Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Jul 10: Indonesia, Kalimantan
Indonesia
Republic of Indonesia
Asia
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Geography
Area: 1,919,317 sq kmThe Republic’s 17,500 islands (6,000 inhabited) stretch over 9.5 million sq km of the Indian/Pacific Oceans, with 33 provinces, 5 of which have special status. Includes the world’s second-largest rain forest and vast coral reefs.
Population: 232,516,771 Annual Growth: 1.19%
Capital: Jakarta
Urbanites: 53.7%
HDI Rank: 111 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 784 (26% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). Its increasing use is unifying the nation and lessening the importance of smaller languages to the younger generation Languages: 722 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Muslim| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 36,853,908 | 15.85 | 1.6 |
| Evangelicals | 13,010,751 | 5.6 | 2.8 |
| Muslim | 186,734,219 | 80.31 |
Challenge for Prayer
Young people represent an untapped potential for both harvest field and harvest force. Around one-third of the population are under 18 years of age. Pray for:a) Students in universities. They number 3.5 million in over 2,300 higher education institutions. A number of specialized agencies have extensive ministry on campuses (Navigators, IFES, CCCI and others). The IFES-linked student movement PERKANTAS has groups in over 50 cities. Islamic universities are rapidly growing in number and in influence. A significant minority of Indonesians study overseas, many in open nations – pray that they may be reached in other lands. Others are attracted by scholarships to study in Saudi Arabia.
b) School children. Forty percent of kids never make it to middle school. Children at Risk, Compassion International, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Awana, and Kids’ EE as well as denominations such as CMA work together to bring the gospel to the children of Indonesia. Many are at risk. Nearly three million are child labourers, often in dangerous jobs and, every year, thousands of others are trafficked for more nefarious purposes.
For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Indonesia.Kalimantan
Indonesia
See Prayer Information
Challenge for Prayer
The unreached – although Kalimantan has many Christian peoples, dozens of groups remain largely untouched by the gospel.a) The large Kalimantan Malay people cluster of 4.5 million is dominated by the Banjar, at 3.5 million and one of Indonesia’s least-evangelized peoples. They live along the eastern and southern coasts and up the rivers; they devotedly practice Islam with strong animistic elements. Increasing numbers of individuals, churches and groups have begun to pray for and reach out to them. Converts are few, and almost all those who follow Christ have to live as secret believers. Pray for entire families to come to Christ and to be able to remain as witnesses in their communities.
b) Transmigrants number over one million. These are Javanese (nominally Muslim), Balinese (Hindu), Bugis and Madurese (strongly Muslim). They live in transmigrant settlements and oil-boom towns in the east. Only among the Javanese are there growing churches, but they have little vision for outreach to other groups. In the late 1990s, Dayak resentment of the high-handedness of Madurese transmigrants in West Kalimantan boiled into violence, with hundreds massacred and thousands displaced. Pray that local nominal Christians may overcome their anger – as well as cultural and religious barriers – to reach out in love to transmigrant groups.
c) Animist peoples of the interior present a challenge. They are predominantly of Dayak origin. The least reached of these are the Barito cluster, including the Bakumpai, Siang and Ampunang. The complexities of reaching such isolated tribal groups are immense and living conditions difficult. Medical and educational work and ministry with orphans are all potentially fruitful. Praise God for MAF’s valuable aviation ministry that allows access to these areas. Pray for more pioneers willing to reach out to these hard-to-access but receptive peoples.
d) The Chinese-descent Indonesians, 20% of the population in West Kalimantan, prove less responsive to the gospel than elsewhere, though many are nominally Christian. Pray for the witness of Chinese Christians and for churches on the coast, in Pontianak and up the Kapuas River.
For an additional 2 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
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