Peoples of NAME
Peoples or people groups are an interesting term that we don't typically use in everyday life. So what does it mean? People groups are clusters of people who share a common culture, history and/or language. (For an in-depth explanation of people groups, please see this article by Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins.) Today we are more accustomed to thinking in terms of countries or geopolitical boundaries. Yet in any given country, there are often many different people groups, sometimes hundreds!
The word nations in Scripture is often better translated people groups. Scripture teaches in Luke 24:47 that, "Repentance and forgiveness of sins must be proclaimed in My name to all nations." And in Revelation 5:9-10, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
We all have a sense of what it feels like to be an "outsider" or to have an outsider in our midst. In NAME we focus on people groups because it is easier for someone to hear and receive the gospel from someone they know or at least have some things in common. The more different two people are in terms of life experience, culture, language, values, etc., the greater the challenge of sharing the gospel.
God is unwilling for anyone to spend eternity separated from Him. Yet He has also provided every person with free will, or, the ability to make an individual choice about being in personal relationship with Him. We endeavor to bring the gospel to each and every people group in NAME so that all may have a first-hand witness of and opportunity to choose Jesus' love, holiness, grace, and redemption for themselves.
People Group Focus
Algerian Arabs
The ancestors of the Algerian Arab originated in the Arabian Desert. From there, they gradually immigrated into northern Africa. Over the centuries, the Arabs have become somewhat intermingled with the Berbers, and this has influenced their way of life. Nevertheless, the two groups have remained distinct.
Socially, there are two contrasting groups of Algerian Arab: those living in the cities and those in the rural areas. Among the rural Arab, several classes have formed, which include nobles (alleged descendants of Mohammed), large landowners, peasants, and tenant farmers.
The Algerian Arab of Algeria live primarily along the Mediterranean coast. Others live in the foothills of the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco. However, they prefer living in the more fertile regions near the Mediterranean Sea. The Algerian Arab make up 63% of the country's population. Their language is called Jazairi (or Maghribi).
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