top of page
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!
Shirley Ralston
Jun 24, 20214 min read
Healthy at Home: Healthy Souls
Maintaining healthy souls on reentry is a community effort that takes time and commitment.
Shirley Ralston
Jun 21, 20215 min read
Healthy at Home: Healthy Bodies
Providing for the needs of the body lays the groundwork for rest and renewal of the mind, alleviating stress in sent ones’ reentry process.
Shirley Ralston
Jun 17, 20213 min read
Healthy at Home: Healthy Minds Part 2—Professional Christian Counseling
Professional Christian counseling may be necessary for returned workers who have experienced trauma or levels of high stress on the field.
Shirley Ralston
Jun 14, 20215 min read
Healthy at Home: Healthy Minds Part 1—Debriefing
Debriefing helps ensure sent ones' continued health, resiliency, and well-being.
Shirley Ralston
Jun 10, 20213 min read
Healthy at Home: Five Ways to Provide Holistic Care for Returned Global Workers
Reentry care is a multi-faceted endeavor that requires constant tending. Our attention to their care is key to health and longevity.
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.
Mike Easton
Apr 12, 20212 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 15: Receiving Sent Ones During Reentry
Consider how you can serve and love the Sent-Ones from your church as they make this difficult re-entry for a short time or permanently.
Mike Easton
Apr 8, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 14: Inviting Sent Ones' Influence
By Inviting Sent-Ones’ Influence the church is able to see its blind spots and adjust its practices to align more to the heart of Scripture.
Mike Easton
Apr 5, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 13: Maintaining Strategic Focus
The Sending Church can provide unique insight and encouragement to help the Sent-One live out the vision and strategy that is before them.
Mike Easton
Apr 1, 20212 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 12: Providing Ongoing Care for Sent Ones
The Sending Church can provide personalized care that keeps the Sent-One energized for the challenging work they endeavor upon.
Mike Easton
Mar 29, 20212 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 11: Getting Sent Ones Established
Beyond flourishing personally, it is also important to help Sent-Ones live out the right rhythms for ministry from the start.
Mike Easton
Mar 25, 20212 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 10: Commissioning Sent Ones
Commissioning encourages the Sent-One, highlights God’s heart for the nations, provides prayer, and cultivates missions awareness.
Mike Easton
Mar 22, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 9: Developing Sent Ones
Working hard to develop character prior to going overseas is best for the Sent-One and for the team receiving them on the field.
Mike Easton
Mar 18, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 8: Assessing Sent Ones
The stakes are too high in global missions for the church to not take seriously their role in assessing potential Sent-Ones.
Mike Easton
Mar 17, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 7: Identifying Sent Ones
Churches that actively identify sent ones are actively developing the leadership potential of their members.
Mike Easton
Aug 6, 20204 min read
Developing Emotionally Healthy Sent Ones
In short, we believe emotionally healthy spirituality is key to missionary flourishing and longevity.
Matt Clark
Jun 29, 20205 min read
Empower the Saints for the Work of Missionary Care
We as missions pastors/leaders have the opportunity to equip lay members of our congregations to meet the needs of missionary care.
Larry McCrary
May 28, 20203 min read
Sent Identity, Part 2: What Do Sending Churches Do Differently?
I noticed some common components about strong sending churches that enabled them to have such an identity.
Larry McCrary
May 25, 20205 min read
Sent Identity, Part 1: Why is a Sending Church So Important?
To put it simply, the reason missionaries identify as sent from their local church is because it is the local church that sends.
Lezlie Ellis
Mar 16, 20204 min read
Jet Set Trips: A First-Person Perspective
What God impressed upon me the most on the Jet Set trip was how we are to love and care for our sent ones.
bottom of page