The UpStream Collective

The Great Commission belongs to the church. Your leadership, service, gifting, and creativity make you perfectly qualified for innovative approaches to sharing life with people from around the world. You strive toward inca ation of the gospel in your local community. You need to be doing that same sort of missional engagement globally.

The Upstream Collective seeks to create a missions movement uniquely focused on Europe, mobilizing missional churches and church plants inr North America to engage Europeans (both indigenous and immigrant) with the Gospel in relevant ways.

Europe is the perfect place to connect with people from all over the world, from postmoder Europeans to Muslim immigrants to African refugees. Post-Christian Europe isn’t just a vital mission field; your interaction will give you insight into the coming American reality.

The Upstream Collective sees four key emphases in this movement toward effective missions in Europe and North America:

1. Developing a missional/inca ational missiology

We will develop materials to explore, challenge, incite and change ideas regarding missions. Besides speaking at conferences and seminars, we will regularly write articles, books, blog posts and more regarding global missional endeavors and opportunities.

While we are still learners ourselves, we believe that sharing what we have experienced in Europe will empower churches to be more missional in their approaches to ministry in their own communities and beyond.

2. Helping churches focus on sending a new type of missionary

We will assist missional churches to identify and equip their own people by offering coaching, consultation and virtual and live missions conferences.

In many instances, “missions” has been limited to seminary-trained, professional clergy. We believe it’s time to start emphasizing the sending of artists, business people, teachers, lawyers, nurses, coaches and Web designers: ordinary people who can relate to those around them in domestic and international settings, and who do so with the Greatr Commission in mind.

3. Returning the responsibility of sending to the local church

We will ensure the centrality of the local church by training within that context and by deferring to church leadership on matters ofrnpolicy, support, strategy, qualifications, theology, finances, etc. Wernwill purposefully limit our role to that of cultural/strategic consultants, aiming to help churches become involved in global missions from day one.

4. Encouraging creative platforms for entry into culture

We will encourage creativity and holistic approaches torninte ational service by sharing ideas and networking with churches, businesses, ministries and non-profit organizations overseas. Involvement could include, for example, individuals working in the marketplace overseas, becoming involved in social action or developing a local focus on European immigrants living in North America.