The 10/40 Window with Mark Shetler

How God Brought The 10/40 Window To California

Have you ever wondered how your church can impact the Nations? In this episode, Mark Shetler, Executive Pastor of River City Christian, shares the creative idea God gave them that led to touching the lives of people of all cultures and nations. Their global impact is done all from their backyard and Mark shares how only God could create a way for a Californian church to impact people from the 10/40 Window, which stretches from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia.

Everyone Deserves a Merry Christmas

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, Mark was looking into how to best celebrate Christmas in their Sacramento community. One night, Mark felt God wake him up and say, “Provide a Christmas mall for people in need in your community.” With that tiny seed, Mark dreamed about how to bring such a thing into reality.

By the time Christmas arrived, the Christmas Mall idea was fully formed, and River City Christian welcomed 300 people onto their church campus. The church hosted a formal meal for their guests, and everyone was given a $50 voucher to shop for merchandise displayed in the church’s classrooms. For many, it was the first time a child had been empowered to buy a gift for parents or grandparents, and families were given a choice to make their own selections instead of getting a preselected gift basket.

But dinner and shopping weren’t the only ways guests experienced the love of Christmas. Kids enjoyed activities like karaoke, photos with Santa, and decorating ornaments. The holiday fun didn’t stop with kids though! Adults were also given something special—from getting their hair washed, cut, and styled to manicures and massages, every guest felt pampered, glamorous, and loved.

The event has grown since that first Christmas Mall, with a record 1300 guests in 2019. But with this growth, comes a need for more volunteers and donations. Mark says that the staff and volunteers eagerly jump in to serve and that they have local vendors contribute to the event as well, but the Christmas Mall needs a minimum of fifty thousand items donated in order to host a thousand guests.

Reaching The 10/40 Window

As the Executive Pastor of River City Christian, Mark has a heart for local and global communities, and the Christmas Mall has provided the perfect opportunity to reach the 10/40 Window.

The 10/40 Window is a rectangular geographic area stretching from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia, covering 68 countries. It’s estimated that nearly two-thirds of the world’s population lives within this narrow window. According to the Joshua Project, 68.6% of the 10/40 Window’s ethnic groups are considered unreached, with no thriving local church movement. That’s a total population of 3.09 billion.

Mark and the church prayed for that part of the world and prayed that God would send missionaries there. Their prayers were answered in a way they couldn’t have imagined. Mark says, “God answered the prayer by bringing the 10/40 Window to us… They’re our neighbors, and we have this incredible opportunity to reach out to them and love them and build relationships with them.”

Although the 10/40 Window is halfway across the globe, it’s still possible to make an impact, even if that impact starts as small as a single conversation. Mark shared a story about a Christmas Mall volunteer who wanted to help but wasn’t confident in sharing the Gospel, so her way to serve during the event was by giving manicures. A refugee sat down, and they began to simply talk about family and life. The refugee shared her story, that she had escaped violence in her homeland, but that she had family members still in danger. At the end of the manicure, the volunteer squeezed the refugee’s hand and asked to pray with her. The woman started to tear up, and at the end of the prayer, she shared that no one had ever prayed for her before. In the time the women spent together, God planted a seed, and Mark prays that the woman will continue to be drawn closer to God.

The Christmas Mall is one of River City Christian’s largest events for outreach, but their church serves the refugee community throughout the year. So whether it’s providing some education like ESL and tutoring, or helping with creating resumes and applying for jobs online, they’re always exploring new ways to develop relationships in their local community.

The Church has repeatedly found that people are people, and everyone has been created in the image of almighty God. Mark says, “When we take the time to get past the stereotypes and sit and have conversations with people, even with different beliefs or backgrounds, people still want some of the things that you and I want.” God has placed a desire for something better within all of us than what this world has to offer. That natural desire is what gives us a chance to connect with others and share the Gospel.

As your church looks for new opportunities to reach people and build relationships, we want to help. Together, we can empower your team to profoundly impact people’s lives. Click here to learn more.

To listen to this episode of Pushay’s Moving Mountains podcast, click here.

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