07-Identifying Missionaries

UPSTREAM BLOG

The Upstream Blog is published two times a week and contains content from missions leaders, pastors, missiologists, and the Upstream team on a wide variety of topics pertaining to being a sending church. Leave us some comments or questions!

Developing Leaders and Missionaries through Short-Term Trips

Christian Townson

Jan 9, 20244 min read

Developing Leaders and Missionaries through Short-Term Trips

Most churches channel their efforts into cross-cultural missions through short-term trips, enabling church members to experience the...

The Upstream Collective

Apr 13, 20236 min read

Profile of a Sent One

What constitutes the ideal missionary candidate? It’s fitting to begin such a discussion by examining conventional wisdom on the subject....

How to Pastor Members with a Missions Interest

Bradley Bell

Apr 6, 20234 min read

How to Pastor Members with a Missions Interest

A church member walks up and says, "Excuse me, pastor. I think I want to be a missionary." Oh no. What do you say?! Here are a few common...

Getting Members Involved in Local Partnerships

Jonah Fox

Oct 20, 20226 min read

Getting Members Involved in Local Partnerships

Mobilizing the Body for the Community: Micro vs Macro When I first stepped into the role of Missions Pastor, I often lived in my head in...

Discerning Readiness in a Potential Sent One, Part I

Mike Easton

Apr 21, 20226 min read

Discerning Readiness in a Potential Sent One, Part I

If you gave me a million dollars and told me I could use it toward anything related to global missions, I would probably invest it into...

Helping Potential Sent Ones Discern Calling

Dave & Lorene Wilson

Apr 14, 20225 min read

Helping Potential Sent Ones Discern Calling

The story of Moses and the burning bush is the iconic example of God calling someone to accomplish His purposes in this world....

Bradley Bell

Apr 11, 20226 min read

The Cheerleader and the Curmudgeon

Fostering Both Excitement and Sobriety in Potential Sent Ones Choosing the right road trip companions can mean the difference between...

Navigating Proactive and Reactive Sending

Mike Easton

Apr 7, 20226 min read

Navigating Proactive and Reactive Sending

If you’ve been a missions leader for very long, you’ve likely had this experience: A married couple in your church emails you with the...

Keeping Track of Those Interested in Going Overseas

Mike Easton

Mar 10, 20224 min read

Keeping Track of Those Interested in Going Overseas

Going overseas involves many steps, and it is easy for a potential Sent One to get lost in the process. It is also easy for a missions...

Why Go to the Mission Field During a Pandemic

Matthew Hirt

May 13, 20214 min read

Why Go to the Mission Field During a Pandemic

Leaving home is always emotional, especially during a time of global crisis. But crisis does not negate Jesus's Great Commission.

Overview of Sending Church Element 7: Identifying Sent Ones

Mike Easton

Mar 17, 20213 min read

Overview of Sending Church Element 7: Identifying Sent Ones

Churches that actively identify sent ones are actively developing the leadership potential of their members.

Missionaries Are Not Superheroes: How the Hierarchy of Missions Hurts the Gospel, the Church, and th

Anna Price

Jun 3, 20194 min read

Missionaries Are Not Superheroes: How the Hierarchy of Missions Hurts the Gospel, the Church, and th

The hierarchy of Christian faith—the one that puts missionaries as the closest to God—harms churches, missionaries, and ourselves.

Matthew Bennett

Mar 4, 20194 min read

Discerning a Call to Missions

Consider these questions when trying to discern if you're being called to missions.

debbie4034

Oct 5, 20185 min read

Spirit-Led Sending

One of our most popular posts from 2017 was a two-part interview with Dr. Gregg Allison discussing the role of the Spirit in churches...

debbie4034

Sep 28, 20181 min read

Missions & Marriage

Everything we do at The Upstream Collective is aimed at one goal: for every church to see themselves as a sending church and every...

The Faithful Missionary: A Case Study in Missing the Point, Part One

Bradley Bell

Aug 10, 20184 min read

The Faithful Missionary: A Case Study in Missing the Point, Part One

BY BRADLEY BELL, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT DEVELOPMENT My junior year of college our campus ministry kicked off the year with a gathering...

debbie4034

Aug 6, 20184 min read

Building A Team || Part 2

In Friday’s post Jesse Eubanks, Director of Love Thy Neighborhood, described how he handles the challenge of building teams on mission....

Bradley Bell

Apr 23, 20186 min read

Grace in the “Missionary Call”

Written by Bradley Bell, Director of Content Development Much has been stewing in my heart lately regarding the “missionary call”. Not...

Missions and Dating: The Intersection of Disparate Longings

Bradley Bell

Jan 15, 20185 min read

Missions and Dating: The Intersection of Disparate Longings

THIS ARTICLE IS BY ZACH BRADLEY, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT STRATEGY We were crying so hard that strangers in the airport were crying too. It...

The Good in Goodbye: A Defense for Being Sent When Others Say No

Bradley Bell

Aug 29, 20165 min read

The Good in Goodbye: A Defense for Being Sent When Others Say No

Let’s be honest. Saying goodbye stinks. Not the normal, everyday goodbyes. The kind of goodbyes that tear our hearts out, like a child...