Our Story
In 2008, while serving as missionaries in Spain, Larry McCrary and Caleb Crider noticed something significant: many Christians working overseas in everyday jobs—teachers, businesspeople, engineers—loved Jesus and wanted to live on mission. These “marketplace workers” often had incredible access to people unreached by the gospel, credibility in the workplace, and the financial means to sustain their presence. But they lacked one critical thing: the practical missionary skills needed to effectively share Jesus and make disciples.
At the same time, Larry and Caleb saw that many local churches had become disconnected from global missions. Missions was increasingly outsourced to agencies, rather than owned and led by the local church itself. They knew there was a better way.
That conviction led to the founding of Upstream Collective—a ministry devoted to helping churches reclaim their biblical role in sending well. Upstream is committed to equipping churches to send their people on mission—locally and globally—by developing healthy missiology and providing leaders with the tools and training needed to send well and engage in meaningful, sustainable missions.
2008
The Upstream Collective is founded to integrate missionary skills into everyday discipleship and empower churches to lead in global missions.
2013
Tradecraft: For the Church on Mission is published, introducing essential missionary practices to everyday believers in the church.
2014–2016
Strategic partnerships with U.S. churches deepen, expanding Upstream’s influence as the concept of the “sending church” is defined, refined, and begins to spread.
2016
The Sending Church Defined is released, giving structure and clarity to the growing sending church movement. Upstream begins to publish a library of books focused on thinking missiologically “upstream”.
2021
Upstream Sending is launched—an innovative, church-centric missions agency. Led by Nathan Sloan and founded by 12 local churches, it provides a new model where churches remain central to the sending and support of missionaries doing Great Commission work around the world.
Today
Upstream continues to walk alongside churches and church leaders around the world, offering training, consulting, and resources that strengthen their sending efforts. Our materials have been translated into multiple languages, and our cohorts continue to spark missionary vision and build sending capacity across five continents.
Upstream Sending now includes more than 25 churches in its Sending Network—churches that are actively sending missionaries who are sharing the gospel, making disciples, and planting churches among the nations.
As God restores the church’s central role in global missions, Upstream is honored to partner with churches like yours to live out their calling as both a sent and sending church. Let us help you on your journey as a sending church.
