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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!
Setting Expectations for Short-Term Mission Trips
The following is a guest article by Terry L. Brown. Short-term mission trips can be exciting and life-changing. From navigating...
The Upstream Collective
Jan 26, 20235 min read
The Benefits of Going to the Same Place Year after Year
We have been involved in global missions for over twenty-two years now. For most of those years, we have served in Europe, though the...
Larry McCrary
Jan 23, 20235 min read
Expect the Unexpected
Are you prepared for a crisis? As our world becomes more dangerous, what is the riskiest thing your church’s mission leaders can do? The...
Ellen Livingood
Jan 19, 20236 min read
Five Reasons to Revisit Your Partners
Trips with Purpose - Intention to Care Last year, two of my family members participated in a short-term trip to one of our church’s...
Shirley Ralston
Jan 16, 20238 min read
Short-Term Fueling Long-Term Missions
Short-term missions provides the context through which the church can prepare and propel future missionaries for a lifetime of service
Ryan Martin
Jan 12, 20236 min read
Evaluating Hosts of Short-Term Trips
As you finish up your short-term trips, a valuable step to take can be to evaluate the trip hosts. It’s likely that those to whom you are...
Mike Easton
Jan 9, 20233 min read
Why I Wouldn’t Go on a Short-Term Mission Trip
The following is a guest article by Rachel Bell Hamm. The year was 2012, and I was never going to go on an international mission trip. My...
debbie4034
Jan 5, 20236 min read
Entry Level Short-Term Trip Opportunities & Resources
In our article series “Redeeming Short-Term Trips,” we lay out some principles for doing short-term trips with intelligence and...
Mike Easton
Jan 2, 20233 min read
Exploring Alternative Pathways to Missions
Fourth Church is situated in a midsize city in the midwest. Their city has seen a lot of growth the last few years as people have moved...
Larry McCrary
Oct 24, 20225 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...
Jonah Fox
Oct 20, 20226 min read
Establishing Ministry Partnerships
Establishing partnerships is one of the most important things a church missions leader will do in their role. For most churches,...
Jonah Fox
Oct 13, 20225 min read
Together on Mission with God: A Biblical Basis for Partnership
Partnership is necessary because the gospel is universally relevant and provides the plan of redemption for sinners separated from God.
Joshua Bowman
Oct 3, 20224 min read
Creative Ways to Cultivate Awareness, Pt. I
After serving in the church as a missions pastor for more than twenty years, I am often amused when I reflect on the variety of failures...
Dave & Lorene Wilson
Aug 15, 20226 min read
Resources & Suggestions for Cultivating Missions Awareness in Your Church
Mission Vision Toolbox: Tools for Casting a Great Commission Vision in your Church I think most pastors have the desire for their church...
Matthew Hirt
Aug 4, 20225 min read
Cultural Sensitivity in the US Context
A large movie poster of Shah Rukh Khan was not what my wife and I expected to see as we walked into the movie theater in southern...
Matthew Hirt
May 23, 20225 min read
Developing an International Ministry
One of the incredible opportunities we have right now in America is to reach an increasing number of internationals. Immigrants,...
Mike Easton
May 19, 20223 min read
Aligning Local and Global Missions Engagement
The following is an adapted excerpt from The Sending Church Defined. A Holistic Mission Think globally, act locally. Chances are, you’ve...
Bradley Bell
May 16, 20225 min read
The Art of Being Bi-Cultural in an American Context
Being a bi-cultural Christ-follower means being able to comfortably move in and out of cultures, sometimes even a variety of cultures....
Mark Zwemer
May 12, 20224 min read
Creative Ways to Fund Mission Work, Part II
The Two-Pocket Theory of Mission Support In part 1 of this series, we looked at several ways you can bring in extra income to help you...
Dave & Lorene Wilson
May 9, 20226 min read
Creative Ways to Fund Mission Work, Part I
Side Hustle: Supporting Missionaries in a Gig Economy For hundreds of years, the standard practice for funding mission work (at least...
Dave & Lorene Wilson
May 5, 20227 min read
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