We at The Upstream Collective have something in common with the apostle Paul that seems rather timely: we are tremendously thankful for churches, and we believe deeply in empowering them for mission in whatever manner we can.
Paul was sent on mission with Barnabas by the church in Antioch in Acts 13, where we see the beginnings of his love affair with the church. Throughout his missionary journeys, he started churches, returned to the church in Antioch, and wrote, visited, and genuinely loved the churches that he joyfully (and sometimes painfully) birthed. His letters are rife with encouragement and correction for the churches he deeply loved.
Paul's letter to the church in Philippi reveals that they held a special place in his heart. He received a gift from them during a time of need, and they were great partners for his missionary work. He penned these words in Philippians 1:3–5:
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
As we come to the end of 2022, we want to echo Paul’s sentiment in remembering our partners in ministry. We are incredibly thankful for all of you who have helped us in our mission of equipping churches to more effectively send out their members to reach the nations next door and all over the world. We are deeply indebted to those of you who have come alongside Upstream so that we can come alongside churches and offer essential skills that will enable them to think and act like missionaries.
We thank God for you and continually remember you all in prayer.
If you are looking for a way to deepen your partnership with Upstream, would you consider giving toward our Global Fund? The Global Fund is Upstream’s annual end-of-the-year giving campaign that funds projects focused on empowering the Global Church, training and sending Western and non-Western missionaries, developing new resources, and helping to start an International Ministry Hub. Thank you for giving so we can continue equipping and sending for the sake of the gospel.