Annual Evaluations With Sent Ones: What They Should and Shouldn’t Be
I can do real damage with something as simple as a screwdriver. Just a couple of weeks ago, I managed to get a screw jammed halfway into...
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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!
Mike Easton
Dec 12, 20223 min read
Letting Go of Partners
In our previous blog post, “Year-End Partner Evaluations,” we gave a template for evaluating partners. What do you do if the evaluation...
Bradley Bell
Dec 8, 20224 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...
Mike Easton
Dec 5, 20224 min read
Year-End Partner Evaluations
In October, our theme was partnerships. What agency we partner with, what local field workers we partner with, who we partner with to...
The Upstream Collective
Dec 1, 20222 min read
We Are Thankful for You
We at The Upstream Collective have something in common with the apostle Paul that seems rather timely: we are tremendously thankful for...
The Upstream Collective
Nov 28, 20226 min read
Adventures with Larry & Caleb: What Are the Key Things That Help You in Contextualizing the Gospel?
Upstream co-founders Larry McCrary and Caleb Crider are living in very different places: for Larry, Madrid, Spain; for Caleb, Richmond,...
Anna Daub
Nov 21, 20226 min read
How to Do Missions in the Global South
Christianity continues to blossom in the Global South.[1] Our missions strategies and methodologies, while remaining unyieldingly planted...
Mike Easton
Nov 17, 20222 min read
The Upstream Team's Favorite Missiology Resources
There’s always more we could read, isn’t there? While there are endless books you could be reading, we wanted to provide an answer to the...
Matthew Hirt
Nov 14, 20225 min read
Why and How to Do Missions to the Global South
As we come alongside brothers and sisters around the world to engage in the missionary task, we need new terms and categories to describe...
Mike Easton
Nov 10, 20223 min read
Training Sent Ones for Multiplicative Discipleship
We should teach our future missionaries the principles of multiplicative discipleship no matter which church model they encounter.
Luke T.
Nov 7, 20223 min read
Training Church Members for Cross-Cultural Living in Everyday Life
Discipleship 101: Pray, read your Bible, go to church, participate in cross-cultural training . . . Wait, what? Isn’t that the kind 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...
Ellen Livingood
Oct 31, 20224 min read
Choose Your National Church Partner Wisely
The following is adapted from Your Focus on the World by Catalyst Services. This book includes guidelines on building church-to-church...
Larry McCrary
Oct 24, 20225 min read
Exploring Alternative Pathways to Missions
Fourth Church is situated in a midsize city in the midwest. Their city has seen a lot of growth the last few years as people have moved...
Jonah Fox
Oct 20, 20226 min read
Getting Members Involved in Local Partnerships
Mobilizing the Body for the Community: Micro vs Macro When I first stepped into the role of Missions Pastor, I often lived in my head in...
Bradley Bell
Oct 16, 20222 min read
A Liturgy for When a Loved One Is Ailing Back Home
Father, when first I set sail on this life in another land, I believed your promise, that for every house brother sister father mother...
Jonah Fox
Oct 13, 20225 min read
Establishing Ministry Partnerships
Establishing partnerships is one of the most important things a church missions leader will do in their role. For most churches,...
Joshua Bowman
Oct 10, 20224 min read
Together on Mission with God: Principles and Practices of Healthy Partnerships
Cross-cultural partnerships happen because they mutually submit to King Jesus. Here are principles and practices of healthy partnerships.
Joshua Bowman
Oct 6, 20224 min read
Together on Mission with God: A Definition for Partnership
Cross-cultural missional partnership is a kingdom-oriented relationship of culturally diverse groups of believers who share common values.
Joshua Bowman
Oct 3, 20224 min read
Together on Mission with God: A Biblical Basis for Partnership
Partnership is necessary because the gospel is universally relevant and provides the plan of redemption for sinners separated from God.
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