People group profile · PG046204
The Shaikh (Konkani) of India
The Shaikh (Konkani) of India, numbering about 159,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a large socio-religious community of India. Shaiks are Muslim communities who claim descent from Arab settlers or early Islamic migrants or traders and who adopted the title "Shaikh" as a mark of status or identity.
They are an indigenous people in the Shaikh people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Konkani (individual language).
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 159,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Shaikh
- Primary language
- Konkani (individual language) (knn)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Gujarat: Valsad district; Dadra and Nagar Haveli; Maharashtra: Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudung, and Thane districts; probably in Mumbai
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shaikh (Konkani) are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Shaikh (Konkani)
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Konkani (individual language) · Indo-European family
100% speak Konkani (individual language)
Gospel resources in Konkani (individual language)
- Bible available, published 1997
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Mangalorean Konkani)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shaikh (Konkani)
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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