Missionary Care

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!

Brian McClure

Mar 254 min read

Field Perspective on Advocacy Team Care

Human beings all have needs, and those who live cross-culturally are no exception. We can meet each other’s needs in many ways. I have...

Bradley Bell

Mar 183 min read

Leading the Advocates

I once had a turtle named Fred. Fred liked to eat watermelon. But I went on vacation and forgot to leave Fred any watermelon. When I came...

Mike Easton

Mar 123 min read

Microskills for Advocates

When you have a struggle in life, who do you go to? Is it a friend? A pastor? An older man or woman? A counselor? When someone in your...

The What and Why of Advocacy Teams: Nurturing and Supporting Sent Ones

Christian Townson

Mar 44 min read

The What and Why of Advocacy Teams: Nurturing and Supporting Sent Ones

The role of advocacy teams has become increasingly vital to global missions and church planting as a means of caring for missionaries as...

Beyond Reverse Culture Shock Introduction

Mike Easton

Feb 264 min read

Beyond Reverse Culture Shock Introduction

I’m a World War II history nerd. I have watched almost every documentary out there on this time period. As the largest conflict in...

Four Practical Ways to Care for Missionaries on Furlough

Kelsey Jarjour

Feb 55 min read

Four Practical Ways to Care for Missionaries on Furlough

If you have ever served in long-term missions or known someone who has, then you know that following the missionary call God often...

Abigail Newport

Dec 25, 20234 min read

Questions to Ask TCKs

One of the best ways to show love to the third culture kids (TCKs) in your church and missionary body is to ask them questions, but it...

Angela Bredeman

Dec 21, 20235 min read

Schooling Options for TCKs

Making the decision to move overseas is a big one, especially when considering moving as a family. But that big decision is followed by...

Megan Norton

Dec 18, 20236 min read

Helping TCKs through Re-Entry

Reverse culture shock (also called re-entry stress) can occur when you return to your “home” country after spending time in another...

Megan Norton

Dec 4, 20234 min read

Defining Key Terms: TCKs

For any Third Culture Kid (TCK), it can be a challenge to answer the question “Where are you from?” since it could potentially mean any...

Larry McCrary

Jun 29, 20231 min read

Long-Term Missionary Care

I just ran into one of your missionaries and asked them to describe in one word the kind of care they have received from your church that...

How Can the Sending Church and Organization Work Together in Missionary Care?

Larry McCrary

Jun 26, 20234 min read

How Can the Sending Church and Organization Work Together in Missionary Care?

A sending church provides ongoing care in partnership with a missions organization by building a relational structure that nurtures the...

A Practical Way to Structure Your Church’s Missionary Care

Bradley Bell

Jun 22, 20234 min read

A Practical Way to Structure Your Church’s Missionary Care

When I was six years old, my parents accidentally forgot me at church. Both of them had driven that day, and they simply pulled away...

Matthew Hirt

Jun 19, 20235 min read

Serving Sent Ones in Hard Places

Sending missionaries from your church is exciting, but caring for your sent ones long term is often very difficult. Caring for them when...

Caleb Alford

Jun 15, 20233 min read

Sending Does Not Mean Letting Go

Sending someone does not mean letting them go. It means holding on tight to the relationship so that the nations may know the glory of God.

Post-Field Care: Plan, Presence, and Pathways to Reengagement

Ryan Martin

Jun 12, 20236 min read

Post-Field Care: Plan, Presence, and Pathways to Reengagement

Post-field care can be the most challenging care for churches to provide. Missionaries come home for numerous reasons—scheduled visits,...

On-Field Care: Prayer Is Not Just the Means to Do the Work—It Is the Work

Ryan Martin

Jun 8, 20234 min read

On-Field Care: Prayer Is Not Just the Means to Do the Work—It Is the Work

“Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher...

Pre-Field Care: The Oft-Forgotten Element of Missionary Care

Ryan Martin

Jun 5, 20237 min read

Pre-Field Care: The Oft-Forgotten Element of Missionary Care

Church leaders should recruit like coaches. Successful coaches know what type of players they want, and instead of waiting for them to...

Shirley Ralston

May 29, 20237 min read

Creating a Network of Care Trip Goers

Is Your Church Ready? Care team, what do you do when one of your church’s global workers reaches out and asks for help? What if your...

Why Missions Organizations Utilize Psych Evaluations

Steve Allison

Apr 17, 20234 min read

Why Missions Organizations Utilize Psych Evaluations

Mental health has become a major focus in our post-COVID world, as rates of depression, suicide, and anxiety are climbing at alarming...