Missionary Care 2/4

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!

Shirley Ralston

Jan 16, 20238 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...

Mike Easton

Dec 19, 20223 min read

Year-End Reviews with Sent Ones

As a missions leader, you likely are having regular calls with your Sent Ones. These times are super valuable for catching up on their...

A Case for Missionaries Taking a Sabbatical

Larry McCrary

Aug 11, 20226 min read

A Case for Missionaries Taking a Sabbatical

I recently came off a two-month sabbatical. My board at The Upstream Collective had given me the opportunity to pick a couple of months...

How Much Should the Sending Church Give to Their Sent Ones?

Larry McCrary

Jul 25, 20225 min read

How Much Should the Sending Church Give to Their Sent Ones?

The question of what percentage of funds a sending church should give their Sent Ones can be tricky to answer, and there is certainly no...

The Five Love Languages of Missionary Care

Bradley Bell

Jul 1, 20225 min read

The Five Love Languages of Missionary Care

A monkey was sitting in a tree during a typhoon. From the safety of his perch he noticed a fish that was struggling tremendously in the...

Upcoming Upstream Book: Holding the Rope

Ryan Martin

Jun 28, 20226 min read

Upcoming Upstream Book: Holding the Rope

This is an excerpt from the forthcoming book Holding the Rope: How the Local Church Can Care for Its Sent Ones by Ryan Martin, set to be...

Bradley Bell

Jun 23, 20223 min read

Sending Well: It Takes a Community

One of the biggest reasons church leaders hesitate when it comes to proactively sending their members on mission is the intimidating...

10 Things You Should Think About before Planting a Church

Bradley Bell

Jun 9, 20225 min read

10 Things You Should Think About before Planting a Church

Think before you post. Just four words, but instantly you know what I’m talking about. It may sound similar to the old ways of saying it:...

Dave & Lorene Wilson

Jun 6, 20225 min read

Missionary Prayer Is Missionary Care

A Call for Churches to Care For, Not Just About, Their Missionaries Oswald Chambers once said, “Prayer does not equip us for greater...

Helping Sent Ones Work through Culture Shock

Mike Easton

Jun 2, 20224 min read

Helping Sent Ones Work through Culture Shock

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Mike Tyson I can guarantee you that, before today, we have never started an...

Chris White

May 30, 20225 min read

The Impact of the Heart Debrief

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place . . . They made an...

Supporting Single Missionaries in the Wake of Covid

Anna Daub

Feb 28, 20225 min read

Supporting Single Missionaries in the Wake of Covid

Almost two years ago, after watching the Covid virus spread across the globe, many governments responded by closing their borders and...

Larry McCrary

Feb 1, 20227 min read

Caring for Your Sent Ones in Year One

Jose Luis, his wife, Wendy, and their three small children are preparing to move to Africa next year to work with a mission organization...

Mike Easton

Jan 10, 20224 min read

Writing an MOU

There’s a lot of things in life that are really important but are also kind of boring: mowing the lawn, doing the laundry, filling out...

Partnerships are Foundational to Missionary Care

Mike Easton

Jan 6, 20227 min read

Partnerships are Foundational to Missionary Care

The best way to do missionary care is to put people on great teams. There are a multitude of reasons why missionaries leave the field:...

A Liturgy for Missionaries During the Holidays

Bradley Bell

Dec 23, 20213 min read

A Liturgy for Missionaries During the Holidays

We hope this liturgy written by Upstream's Bradley Bell is an encouragement to you. This may be prayed alone, but it could be more...

Partnership In The Gospel: Biblical Support For Missionary Care From Philippians 2:25–30

Ryan Martin

Aug 11, 20216 min read

Partnership In The Gospel: Biblical Support For Missionary Care From Philippians 2:25–30

Paul's partnership with the Philippians and specifically Epaphroditus shows how missionary care serves the work of gospel proclamation.

Missionary Care Begins with the Local Church: A Look at 3 John 5-8

Ryan Martin

Aug 9, 20215 min read

Missionary Care Begins with the Local Church: A Look at 3 John 5-8

The local church, both its members and leaders, should be sending and supporting well for the promotion and advancement of the gospel.

The Sign Says Closed: Communicating With Our Sent Ones

Greg Mathias

Aug 4, 20215 min read

The Sign Says Closed: Communicating With Our Sent Ones

While closed countries and security can make communication daunting, do not let it stop you from staying in contact with sent ones.

The Sign Says Closed: Four Key Questions about Missions in "Closed" Countries

Greg Mathias

Aug 2, 20215 min read

The Sign Says Closed: Four Key Questions about Missions in "Closed" Countries

What is a closed country and what does it mean for missions and sending?