Intro to Missions Course
Intro to Missions Course is an eight-part video series designed to help believers see the whole story of Scripture—and their own lives—through the lens of God’s global mission. Taught by Nathan Sloan and Bradley Bell, this series offers Upstream-informed missiological teaching. This makes it especially useful for missions classes, missions leadership team training, developing missionary candidates, small groups, or even podcast-style listening. The series is designed to build progressively:
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Missions in the Old Testament
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Missions in the New Testament
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History of Missions
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Progress of Missions
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Theology of the Sending Church
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The Church on Mission
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Thinking on Mission
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Life on Mission
Each session layers biblical foundations with practical application, helping believers understand God as a sending God and the Church as his sent people. Download the accompanying workbook, which includes summaries, space for note-taking, discussion questions, and next-step applications to deepen learning and guide individual or group use.
Watch the videos below or download them for future use.
Introduction
Learn more about the purpose of this class and how it can be utilized in your context to increase missions awareness and understanding.
1) Missions in the Old Testament
We often think mission begins with Jesus' Great Commission, but God's mission of redemption has been present from the very beginning. We'll walk through the Old Testament, seeing how God is always sending—His Word, His people, and preparing to send Himself. From Adam and Eve to Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets, the entire story of God is one of redemption and sending. You'll see that missions isn't a minor subplot; it's the heartbeat of God's work in the world.
2) Missions in the New Testament
Moving from the Old Testament foundations of mission, this session focuses on its culmination in the New Testament. Jesus is the true Son, the promised Seed, the Redeemer, and the promised Savior of the world. From the Gospels to Revelation, the mission of redemption continues through Jesus and then through His people, the church. The Holy Spirit is poured out, and the gospel moves from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. God continues to use sent ones—ordinary people empowered by the Spirit—to carry the gospel to every nation.
3) History of Missions
This session walks through the story of missions from the early church to today. We see how God has used ordinary people in extraordinary ways—from the church at Antioch to the modern missionary movement. Through stories of the Apostles, evangelistic monks, missionary pioneers like William Carey and George Liele, movements like Back to Jerusalem, and more, we’re reminded that God is always on the move—using his people to make his name and glory known.
4) Progress of Missions
In this session, we explore the current state of global missions through three lenses: population, people groups, and cities. We are reminded that though the task is great, God is building His global church. Billions of people and thousands of people groups still remain unreached with the gospel and the church is invited to respond with urgency, faith, and an expectant hope.
5) Theology of the Sending Church
This session highlights the church at Antioch (Acts 11–18) as a model of a sending church. They were a diverse, Spirit-led community that proactively sent their own out on mission and helped shape the course of global missions. They were ordinary believers, empowered by the Spirit, who were faithful to move out with the gospel. In the same way, every local church — and every Christian — is called to live sent, moving toward the lost with the hope of Jesus.
6) Church on Mission
The mission of God was never meant to be carried out alone. God’s design is for the whole church — global and local — to be on mission together. In this session, we learn that the church is the vehicle God uses to carry His mission forward. We explore the beauty of the global church, the essential role of local churches, and the calling for every believer to be both a sent one and a sender.
7) Thinking on Mission
In this session, we invite you to do more than just care about missions — we invite you to start thinking like a missionary. Using culture as a lens, we learn to be curious, observant, and thoughtful about the people around us. We explore how values, beliefs, and worldview shape every culture — including our own. Thinking like a missionary doesn’t always mean becoming a vocational missionary — it means taking on the posture of a servant and a learner, so we can share the gospel in a way people can truly hear and understand.
8) Life on Mission
Mission isn’t just something we do — it’s part of who we are. It’s more than activity, it’s part of our identity in Jesus. This session explores how our identity in Christ shapes our call to live sent, to make the name of Jesus known in word and deed, wherever we are. With practical ideas and examples, you’ll be encouraged to share Jesus in the everyday rhythms and relationships of life.