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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!


Josh Duncan
Oct 28, 20245 min read
Vetting National Partners
See our previous articles on the why and how of funding national partners or organizations and on how to find them . Vetting indigenous...


Josh Duncan
Oct 7, 20245 min read
Funding Nationals or National Organizations: The How
In our previous blog post , we delved into why funding national work is a powerful strategy for advancing God’s mission among the...


Josh Duncan
Sep 30, 20245 min read
Funding Nationals or National Organizations: The Why
In late April and early May of 2015, the country of Nepal was struck by two devastating earthquakes, measuring 7.8 and 7.3 in magnitude....


Dave Childers
Jul 8, 20243 min read
An Example of Starting a Missions Network in Your City
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...


Mike Easton
Nov 27, 20232 min read
Year-End Evaluation & Reflection Resources
As we come to the end of the year, it’s a valuable time to reflect on the work God has done in 2023 and look forward to the work he will...


Anna Daub
Nov 20, 20234 min read
Global South: Church Engagement Strategies
As the church has moved south and east, the face of Christianity has changed.[1] If Western Christians want to work towards fulfilling...


Mike Easton
Oct 23, 20234 min read
Questions for Evaluating On-Field Partners
My parents did a great job of teaching me how to work at a young age. In fourth grade I had an after-school paper route. (For those of...


Joshua Bowman
Oct 19, 20234 min read
Cross-Cultural Missional Partnership: Some Perils of Neglect
The one-sided reality of failed cross-cultural partnerships may lead to the following errors.


Bruce Mewbourne
Oct 16, 20235 min read
How to Choose the Right Partners
“We seek partnership with your church in reaching souls with the Word of God in …” If you’ve led your church in missions engagement, you...


Mike Easton
Oct 9, 20234 min read
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....


Ashlyn Portero
Jul 24, 20235 min read
How to Inform the Church on the Impact of Their Giving
We as church leaders want to see our people practice radical generosity. We want our churches to be intentional and wise in directing...


Jared Burwell
Jul 17, 20235 min read
How to Address the Impact of Inflation on Giving
I still wince when I go to the grocery store to buy fruit or meat, remembering what those prices per pound used to be back when I...


Mike Easton
Jul 13, 20234 min read
When and How to Stop Financially Supporting Missions Partners
No missions leader enjoys the part of their job where they let go of partnerships financially. Inevitably, if you want to be a strategic sen


Jared Burwell
Jul 10, 20235 min read
Staying Connected While Far Away
I have the privilege of knowing and working with people around the world. Many of these people are expats serving in humanitarian,...


Ryan Martin
Jul 3, 20235 min read
How to Think About Funding One-Time Requests
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul testifies of the Macedonians that “according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own...


Matthew Hirt
Jun 19, 20235 min read
Serving Sent Ones in Hard Places
Sending missionaries from your church is exciting, but caring for your sent ones long term is often very difficult. Caring for them when...


Ryan Martin
Jun 8, 20234 min read
On-Field Care: Prayer Is Not Just the Means to Do the Work—It Is the Work
“Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher...


Bruce Mewbourne
May 22, 20235 min read
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...


Chris Howles
May 15, 20235 min read
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...


Larry McCrary
Feb 2, 20233 min read
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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