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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!
Ryan Martin
Jul 31, 20226 min read
Cultivating Missions Awareness Through Local International Ministry
A little over a year ago, my family and I transitioned churches. This was not the first time either my wife or I had sought a new church...
Shirley Ralston
Jul 18, 20226 min read
Marketplace Ministry from Experience, Pt. II
Make the Most of Your Foreign Assignment Click here for part one of this article series. Engage in Marketplace Ministry If God has led...
Matthew Hirt
May 23, 20225 min read
Cultural Sensitivity in the US Context
A large movie poster of Shah Rukh Khan was not what my wife and I expected to see as we walked into the movie theater in southern...
Mike Easton
May 19, 20223 min read
Developing an International Ministry
One of the incredible opportunities we have right now in America is to reach an increasing number of internationals. Immigrants,...
Mark Zwemer
May 12, 20224 min read
The Art of Being Bi-Cultural in an American Context
Being a bi-cultural Christ-follower means being able to comfortably move in and out of cultures, sometimes even a variety of cultures....
Mike Easton
Apr 28, 20223 min read
The Importance of Local International Ministry in Mobilization
As missions leaders, we work hard to get our people overseas on short-term trips and as long-term missionaries. This is an awesome...
Dave & Lorene Wilson
Apr 14, 20225 min read
Helping Potential Sent Ones Discern Calling
The story of Moses and the burning bush is the iconic example of God calling someone to accomplish His purposes in this world....
Bradley Bell
Apr 11, 20226 min read
The Cheerleader and the Curmudgeon
Fostering Both Excitement and Sobriety in Potential Sent Ones Choosing the right road trip companions can mean the difference between...
Ryan Martin
Feb 24, 20225 min read
Reaching Oral Learners with the Gospel
If you stepped into my office, you could make two observations about me—I love to travel, and I love to read. I have collected many...
Bradley Bell
Feb 21, 20226 min read
Lamentations as the Textbook for Newly Arrived Missionaries
I just finished reading Jeremiah and Lamentations. Boy, am I glad that’s over! Ever feel that way? If it weren’t for reading plans, there...
Joshua Bowman
Feb 17, 20224 min read
Avoiding Paternalism
Parents are God’s kind provision to infants and children who have no concept of personal safety and cannot provide for their own basic...
Matthew Hirt
Feb 14, 20225 min read
How to Care for Sent-Ones Learning a Second Foreign Language
The missionary task requires understandable communication of the gospel. Depending on the context and the complexity of the language...
Kyle Brosseau
Feb 10, 20224 min read
Learning a Foreign Language in a City that Speaks English
During my first missionary term in South Asia, I relished the opportunity to dive deep into the culture and begin learning the local...
Andrea W.
Feb 7, 20225 min read
How to Hit the Ground Running in Language Learning, Part 2
In part 1, we went through some mistakes missionaries often make with language learning. Now let’s look at the missionaries who succeed...
Andrea W.
Feb 3, 20224 min read
How to Hit the Ground Running in Language Learning, Part 1
Many missionaries start out motivated to learn and engage in the new language and culture around them. Unfortunately, those aspirations...
Anna Daub
Jan 31, 20224 min read
Troubled Waters: Reasons International Partnerships Go Awry
In today’s connected world, churches, missions organizations, and missionaries work with partners from nations around the globe. Some of...
Bradley Bell
Jan 17, 20225 min read
Missionary, Choose the Posture of a Learner
Imagine you’re sitting in a coffee shop reading your Bible. Each time you take a sip of your coffee, you notice a stranger staring at...
Joshua Bowman
Jan 13, 20224 min read
How to Develop a Cross-Cultural Partnership
In a previous blog post, I defined cross-cultural missional partnership as a kingdom-oriented relationship of culturally diverse groups...
Meredith Cook
Nov 1, 20215 min read
Sharing the Gospel Cross-Culturally: You Don't Have to Be an Expert
You don’t have to be an expert to share the hope of the gospel with someone who is much different than you.
Susan McCrary
Aug 27, 20211 min read
Suggested Resources for Raising Families Overseas
Raising families overseas is not easy, but you're not alone. Here are some helpful resources for raising families overseas.
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