreni, Bhama, Chin).
Foreign born peoples primarily emigrate from:
- China
- South Korea
- Japan
- India
- Pakistan
International students arrive from India, China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and more. Yearly, an average of 82,000 international students attend Texas universities.
Where do they live?
More than 4 million people in Texas live in apartment units (14.17% of the total population). An estimated 96% of these do not attend church anywhere. Many international people groups live in apartment housing, which comprises a large percentage of housing in urban areas.
- 41% in Houston and Dallas
- 37% in Austin
- 25% in San Antonio
- 21% Fort Worth
- 18% El Paso*
The reality is that most apartment dwellers will not attend a church building. The Gospel must be taken to them, to create simple, reproducible, relationship based communities that become new church plants inside their apartment complexes.
*Source: National Multifamily Housing Council
What are their needs?
International people groups face many challenges as they settle in Texas. Though they vary, general needs include:
- English as a Second Language classes
- Basic household needs
- Assistance in adapting and adjusting to life in Texas
- Community support
- Friendship
Above all, their greatest need is to hear the message of hope found in Jesus Christ.
Did You Know?
- The Texas population is expected to increase by 22.5% this decade; 34% from international migration
- Approximately 421 different people groups are represented in Texas
- Over 300 languages are spoken in Texas
- Over 500,000 Muslims and 1 million Hindus and Buddhists reside in Texas
- Approximately 200 Islamic mosques, 100 Hindu temples and 150 Buddhist temples are located in Texas
- An average of 82,000 international students attend Texas universities yearly
- Pluralism and relativism reign
Tools
People Group Map
Explore the interactive People Groups map to identify and learn about unreached people groups across North America.
Stand Firm Apologetics Course
The Stand Firm Apologetics Course is designed to strengthen Christians’ faith by presenting compelling evidence for the truths of Christianity, and equip Christians to share and defend the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Barriers & Bridges
This booklet published by NAMB spotlights major religious movements and related people groups in North America. It examines the possible cultural, social, or religious barriers that hinder Christians’ efforts to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It also provides suggested principles and strategies Christians and churches can use to bridge those barriers.
Resource Store
Equip believers of all ages to do the work of evangelism & discipleship. Evangelism tracts are available in about 25 Languages as well as pamphlets on sharing the gospel with people of other religions and comparative belief charts with 18 different belief systems.
ESL Resources
Send Relief
Use English as a Second Language classes to help meet immigrants’ basic needs and share the hope of the gospel with them.
Training
Language and Interfaith Evangelism Workshops
If you are interested in any of theses language and evangelism workshops, contact us regarding having our team member come to train your congregation or small group.
Apologetics Training
The goal of apologetics training is to edify believers by helping them understand the reasons for their faith while equipping them to better evangelize others. Training is available on a variety of topics such as “Who are you to say?!,” “Witnessing to the Witnesses,” Ministering to Mormons,” “Engaging your LGBT+ Friend with the Gospel,” “Reconciling Evil with a Good God,” “Evidences for the Existence of God,” “A Biblical Worldview” and others as requested.
Interfaith Evangelism (2+ hours)
How to intentionally and effectively evangelize those of other faiths such as: those who practice Judaism, Mormons, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. This training will equip the believer to understand and respond biblically to the background, books and beliefs of other faiths while building relational bridges to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Living an Evangelistic Lifestyle (1 hour)
Strategies, tactics and resources to live an evangelistic lifestyle.
Owning and Sharing Your Faith
Topics may include (for example): Know What You Believe, Christianity vs. Moral Relativism, Contrasting Catholicism, Witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ministering to Mormons, Living an Evangelistic Lifestyle, Engaging your LGBT+ Friend with the Gospel, and/or others as requested. This workshop varies from 6 Hours to a 1 day conference.
Sharing Christ Across Cultures & Religions (2 hours)
This workshop will help Christians understand why people of other cultures and faiths believe and behave as they do, how to have better relationships with them and be able to share God’s good news in Christ.
