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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!
Why You Need a Sending Pipeline
Do your church’s programs have an end in mind? A sending pipeline provides a framework for evaluating your programs.
Mike Easton
Sep 11, 20234 min read
Ten Signs of Healthy Sending in Your Church
Being part of The Upstream Collective means learning from sending churches around the world. Honestly, it means I do a lot less...
Bradley Bell
Dec 8, 20224 min read
How Missions Convictions Decrease Decision Fatigue
In this article I want to convince you of two things: that missions decisions can exhaust you, and that missions convictions can refresh...
Bradley Bell
Sep 29, 20223 min read
The Danger of Focusing Only on Unreached People Groups, Pt. III
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST FROM JOSH BAYLOR (@JOSHBAYLOR). JOSH SERVES AS A CHURCH PLANTER IN DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY. (Continued from...
The Upstream Collective
Sep 26, 20226 min read
The Danger of Focusing Only on Unreached People Groups, Pt. II
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST FROM JOSH BAYLOR (@JOSHBAYLOR). JOSH SERVES AS A CHURCH PLANTER IN DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY. (Continued from...
The Upstream Collective
Sep 22, 20227 min read
The Dangers of Focusing Only on Unreached People Groups, Pt. I
No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there is someone who hasn’t heard it once. –Oswald J. Smith Occasionally it hits me...
Bradley Bell
Sep 19, 20227 min read
A Sending Church, Someday
I stood with my hands opened before me, eager to receive the word of benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his...
Nathan Shaver
Sep 12, 20224 min read
Toward a Better Definition of Missions
A few months ago, I had a conversation with the editorial director of one of today’s most highly trafficked Christian websites. I thanked...
Bradley Bell
Sep 5, 20224 min read
A Church Plant Can Be a Sending Church
Recently, I was on a personal retreat at a nearby monastery. With my Bible and journal in hand, I tiptoed away to the surrounding knobby...
Bradley Bell
Jun 13, 20225 min read
Does Sending Church Exclude the Universal Church and Parachurch?
“Does the sending church conversation unhelpfully exclude or deemphasize the universal church or the parachurch?” The Development of...
Larry McCrary
Nov 1, 20213 min read
Eight Dangers of Becoming a Sending Church
I love the sending church. That’s why I’ve devoted my life to it. So why would I want to talk about the dangers of it? First, because it...
Nathan Sloan
Oct 30, 20215 min read
Turning A Supertanker Missions Convictions: The Compass for Charting a Course for Change
A turning point in our education came during a conversation with Upstream Collective about an element we lacked called Missions Convictions
Shirley Ralston
Oct 4, 20216 min read
The Sending Pipeline Part 6: From Committed Goers to Sent
Here are some questions to ask to develop programs in this transition phase from Committed Goers to Sent, as members actually hit the field.
Mike Easton
Sep 30, 20213 min read
The Sending Pipeline Part 5: From US Senders or Potential Goers to Committed Goers
Committed Goers are those that have been assessed by your church and the sending agency and are cleared to be sent overseas.
Mike Easton
Sep 27, 20217 min read
The Sending Pipeline Part 4: From Global Christians to Potential Goers
Here are some questions to ask as you develop programs in this transition phase from Global Christians to US Senders or Potential Goers.
Mike Easton
Sep 23, 20214 min read
The Sending Pipeline Part 3: From Globally Aware to Global Christians
Global Christians understand that they have to orient their life around God’s mission of bringing the Gospel to those who have not heard it.
Mike Easton
Sep 20, 20214 min read
The Sending Pipeline Part 2: Moving Church Members from "New to Missions" to "Globally Aware"
These are three questions we need to answer when helping church members move from being new to missions to globally aware.
Mike Easton
Sep 16, 20214 min read
The Sending Pipeline Part 1: Overview of the Sending Pipeline
The goal of a sending pipeline is to mobilize church members towards the missions vision and strategy that you have set before them.
Mike Easton
Sep 13, 20215 min read
Building the Foundation for Healthy Sending
While it can be said there are no perfect Sending Churches, we do see some common practices of healthy Sending Churches.
Larry McCrary
Sep 7, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 4: Building a Strategy
Strategy brings guidance to our church's culture and narrows its focus towards sending people and resources to make real field impact.
Mike Easton
Mar 4, 20213 min read
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