The Nations in Our Own Back Yard
Our world is closer and more interconnected in ways that require us to think and act like a missionary in our communities. When we look for
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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!
Eric & Andrea Warren
Oct 30, 20235 min
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....
Bruce Mewbourne
May 22, 20235 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...
Bradley Bell
Nov 3, 20225 min
So You Wanna Be a Missionary—Who Are You Discipling?
I love the enthusiasm I encounter among aspiring missionaries. It drips from them like water from your hands when there are no paper...
Anna Daub
Aug 8, 20224 min
Leading Your Church to Think About the Global Church
The global church offers Western Christians hope in what feels like hopeless times; however, because many Western Christians do not see...
Ryan Martin
Aug 1, 20226 min
Cultivating Missions Awareness Through Local International Ministry
A little over a year ago, my family and I transitioned churches. This was not the first time either my wife or I had sought a new church...
Matthew Hirt
May 23, 20225 min
Cultural Sensitivity in the US Context
A large movie poster of Shah Rukh Khan was not what my wife and I expected to see as we walked into the movie theater in southern...
Mike Easton
May 19, 20223 min
Developing an International Ministry
One of the incredible opportunities we have right now in America is to reach an increasing number of internationals. Immigrants,...
Bradley Bell
May 16, 20225 min
Aligning Local and Global Missions Engagement
The following is an adapted excerpt from The Sending Church Defined. A Holistic Mission Think globally, act locally. Chances are, you’ve...
Mark Zwemer
May 12, 20224 min
The Art of Being Bi-Cultural in an American Context
Being a bi-cultural Christ-follower means being able to comfortably move in and out of cultures, sometimes even a variety of cultures....
Mike Easton
Apr 28, 20223 min
The Importance of Local International Ministry in Mobilization
As missions leaders, we work hard to get our people overseas on short-term trips and as long-term missionaries. This is an awesome...
Ryan Martin
Feb 24, 20225 min
Reaching Oral Learners with the Gospel
If you stepped into my office, you could make two observations about me—I love to travel, and I love to read. I have collected many...
Anna Daub
Jan 31, 20224 min
Troubled Waters: Reasons International Partnerships Go Awry
In today’s connected world, churches,