The Joy of Welcoming Internationals for Thanksgiving
Inviting international friends to Thanksgiving is one of the best cross-cultural missions opportunities available to American Christians....
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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 10
- 4 min
Global Professionals Can Reach the World for Christ
Let me tell you a little about Joe. Joe was a business student at a university in the U.S. He spent one semester studying abroad in an...
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Mike Ironside
- Jul 6
- 3 min
Why Giving to Global Missions Is Helpful for Your Church Budget
There are biblical and pragmatic reasons that giving to global missions is helpful for your church's budget.
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Shirley Ralston
- May 29
- 7 min
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...
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Bruce Mewbourne
- May 22
- 5 min
Providing Cross Cultural Opportunities Locally
Immigration and migration represent a Great Commission opportunity for the church. Migration is not a new phenomenon. A casual reading of...
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Chris Howles
- May 15
- 5 min
How National Christians Can Bless and Teach Western Churches
Have you ever heard of a “truncated icosahedron”? If not don’t worry—you’re not alone. I’m informed it’s a “bitruncated order-5...
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Matthew Hirt
- May 8
- 5 min
Worldview Discovery as an Evangelistic Tool
We all possess a unique worldview that shapes how we perceive and understand the world around us. Scripture challenges all of our...
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Natalie Ford
- May 1
- 4 min
Connecting with Kids on the Field
Rarely do children wake up and say, “I want to move across the world and leave my home and friends so my family can tell people about...
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Matthew Bennett
- Apr 24
- 4 min
How the Sent Send the Senders: Three Ways Missionaries Can Catalyze Mission at Home
As the term is commonly used, missionaries are those who are sent to make disciples in places that are usually geographically and...
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Christian Townson
- Apr 10
- 4 min
The Importance of Creating a Mobilization Team
Most churches have a champion of missions—a missions pastor, a director of missions, a lay leader. Every church needs one of these people...
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Scott Ward
- Mar 13
- 4 min
Foundations to Healthy Missions Leadership
As a mission pastor in a local church, there is much that is required, but I have found three actions that need to be prioritized. I have...
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Mike Ironside
- Feb 10
- 5 min
Response to an International Crisis as a Church
When a crisis or disaster strikes a part of the world, we have an opportunity as sending churches to respond in ways that can provide...
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Larry McCrary
- Feb 2
- 3 min
How to Prepare for a Virtual Short-Term Trip
If you’re considering planning a virtual short-term trip, here are some things you might consider as you plan and prepare.
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David McWhite
- Jan 31
- 7 min
Incomplete Responses to Short-Term Missions in Developing Nations
As a missions leader in my church, my first priority in organizing and executing short-term trips is to come alongside our missions...
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The Upstream Collective
- Jan 26
- 5 min
Setting Expectations for Short-Term Mission Trips
The following is a guest article by Terry L. Brown. Short-term mission trips can be exciting and life-changing. From navigating...
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Larry McCrary
- Jan 23
- 5 min
The Benefits of Going to the Same Place Year after Year
We have been involved in global missions for over twenty-two years now. For most of those years, we have served in Europe, though the...
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Ellen Livingood
- Jan 19
- 6 min
Expect the Unexpected
Are you prepared for a crisis? As our world becomes more dangerous, what is the riskiest thing your church’s mission leaders can do? The...
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Shirley Ralston
- Jan 16
- 8 min
Five Reasons to Revisit Your Partners
Trips with Purpose - Intention to Care Last year, two of my family members participated in a short-term trip to one of our church’s...
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Ryan Martin
- Jan 12
- 6 min
Short-Term Fueling Long-Term Missions
Short-term missions provides the context through which the church can prepare and propel future missionaries for a lifetime of service
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Mike Ironside
- Jan 9
- 3 min
Evaluating Hosts of Short-Term Trips
As you finish up your short-term trips, a valuable step to take can be to evaluate the trip hosts. It’s likely that those to whom you are...
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