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!
TCKs & Pre-Field Training
Training is a vital part of every child’s life. From household chores to academic testing, there are multiple ways we train boys and...
Allison Young
Nov 25, 20245 min read
The Benefits of Pre-Field Cross-Cultural Training with an Organization
Stepping into a new cultural context for the first time can be overwhelming. The excitement of going to the mission field can quickly...
Matthew Hirt
Sep 9, 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...
Chris Howles
Sep 2, 20244 min read
How to Say “No” or “Not Yet” to Missionary Candidates
Typically, when I’ve moved to a new town, I like to take some time to explore various routes from point A to point B. I’m always looking...
Ryan Martin
Aug 12, 20248 min read
Leaning into Your Giftings as a Missions Leader
Missions leaders are multi-faceted, and being one requires a diverse set of skills that reflects the diversity of the ministry of global...
Ashlyn Portero
Apr 8, 20245 min read
Leading the Advocates
I once had a turtle named Fred. Fred liked to eat watermelon. But I went on vacation and forgot to leave Fred any watermelon. When I came...
Bradley Bell
Mar 18, 20243 min read
Ways to Invite Missionary Influence in the Church
I get most energized by being on the field with missionaries, but a close second is hearing from them while they are stateside. Walking...
Ryan Martin
Feb 12, 20246 min read
Why Empower National Partners
One of the great joys of being a missions leader is getting to travel and see the work of God in the least-reached places of the world....
Mike Easton
Oct 9, 20234 min read
Mobilizing Marketplace Workers in Your Local Church
As a returned global worker, I occasionally get this request from our church’s mission’s office: “We had a visit from someone about to...
Shirley Ralston
Aug 28, 20235 min read
Sending BAM Individuals from Your Church
How do you know if you are qualified and ready to practice business as mission (BAM)? Many members of our churches already have...
Hatley Hambrice
Aug 21, 20233 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...
Ryan Martin
Jun 5, 20237 min read
Creating a Network of Care Trip Goers
Is Your Church Ready? Care team, what do you do when one of your church’s global workers reaches out and asks for help? What if your...
Shirley Ralston
May 29, 20237 min read
Teaching Others to Engage in the Missionary Task
In a recent conversation, a friend described me as a “middle person”—someone who had been discipled and is now making disciples. My...
Matthew Hirt
Mar 20, 20234 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.
Mike Easton
Nov 10, 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...
Luke T.
Nov 7, 20223 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...
Kyle Brosseau
Mar 21, 20224 min read
Redeeming Short-Term Trips (Part 1)
Short-term trips have gotten a bit of a bad rap in recent years. Can we redeem a method of ministry to make it do more good than harm?
Mike Easton
Oct 7, 20215 min read
Resource of the Week: Sending Church Online Training
September's sending church online training will focus on Creating a Sending Pipeline for your church.
The Upstream Collective
Sep 10, 20211 min read
Missionary Care Begins with the Local Church: A Look at 3 John 5-8
The local church, both its members and leaders, should be sending and supporting well for the promotion and advancement of the gospel.
Ryan Martin
Aug 9, 20215 min read
Resource of the Week: Security Tips for Your Short-Term Teams
While it's never fun to consider how to respond to crises, it's important to learn how to equip your short-term teams for such occasions.
The Upstream Collective
Aug 6, 20211 min read
bottom of page