Evaluating Sending Models/Partners

UPSTREAM BLOG

The Upstream Collective 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!

Troubled Waters: Reasons International Partnerships Go Awry

Anna Daub

Jan 31
4 min

Troubled Waters: Reasons International Partnerships Go Awry

In today’s connected world, churches, missions organizations, and missionaries work with partners from nations around the globe. Some of...

David McWhite

Jan 24
5 min

Discouraging DIY Missions

A growing awareness of gospel needs around the world has produced a sense of urgency in the Church for reaching those far from Christ and...

David Wilson

Jan 20
5 min

Questions to Ask a Sending Organization

What a Former Missions Pastor (Who Now Serves an Agency) Wishes He Had Known to Ask In scripture, we learn that the Church is being...

Missionary, Choose the Posture of a Learner

Bradley Bell

Jan 17
5 min

Missionary, Choose the Posture of a Learner

Imagine you’re sitting in a coffee shop reading your Bible. Each time you take a sip of your coffee, you notice a stranger staring at...

How to Develop a Cross-Cultural Partnership

Joshua Bowman

Jan 13
4 min

How to Develop a Cross-Cultural Partnership

In a previous blog post, I defined cross-cultural missional partnership as a kingdom-oriented relationship of culturally diverse groups...

Mike Ironside

Jan 10
4 min

Writing an MOU

There’s a lot of things in life that are really important but are also kind of boring: mowing the lawn, doing the laundry, filling out...

Partnerships are Foundational to Missionary Care

Mike Ironside

Jan 6
7 min

Partnerships are Foundational to Missionary Care

The best way to do missionary care is to put people on great teams. There are a multitude of reasons why missionaries leave the field:...

Discovering & Evaluating Potential Partners

Larry McCrary

Jan 3
6 min

Discovering & Evaluating Potential Partners

As a Sending Church, does it matter who you partner with? Pretty easy question, right? Of course it matters! However, as mission leaders,...

How Can We Make Our Local Partnerships More Effective?

Scott Harris

Dec 13, 2021
5 min

How Can We Make Our Local Partnerships More Effective?

Sally is a member of your church. She also tutors kids at a faith-based non-profit in your city. These four “characters”–Sally, the kids,...

The Sign Says Closed: Four Key Questions about Missions in "Closed" Countries

Greg Mathias

Aug 2, 2021
5 min

The Sign Says Closed: Four Key Questions about Missions in "Closed" Countries

What is a closed country and what does it mean for missions and sending?

Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each: Part 2

Bradley Bell

Jul 30, 2021
6 min

Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each: Part 2

I have been a support-raised missionary. It’s pretty awesome. Here are some of the challenges, along with a few pleasant surprises.

Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each: Part 1

Bradley Bell

Jul 28, 2021
6 min

Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each: Part 1

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

Ways a Sending Church Can Financially Support Marketplace Workers

Larry McCrary

Jul 26, 2021
4 min

Ways a Sending Church Can Financially Support Marketplace Workers

There are several areas for which a sending church can provide financial resources for their marketplace worker.

Taking a Tiered Approach to Giving to Sent-Ones & Organizations

Mike Ironside

Jul 12, 2021
3 min

Taking a Tiered Approach to Giving to Sent-Ones & Organizations

Consider your missions department’s vision, values, strategy, and calling when developing a tiered approach for giving to missions.

Cross-Cultural Missional Partnership: Some Perils of Neglect

Joshua Bowman

May 17, 2021
4 min

Cross-Cultural Missional Partnership: Some Perils of Neglect

The one-sided reality of failed cross-cultural partnerships may lead to the following errors.

Four Types of Sending Churches: Shotgun Sending Church

Mike Ironside

May 6, 2021
3 min

Four Types of Sending Churches: Shotgun Sending Church

Rather than thinking proactively or strategically, the Shotgun Sending Church is involved in whatever comes their way.