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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!
Greg Mathias
May 6, 20245 min read
The Nations in Our Own Back Yard
Our world is closer and more interconnected in ways that require us to think and act like a missionary in our communities. When we look for
Eric & Andrea Warren
Oct 30, 20235 min read
The Joy of Welcoming Internationals for Thanksgiving
Inviting international friends to Thanksgiving is one of the best cross-cultural missions opportunities available to American Christians....
Bruce Mewbourne
May 22, 20235 min read
Providing Cross Cultural Opportunities Locally
Immigration and migration represent a Great Commission opportunity for the church. Migration is not a new phenomenon. A casual reading of...
Bradley Bell
Nov 3, 20225 min read
So You Wanna Be a Missionary—Who Are You Discipling?
I love the enthusiasm I encounter among aspiring missionaries. It drips from them like water from your hands when there are no paper...
Anna Daub
Aug 7, 20224 min read
Leading Your Church to Think About the Global Church
The global church offers Western Christians hope in what feels like hopeless times; however, because many Western Christians do not see...
Ryan Martin
Jul 31, 20226 min read
Cultivating Missions Awareness Through Local International Ministry
A little over a year ago, my family and I transitioned churches. This was not the first time either my wife or I had sought a new church...
Matthew Hirt
May 23, 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...
Mike Easton
May 19, 20223 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,...
Bradley Bell
May 16, 20225 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...
Mark Zwemer
May 12, 20224 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....
Mike Easton
Apr 28, 20223 min read
The Importance of Local International Ministry in Mobilization
As missions leaders, we work hard to get our people overseas on short-term trips and as long-term missionaries. This is an awesome...
Ryan Martin
Feb 24, 20225 min read
Reaching Oral Learners with the Gospel
If you stepped into my office, you could make two observations about me—I love to travel, and I love to read. I have collected many...
Anna Daub
Jan 31, 20224 min read
Troubled Waters: Reasons International Partnerships Go Awry
In today’s connected world, churches, missions organizations, and missionaries work with partners from nations around the globe. Some of...
Shirley Ralston
Nov 29, 20216 min read
Afghan Refugees: The Sojourners Among Us
HOU Arrival They stood together, surrounded by ten canvas bags, each marked with a name, probably Dari or Pashto. The bags contained...
Mike Easton
Mar 8, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 5: Involving the Entire Church
Finding ways to help your entire church be involved in global missions will will make a real impact on the field for the sake of the gospel.
debbie4034
Aug 26, 20194 min read
The Nations Among Us: What We’re Teaching Them About Worship
I stood in the afternoon worship service yesterday, listening to the large worship team express their love for Jesus. They were young,...
debbie4034
Jun 29, 20174 min read
Invisible or Ignored: America’s Foreign Mission Field
This is a guest article by Ben Schroering. Something truly incredible is taking place. Unevangelized people groups from hard to reach...
The Upstream Collective
Sep 20, 20166 min read
Refuge(e): Why Christians Must Respond to the Need of the Displaced and the Sojourners
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST FROM CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS. CHRISTIAN SERVES AS A GLOBAL MISSIONARY IN WESTERN EUROPE. The past two years have...
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