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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!
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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:...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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?
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