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....
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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!
Larry McCrary
- Aug 31
- 4 min
Marketplace Workers: Fuel for Limitless Sending
Limitless sending from the global church for the glory of God among the nations? Yes, please! If that’s the goal, myriad pathways will be...
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Shirley Ralston
- Aug 28
- 5 min
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...
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Hatley Hambrice
- Aug 21
- 3 min
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...
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The Upstream Collective
- Aug 17
- 2 min
Assessing Marketplace Worker Candidates
It is wise to assess members of your church who want to live and work overseas with intentionality.
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Sean German
- Aug 14
- 6 min
Marketplace Opportunities in Missions
“What do you mean I don’t have to choose between work and missions?” Michael* (name changed for security) was initially perplexed as I...
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Hatley Hambrice
- Aug 7
- 4 min
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...
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Larry McCrary
- Aug 3
- 7 min
Don’t Quit Your Day Job: The Value of Marketplace Workers
The following article is a correspondence between our Executive Director, Larry McCrary, and marketplace worker Seth Kelly about his...
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Mike Ironside
- Dec 12, 2022
- 3 min
Letting Go of Partners
In our previous blog post, “Year-End Partner Evaluations,” we gave a template for evaluating partners. What do you do if the evaluation...
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Mike Ironside
- Dec 5, 2022
- 3 min
Year-End Partner Evaluations
In October, our theme was partnerships. What agency we partner with, what local field workers we partner with, who we partner with to...
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Ellen Livingood
- Oct 31, 2022
- 4 min
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...
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Jonah Fox
- Oct 13, 2022
- 5 min
Establishing Ministry Partnerships
Establishing partnerships is one of the most important things a church missions leader will do in their role. For most churches,...
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Joshua Bowman
- Oct 10, 2022
- 4 min
Together on Mission with God: Principles and Practices of Healthy Partnerships
Cross-cultural partnerships happen because they mutually submit to King Jesus. Here are principles and practices of healthy partnerships.
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Joshua Bowman
- Oct 6, 2022
- 4 min
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.
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Bradley Bell
- Jul 11, 2022
- 6 min
Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each, Pt. II
I have been a support-raised missionary. It’s pretty awesome. Here are some of the challenges, along with a few pleasant surprises.
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Bradley Bell
- Jul 7, 2022
- 6 min
Fully Funded or Support Raised? The Pros and Cons of Each, Pt. I
Being a fully-funded missionary is pretty awesome. Here are some of the benefits, along with a few unpleasant surprises.
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Anna Daub
- Jan 31, 2022
- 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...
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David McWhite
- Jan 24, 2022
- 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...
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David Wilson
- Jan 20, 2022
- 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...
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Bradley Bell
- Jan 17, 2022
- 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...
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