missionaries | Upstream Collective

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!

How to Design a Mission Space in Your Church

Larry McCrary

Aug 25, 20224 min read

How to Design a Mission Space in Your Church

The Sunday gathering is a great time to create mission awareness in your church. Assuming you are already using some graphics or slides...

Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each, Pt. I

Bradley Bell

Jul 7, 20226 min read

Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each, Pt. I

Being a fully-funded missionary is pretty awesome. Here are some of the benefits, along with a few unpleasant surprises.

Sharing the Gospel Cross-Culturally: You Don't Have to Be an Expert

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.

A Call to Missions is a Call to Suffering...But It's Worth It

Ryan Martin

Sep 1, 20215 min read

A Call to Missions is a Call to Suffering...But It's Worth It

Suffering comes in all shapes and sizes on the mission field, so we must consider it and call sent ones to it when equipping them.

Why Everyone Should Be Friends with Missionaries

Meredith Cook

Aug 30, 20215 min read

Why Everyone Should Be Friends with Missionaries

I'm convinced that everyone should be friends with a missionary—or at least have some kind of contact with a sent one. Here's why.

Resources to Help Guide Your Prayer for the Nations

Meredith Cook

Aug 20, 20212 min read

Resources to Help Guide Your Prayer for the Nations

Prayer is vital to the work of missionaries around the world. Here are some organizations that have developed prayer guides for the nations.

Your End of Summer Reading: Missionary Biographies

Meredith Cook

Aug 13, 20212 min read

Your End of Summer Reading: Missionary Biographies

Missionary biographies encourage us, spur us on, and teach us about God's love for all nations. Here are some you should read.

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 Upstream Collective

Jun 9, 20212 min read

Introducing Upstream Sending

Local churches send missionaries. Here at Upstream Sending, we can help you send well. It’s kind of our thing.

Four REAL Challenges for Single Women on the Mission Field

Shirley Ralston

Feb 10, 20207 min read

Four REAL Challenges for Single Women on the Mission Field

This generation of single women thrive on relationships. They need support to stay healthy and guard against isolation and depression.

Missionaries Are Not Superheroes: How the Hierarchy of Missions Hurts the Gospel, the Church, and th

Anna Price

Jun 3, 20194 min read

Missionaries Are Not Superheroes: How the Hierarchy of Missions Hurts the Gospel, the Church, and th

The hierarchy of Christian faith—the one that puts missionaries as the closest to God—harms churches, missionaries, and ourselves.

How Churches and Organizations Develop Missionaries Together

Larry McCrary

Apr 16, 20184 min read

How Churches and Organizations Develop Missionaries Together

Both the church and the missions organization have roles in developing missionaries, and they do well to work together.