World assemblies of God Fellowship

FAQ

Prayer & Adoption

What is the difference between praying for a people group and adopting one?

Praying for a people group is a daily commitment. After choosing a people group to pray for and signing up for a time slot and duration (10 minute default), you will receive Scripture-centered prayer content to guide your daily prayers. The adoption commitment goes further. Adoption is a long-term commitment to not only pray for your group, but to make additional efforts. Adoption is built on three pillars: 

  • Pray (mobilize 24-hour prayer coverage)

  • Give (commit regular financial support toward engagement) 

  • Send (raise up and send workers to live and minister among an unengaged people group) 

Prayer is the entry point anyone can take; adoption is a leadership role (often taken by group, team or church) committing to stand in the gap until the gospel takes root. We ask every adopter to prayerfully consider the commitment before taking it on.

Who can adopt — individuals, churches, networks?

Churches, networks, and individuals can all adopt a people group. Adoption is open to anyone who has prayerfully considered the three-pillar commitment: 

  • Pray (mobilize 24-hour prayer coverage) 

  • Give (commit regular financial support toward engagement)

  • Send (raise up and send workers to live and minister among the people group)

Fulfilling this commitment practically means mobilizing a community around it, since 24-hour prayer coverage and sending workers require a group effort. If you're ready to take this step, we also have resources available to assist along the way.  (see doxa.life/resources)

Can a church adopt more than one people group?

Yes. A church can adopt more than one people group, provided the commitment to each has been prayerfully considered by church leadership. Adoption carries three ongoing responsibilities for every group adopted: 

  • mobilizing prayer

  • giving financially toward engagement

  • sending workers

Before adopting an additional group, leadership should be confident the church can sustain all three pillars for each adoption until each people group is fully engaged.

What if someone else has already adopted the group we feel called to?

More than one church or group can adopt the same people group. The more prayer and support behind a group, the better. That said, we'd encourage you to prayerfully explore people groups that don't yet have an adopter, since many people groups still have no one standing in the gap for them. Adoption is a long-term commitment to mobilize prayer, give financially, and send workers for the group you adopt; starting with an unadopted group is one way to ensure that weight is distributed across as many of the unengaged people groups as possible. If after that exploration you still feel called to a group that's already adopted, we gladly welcome you.

What if our church is small? Can we still meaningfully adopt a people group?

Yes. DOXA welcomes churches of every size to prayerfully consider adoption. A small church may not be able to field 144 intercessors on its own, but it can adopt a people group, begin mobilizing prayer within its congregation, give at a level proportional to its size, and raise awareness that leads to sending. Many of the world's remaining unengaged people groups are themselves small, with some under 500 people. A small church committed to a specific people group can make a disproportionate impact. God has done mighty things through small offerings.

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Commitment & Duration

How long is the prayer or adoption commitment?

The DOXA prayer and adoption campaign runs through 2033, commemorating two thousand years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Prayer and adoption commitments are designed to last through the end of that year. We'll check in periodically so you can reevaluate your commitment, but our hope is for sustained partnership through the life of the campaign. Realistically, for unengaged people groups, they need the commitment to extend until their group is engaged, meaning that cross-cultural workers are living among the group with a long-term commitment, operating in the local language and culture, and using a multiplicative approach to making disciples. Engagement is the first step of ministry, not the finish line, and your continued commitment beyond the DOXA campaign window will continue to bear fruit.

What happens after 2033?

Engaging every unengaged people group by 2033 is the priority goal, but it is only the first step, not the finish line. Most of these formerly unengaged peoples will still be unreached and much work will remain. They will still need more missionaries, more prayers, more churches and more disciples.  Engagement means gospel workers are present and the gospel is being shared; the deeper work of making disciples, planting churches, and seeing movements take root continues beyond 2033. We are eagerly anticipating how the Lord will move within these people groups and His global Church as we join Him in prayer.  We know that faithful prayer and partnership will always be needed.

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Giving

Is there a required giving amount for churches wanting to adopt?

There is no required amount. Adoption includes a commitment to give regularly toward engagement. Our guideline is approximately $1 (USD) per congregation member per month, so a church of 50 would give around $50/month, a church of 500 around $500/month, and so on. Groups give according to their ability; the guideline is a starting point, not a minimum nor a maximum. Giving is currently processed through an Assemblies of God giving portal set up for the DOXA initiative.

What does DOXA do with giving that comes through the adoption portal?

Donations flow through the Assemblies of God giving portal to the DOXA Foundation, an independent nonprofit. The Foundation invests these funds, and the annual interest is used in two ways:

  1. Matching grants for Global South missionaries (distributed by region through World Assemblies of God Fellowships' 7 regional coordinators to local sending agencies)

  2. DOXA operations (prayer campaigns, resources, and platform maintenance)

All fund distribution is overseen by the DOXA Foundation board, with annual reporting to both the Foundation and Partnership boards. This approach ensures donations build a sustainable endowment that supports long-term engagement efforts rather than being spent immediately.

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Engagement & Definitions

What does "engaged" mean, and how will we know when our people group has been engaged?

A people group is considered engaged when three things are true:

1. In-residence workers - cross-cultural workers are living among the people group with a long-term commitment. (Note: These workers may come from outside the country or simply cross cultural boundaries within the same region.)

2. Local language and culture - workers are operating in the group's own language and cultural context.

3. Multiplicative methodology - the approach is designed to empower disciples making disciples and churches planting churches.

When all three indicators are present, even if there are very few believers, the group is considered engaged. You'll be notified through your prayer and adoption updates when your people group reaches engagement. Remember: engagement is just the beginning, not the finish line. DOXA will continue providing prayer content and updates because your ongoing commitment remains vital to the long-term fruitfulness of the work.

