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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!
Chris Howles
Sep 2, 20244 min read
The Importance of Pre-Field Cross-Cultural Training
“The task is too urgent … forget about training, let’s just get going!” “These training schemes are not biblical … you don’t see Paul...
Christian Townson
Sep 4, 20234 min read
Personalizing Your Awareness Strategies
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how...
Hatley Hambrice
Aug 7, 20234 min read
Using BAM to Impact Unreached Peoples
Business as Mission (BAM) is becoming a popular strategy in countries around the world today. BAM is a holistic ministry model that...
Ryan Martin
Jun 5, 20237 min read
Pre-Field Care: The Oft-Forgotten Element of Missionary Care
Church leaders should recruit like coaches. Successful coaches know what type of players they want, and instead of waiting for them to...
Chris Howles
May 15, 20235 min read
How National Christians Can Bless and Teach Western Churches
Have you ever heard of a “truncated icosahedron”? If not don’t worry—you’re not alone. I’m informed it’s a “bitruncated order-5...
Natalie Ford
May 1, 20234 min read
Connecting with Kids on the Field
Rarely do children wake up and say, “I want to move across the world and leave my home and friends so my family can tell people about...
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...
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 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.
Kyle Brosseau
Mar 21, 20224 min read
Reminders of Great Leadership Principles
Gleaning insights from popular leadership books and then applying them in the worlds of church and missions is no novel idea. Books on...
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...
D. Scott Hildreth
May 27, 20213 min read
When Evangelism Isn't Your Spiritual Gift
The best way to learn to share Christ is by doing it. The challenge is to anchor our faith in Christ and step out by faith.
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