The Stand Firm Apologetics Course is designed to strengthen Christians’ faith by presenting compelling evidence for the truths of Christianity, and equip Christians to share and defend the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Stand Firm is a video-driven introductory apologetics course that may be used for group or individual study. The videos should be viewed prior to answering the discussion questions on the study guides. Discussion leaders and individual students may research the topics by reading the recommended books and visiting the recommended websites.
People Groups Workshops
The SBTC offers a variety of workshops for churches who would like to reach out to foreign-born people groups in Texas.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Second Language training teaches how to develop an ESL program for your church.
All trainings are instructed by trainers certified through the National Literacy Missions Partnership (NLMP) and the North American Mission Board/Send Relief. They are also experienced English as a Second Language ministry leaders and volunteers. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive a Send Relief certificate for completing the course.
There are two types of training available:
- In person: Training is a 12-hour course, divided between two days.
- Hybrid: One month of (eight) online lessons which conclude with a four-hour in-person class.
Going Beyond Seminars
Going Beyond Seminars 1 and 2 are two one-day seminars designed for people group missionaries, ethnic church planters and workers among people groups. There are two levels of the workshop: Going Beyond Seminar 1 and Going Beyond Seminar 2. These seminars are the basis to establish a Going Beyond Network where churches, pastors and leaders learn from and encourage one another in reaching the nations in their locale.
Going Beyond Seminar 1 casts a vision to reach beyond to the peoples next door by reviewing the Biblical basis for going on mission. It helps identify people groups in the participants’ locale and introduces the simple church concept. This seminar primarily uses Dr. Bryan Galloway’s book “Reaching the Nations: People that Change the World” as the text base. Copies are provided for participants.
In Going Beyond Seminar 2, the participants review the best practices for ethnic church planting, how to avoid pitfalls and best practices in contextual discipleship. This seminar uses J.D. Payne’s book “Apostolic Church Planting: Birthing New Churches from New Believers” as the text base. Copies are provided for participants.
People Group Discovery and Engagement Workshop
Who are these strangers next door? Where did they come from? What language do they speak? How can I share Christ with them? These are a few of the questions that the People Group Discovery and Engagement Workshop will answer.
The training leads participants through five educational sessions and a people group excursion encounter. Excursion encounters can include: visiting an Islamic mosque, Buddhist or Hindu temples, ethnic restaurants, ethnic markets, ethnic home meal/visit and ethnic home Bible study. Participants come prepared to eat lunch out on Saturday.
Reaching The Nations in Texas
Reaching the Nations in Texas is a six-session training based on Jesus’ principles for cross-cultural ministry. The training material helps believers by giving them principles on how to connect, evangelize and disciple foreign born people groups in Texas. Each session includes a principle exemplified by Jesus, an overview of the beliefs of people groups in Texas and information on the best practices for cross-cultural evangelism and discipleship in context.
The Reaching the Nations in Texas manual can be used in any Bible Study group, Sunday School Class or Small Group. We encourage you to attend one of these training events first and then take the training to your church or small group.
Refugee Ministry
We want to come alongside you and your church to serve and share the Gospel with international people groups that have arrived in our state with refugee status.
We advocate for all ministries serving refugees to include an intentional church planting strategy that is contextualized to the people group. We would love to speak to you and your group to let you know about opportunities in your city. We would also love to meet you and your group to talk about how to develop an intentional church planting strategy in your current programs serving refugees.
Specialized Trainings
We can train your church, small group on how to connect, engage and disciple different people groups as per their particular religious and ethnic background. Our People Group specialists and Missionaries can come and share depending on your interest and need.
Some of the specialized trainings that we have done in the past focus on Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists (Loving Muslims, Building Bridges for Muslims, Walking with Hindus). Training is available on the best practices to serve people groups from other minority religions present in Texas. Examples of minority people groups include Jainism, Sikhism, Mandeanism, Zoroastrianism and Bahaism.
