Missions Leadership

Upstream Blog

The Upstream Blog has a range of short articles on various topics around sending. Look through the tags to discover articles that meet your need.

Do you remember the last time you started a new job or tried something that you’d never done before? Even though I had twenty years of...

When considering the Great Commission, is it prudent to entrust mission efforts to lay leaders? The missionary task is best accomplished whe

The leadership of those who have “been there, done that” often goes unquestioned, even in ministry settings. When you hear of someone who...

Missions leaders are multi-faceted, and being one requires a diverse set of skills that reflects the diversity of the ministry of global...

Most churches have a champion of missions—a missions pastor, a director of missions, a lay leader. Every church needs one of these people...

When developing a global missions strategy and leading a local church in sending efforts, it is critical that a ministry staff and elder...

In a recent conversation, a friend described me as a “middle person”—someone who had been discipled and is now making disciples. My...

As a missions pastor, these are ten things I have learned in my role as I have served my church.

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...

We hope this liturgy written by Upstream's Bradley Bell is an encouragement to you.

In 2021 I decided to go through some personal counseling. I had started medication for anxiety a few years before because I was having...

All my friends are dead. Don’t worry, it’s just the title of a book—a spoofy children’s book for adults. There’s a drawing of a...

The rhythms of the calendar are a gift from a good God who understands the heart and rhythms of his children. Each day provides the...

From mid-December 2021 to mid-February 2022, I had the opportunity to take a Sabbatical. Historically, my church has not implemented...

If you’re a missions leader, then you’ve been stirred by the vision of Revelation 7:9: to see every tribe, tongue, and nation worshiping...

After spending two years interning with Campus Crusade for Christ, and then joining the staff at a fast-growing, multi-site church, I...

Gleaning insights from popular leadership books and then applying them in the worlds of church and missions is no novel idea. Books on...

Over dinner one night at my favorite Indian restaurant, I was listening to a new friend talk about his recent 5K races, Ironman...

Going overseas involves many steps, and it is easy for a potential Sent One to get lost in the process. It is also easy for a missions...

“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” -...