Missions Mobilization
Global Christian Experience / Experiential Activities

3.3 Mapping Your City

ActivityLow BarrierOn-Site (No Travel Required)

Low Barrier · On-Site (No Travel Required)

This activity helps participants see their local context through a missional lens, recognizing where the nations are already present—or nearby.

Use the downloadable resources below as your primary instructions.
This page provides additional guidance to help facilitators use the activity well.

Primary Resources (Download link below)

  • Mapping Activity — step-by-step instructions, search ideas, and discussion questions
  • Refugee Resettlement Organizations Map — visual reference of U.S. refugee resettlement hubs

How to Use the Refugee Resettlement Organizations Map

The Refugee Resettlement Orgs Map is not meant to be memorized or analyzed in detail.

Use it to help participants:

  • See which cities function as hubs for refugee resettlement

  • Understand how infrastructure often reveals population presence

  • Recognize patterns of proximity they may not have considered During the activity, invite participants to compare:

  • What they discovered through local mapping

  • What they notice on the resettlement map This often reframes assumptions about where the nations are located.

If You Live in a Rural or Low-Diversity Area

If your town has little visible diversity, adapt the activity rather than skipping it.

Two recommended adaptations:

  • Expand the map
    Use the Mapping Activity to focus on the nearest major city with a significant international or refugee population.
  • Map proximity, not presence
    Ask: Where is the closest place the nations are gathering?
    This helps participants see that cross-cultural engagement may still be accessible. The goal is awareness, not completeness.

Optional Companion Video (Helpful, Not Required)

If helpful, you may include this short tutorial from Crescent Project:

“How to Find Unreached People Groups in Your City with Google Maps”
https://www.crescentproject.org/blog/how-to-find-unreached-people-groups-in-your-city-with-google-maps

In this video, viewers are shown how to use Google Maps as a discovery tool to notice places where people from Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other unreached backgrounds may live, gather, shop, or worship.

The video focuses on:

  • Searching for places of worship
  • Identifying ethnic grocery stores and restaurants
  • Using photos, websites, and listings to learn more
  • Creating a saved map to visualize patterns of proximity

Facilitator Notes

  • Encourage observation rather than problem-solving
  • Avoid turning this into an assignment or action plan
  • Leave space for prayer and reflection after discussion This activity is meant to soften posture and sharpen awareness, preparing participants for deeper engagement.

Best Paired With

  • The State of the World teaching
  • Prayer Walk (as a follow-up)
  • Ethnic Restaurant or Visiting a Place of Worship

Logistics

  • Can be done entirely in your meeting space
  • Works well with digital projection or printed maps
  • Appropriate for small or large groups