The Upstream Collective seeks to empower missional churches in North America to maximize their role in the Great Commission and to be missional in their approaches from their inceptions.
That vision is combined with a unique passion and calling to see a spiritual revolution take place in Europe. Missions consultation is done with that dream in mind, specifically seeking to mobilize churches and individuals to creatively serve in Europe.
The founders and consultants of The Upstream Collective have served in church planting both in the United States and in Europe. While we have previously worked through traditional missions agencies, God is now leading us to explore more incarnational approaches to ministry and helping others in the United States and Canada to do the same.
In addition to these consultation opportunities, we’re also posting some consulting FAQs online. We’ll update this page as we get more common questions.
Step One: Initial On-site Visit
Step Two: Customized One-Year Coaching Plan
Step Three: Evaluation and Strategy Development
Step Four: Moving Forward and Teaching Others
Step One: Initial On-site Visit
Representatives from The Upstream Collective meet with your church’s pastor and church planting team to talk about their vision for missions. We would prefer to do this some time in between the pre-launch phase with the core group and the first anniversary of the church.
On the same visit, we then meet with people in their church plant who have an interest in missional involvement locally and globally. The pastor or a designated leader would invite the key people to this gathering.
We want to get to know:
- the church’s vision and strategy,
- the church and its make-up by administering a missional assessment,
- the community around the church through the eyes of church leadership and
- the key lay leaders who could help cast the vision and implement the strategy.
We would then begin to work with these leaders.
Step Two: Customized One-Year Coaching Plan
Using what we’ve learned, The Upstream Collective will then develop an individualized plan to consult and coach the church over the next 12 months. The plan may include any or all of the following:
inviting the church to a Jet Set Tour that will take place in Europe
- using an online missional community
- providing online and written resources
- creating a prayer strategy for their missional involvement
- participating in online mission conferences
- helping the church set up and execute its first local endeavor on its own
- helping the church set up its first overseas trip to a city in Europe (we could accompany the church if needed)
Step Three: Evaluation and Strategy Development
After the church’s first short-term trip to Europe, The Upstream Collective would help the church with the following:
- writing out its strategy for a city in Europe
- developing essential questions to ask as they try to connect with people in the city
- connecting with any known like-minded believers/Christian workers in the city
We would continue to consult with the church regarding questions about sending someone overseas, but decisions, screening, etc., will be left to the local fellowship.
Step Four: Moving Forward and Teaching Others
After ministry is established in Europe, we will work with the church to identify other local churches that can be involved with them or on their own, and we will help the church teach others so the movement is reproducible.
The services offered by The Upstream Collective can contribute to a movement among the missional churches of North America on two fronts:
First, it will allow established churches to invest in the Kingdom by providing this consulting to its church plants from the very beginning.
Second, the services offered can radically affect the way new churches grow in the future. By working with the church during its early days, we can help the church planter influence his fellowship to be more missional in its neighborhood, city and world.
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Want to talk more about consulting with The Upstream Collective? E-mail Larry.
