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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!


The Upstream Collective
Sep 26, 20226 min read
The Danger of Focusing Only on Unreached People Groups, Pt. III
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST FROM JOSH BAYLOR (@JOSHBAYLOR). JOSH SERVES AS A CHURCH PLANTER IN DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY. (Continued from...


The Upstream Collective
Sep 22, 20227 min read
The Danger of Focusing Only on Unreached People Groups, Pt. II
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST FROM JOSH BAYLOR (@JOSHBAYLOR). JOSH SERVES AS A CHURCH PLANTER IN DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY. (Continued from...


Bradley Bell
Sep 19, 20227 min read
The Dangers of Focusing Only on Unreached People Groups, Pt. I
No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there is someone who hasn’t heard it once. –Oswald J. Smith Occasionally it hits me...


Bradley Bell
Sep 1, 20224 min read
The Collective Sending Potential of Smaller Churches
The discussion of the sending church may cause some leaders and churches to feel left out. Many of the churches touted as sending...


The Upstream Collective
Sep 10, 20211 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.


Larry McCrary
Sep 7, 20213 min read
Building the Foundation for Healthy Sending
While it can be said there are no perfect Sending Churches, we do see some common practices of healthy Sending Churches.


Mike Easton
May 10, 20212 min read
Resource of the Week: Upstream Collective Cohorts
Our desire is to see your church move to the next level of being a Sending Church. We can help you do that through our cohorts.


Mike Easton
Mar 1, 20213 min read
Overview of Sending Church Element 3: Developing a Vision
Developing a vision gives importance to defining a clear, simple and compelling statement that draws your church members into God’s mission.


The Upstream Collective
Jun 4, 20202 min read
Helpful Resources for Becoming a Sending Church
There is a lot involved with becoming a sending church. Here are some resources to help you.


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.


Alex Hawke
May 4, 20204 min read
Questions Leaders Should Consider While Preparing for the New Normal
Here are a few questions to consider that might help us navigate, process, and prepare in crises.


Larry McCrary
Nov 18, 20195 min read
What Happens After “Here Am I. Send Me.”?
Isaiah 6:8 has been formative in our call to missions. But in Acts 13 we see a description of a church’s important involvement in sending.


Derick Sherfey
Apr 8, 20193 min read
Your Church Plant is For the Nations
By Derick Sherfey “Oh, so you’re the missions guy.” If I had a buck for every time I’ve heard this the past few years in the church...


debbie4034
May 4, 20184 min read
Learning Dependence
By Derick Sherfey, Director of Content Strategy 2018 is a year I believe God is inviting me into deeper dependence. My family- alongside...


debbie4034
Oct 9, 20175 min read
Gospel-Centered Missions
This is a guest article by Greg Kinnard. Over the last several years the “gospel-centered” movement has taken the church by storm. Dozens...


debbie4034
Aug 14, 20174 min read
Ask-a-Missiologist: Sean Benesh on "How Can Church Planters Think and Act Like Missionaries?"
Ask-a-Missiologist is a series in which we do just that ask a missiologist a current pressing missiological question. This week’s...


Bradley Bell
Dec 5, 20165 min read
Mobilizing Smaller Churches: Sojourn Community Church in New Albany, Indiana
As we’ve said before, the discussion of being a sending church may cause some leaders and churches to feel left out. Many sending...


Nathan Sloan
Oct 24, 20165 min read
Ask-a-Missiologist: Nathan Garth on “What are the Dangers of #SendingChurch?”
THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST FROM NATHAN GARTH. NATHAN SERVES AS THE PASTOR OF INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS AT SOJOURN COMMUNITY CHURCH. I...
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