Our Mission

Church Planting

How can app development be integrated into a church planting strategy?

In an age where Himalayan monks can be seen with the latest iPhones, the missions endeavor is increasingly presented with an opportunity for technology to play a larger role in how God is advancing His Kingdom. Upstream works to meet this need, offering technical tools to meet church planting needs.

Upstream is a network that seeks to bring the horizontal scope of software development skills together with the vertical focus of church planting teams. This is an exciting way for industry professionals to contribute to frontline ministry needs while remaining rooted in their home contexts. Upstream also offers an opportunity for workers on the field with tech skills to innovate with a community, contributing to church planting efforts around the world. Let us know if you are aware of software developers in your church who may be interested in learning more about Upstream.

How is Upstream different from other media initiatives?

Media and technology often go hand-in-hand when getting the gospel to unreached people groups. Developers build the tools, such as mobile apps, that media groups and traditional teams use to engage unreached communities with the gospel.

So how does this work?

Field teams submit ideas for how a tech solution can strategically move their church planting efforts forward. Then Upstream will see if we can build it.

I have a project idea!

Great! Submit your idea here

I’m not a “technology person”.

No problem. Upstream would love to engage your team to help envision how a mobile app can fit into your church planting strategy.

An Example App

A companion to Bible translation and distribution

Sungho and his team have translated portions of the Bible for a language that previously had no translation. Most locals can read, but only enough to get by to run their businesses, read signs, and accomplish other daily tasks. If they attempt to read the Scriptures, they can probably sound out the words, but they won’t internalize the meaning in any significant way.

Sungho’s team decides to record readings of what they’ve translated so far. How will people hear these Scripture recordings?

The locals are spread over a large geographic area. It would take much time, money, and manpower to take mp3s into these regions. Radio has phased out; most younger and middle aged people have smartphones. Uploading them to an existing Bible app has several problems. Only portions of Scripture have been translated and Sungho’s team needs to be able to quickly edit the recordings. The locals take pride in their rich culture and history and are far more likely to access an app that is theirs; an app that looks and feels native.

In this example, an Upstream app comes alongside church planting by overcoming geographic and cultural barriers to make the Word accessible.

Our Heart

We build apps that strategically come alongside existing church planting efforts, that people of all nations, tribes, and tongues might know the grace of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that a unified effort across denominational and organizational lines is key to seeing healthy, Biblically sound churches among least reached peoples.

A mobile application may not be the best resource to integrate into a team’s church planting strategy. Teams must evaluate their specific contexts, the particular barriers for their peoples groups, and what the realistic value of an app might be. The unreached puzzle is linguistically, geographically, and culturally complex. If an app-shaped puzzle piece might help overcome the barriers you face, Upstream may be the place for you.