What's the difference between unreached people groups (UPGs) and unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs)?

An unreached people group (UPG) has very few evangelical Christians, typically considered 2% or fewer Christians within the group’s population, and it lacks the capacity to establish indigenous churches without outside help.

An unengaged unreached people group (UUPG) is a UPG with no known sustained effort to share the gospel among them. Specifically, there are no cross-cultural workers living among the group with a long-term commitment, no work occurring in the local language and culture, and no multiplicative approach to making disciples and planting churches. UUPGs are the priority of the DOXA campaign through 2033 as these are people groups where even the first steps have not yet been taken. After 2033, by God’s grace, there will no longer be unengaged people groups on earth and the work of DOXA will continue among unreached people groups, working towards each of them being reached with the Gospel to the DOXA (glory) of God.

How was the number of 2,085 unengaged groups (UUPGs) derived, why is it different from other lists and why can does this number change?

When compiling the initial list and refining it, DOXA starts with the International Mission Board's peoplegroups.org data set, one of the most widely used global people group databases. From that, DOXA filters to include all groups marked as unengaged, then removes:

  • Diaspora groups (those who have left their homeland to live elsewhere)  DOXA focuses on indigenous groups in their homeland and expects church planting teams in the homeland context to include outreach to the diaspora in their strategy.

  • Groups whose primary religion falls under Christianity (Eastern Orthodox, Catholicism, Folk Catholicism)

DOXA keeps groups that other lists may remove, including those with small populations (ie. populations under 500), as well as all unengaged Deaf people groups, because no group should be left behind regardless of size.

The DOXA list is also dynamic, meaning the count changes as new groups are discovered as well as when additional research leads to groups being reclassified.  

The DOXA number differs from other lists because each organization uses different filtering criteria, different definitions of engagement, and sometimes what constitutes a people group.  We have chosen the parameters explained above with consideration toward DOXA specific goals, thereby creating a list that is unique to DOXA. 

How does DOXA decide which people groups are "unengaged" or engaged?

DOXA starts from the International Mission Board's peoplegroups.org data set and applies its own filtering criteria to identify the focus list of UUPGs. Beyond the initial data, DOXA uses a verification process that draws on reports from Assemblies of God World Missions field workers, trusted sending agencies, national church partners in proximity to these groups, as well as Joshua Project. 

DOXA seeks a double verification before accepting engagement reports from sources that aren't independently corroborated. The goal is to avoid prematurely removing a group from the list.  It is better to keep a group listed and verify the engagement report than to remove it too early.  DOXA does accept engagement determinations by the International Mission Board that are reflected in the peoplegroups.org data set as fully verified.

Is it only external missionaries that can engage the unengaged, or can near-culture, proximate people also engage them?

Our hope is that the Lord will place these people groups on the hearts of all believers willing to go, regardless of where they are from. This includes near-culture and proximate believers who may share cultural proximity with the unengaged people groups. DOXA's engagement criteria require cross-cultural workers living among the group with a long-term commitment, working in the local language and culture, and using a multiplicative methodology. Anyone who meets that standard, whether from a nearby culture or from the other side of the world, is contributing to engagement.

Why are some people groups listed as unengaged by DOXA listed as engaged by Joshua Project?

DOXA uses the International Mission Board's definitions and determinations (see peoplegroups.org) along with its own internal research to make these decisions.  Different organizations use different criteria to define engagement and different data sources to track it. Joshua Project has marked many groups in the DOXA focus set as already engaged. DOXA is hopeful that this progress is accurate, but seeks additional field verification before accepting those reports and removing a group from the list. We are hopeful that very soon many of these discrepancies between lists will be reduced to the glory (DOXA) of God.

Why is a group marked engaged on the DOXA website even though there are no prayer commitments, or the adoption status is unmarked, or there are no engagement indicators?

DOXA defers to the International Mission Board's determination of engagement. If the IMB reports that a group is engaged, we accept that determination and mark the people group accordingly. Engagement status, prayer coverage, and adoption status are tracked independently, so a group can be marked engaged based on field reports even if prayer mobilization or adoption through DOXA has not yet begun. DOXA continues to support prayer and adoption for engaged groups, since engagement is the beginning of ministry, not the end.

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Partnership & Sending

What does partnership with DOXA look like? If we want to send missionaries to work with the DOXA partnership, how do we do that?

DOXA is a receiving partnership, not a sending agency. Sending agencies retain full authority over their missionaries. If your church wants to send workers to an unengaged people group, DOXA can help by connecting you with the coordination and training resources available through the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. DOXA provides field training, coordinates team placement, and offers strategic coaching to support fruitful, long-term, residential engagement. To start the conversation, reach out through the contact form here on doxa.life or email [email protected].

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Practical & Logistics

What happens if our prayer champion can no longer fulfill this role?

To update your prayer champion contact, please send the name of the church or organization, the new champion's name, email, and phone number to [email protected]. We'll update your records and ensure the new champion receives all ongoing communications and resources.

Can we participate if many people in our church do not have internet access?

Yes. While daily prayer reminders and prayer content are delivered via email and the web, we want to partner with anyone who has a heart to pray for the unengaged and unreached. We ask that at least one person in your church have email access to receive periodic communications and to provide feedback. That person can share prayer content with the congregation through whatever channels work. (ie. print, WhatsApp, in-person announcements, or other means)

If we have updates to the UUPG list as far as engagement or non-engagement, who do we contact?

We will develop an engagement survey to help gather updates and determine the status of UUPGs on the DOXA list. If you have an update to report, whether a group has been engaged or new information suggests a group's status should change, please email us at [email protected]. Your contribution helps ensure the DOXA list stays accurate and no group is overlooked.