About this episode

This episode explores how local churches can reclaim their biblical role in global mission and cultivate a sending culture.

What does it mean for the local church to truly “send well”? In this episode of Oak Hill College’s Deep Roots podcast, host Chris Howles sits down with Bradley Bell and Larry McCrary from The Upstream Collective (USA) to explore what it looks like for churches to reclaim their biblical role in global mission. Together, they unpack the vision behind the Upstream Collective’s motto — “The church sends, we help” — and discuss key insights from their book The Sending Church Applied , including their “Periodic Table of Sending.” 🕊️ Topics include: Why every believer is a “sent one” How churches can move from reactive to proactive mission sending The four stages of a healthy sending culture — Establishing, Developing, Engaging, and Multiplying The crucial role of care, commissioning, and re-entry for missionaries Practical steps for pastors and leaders to start cultivating a sending culture 📚 Resources mentioned: The Sending Church Applied by Bradley Bell, Larry McCrary, and colleagues Learn more about The Upstream Collective: https://www.theupstreamcollective.org Explore Oak Hill College’s Cross-Cultural Training: https://www.oakhill.ac.uk 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations helping…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Howles

Guests: Bradley Bell, Larry McCrary

Topics covered

• Great Commission
• local church
• global mission
• sending culture
• mission sending
• care for missionaries

Keywords

• mission
• sending church
• church culture
• missionaries
• global mission
• theology
• Oak Hill College

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Upstream Collective, Oak Hill College

Books & works: The Sending Church Applied

More episodes of Deep Roots

• How to Slow Down in a Distracted Culture · July 13, 2026 · 26 min
• The Mission of God · February 9, 2026 · 37 min
• Learning From Liberation Theology · December 8, 2025 · 43 min
• Why Bother With Biblical Languages? · November 27, 2025 · 33 min
• Can you lead others if you don’t know yourself? · October 23, 2025 · 38 min
• Why evangelicals struggle with music in church · May 22, 2025 · 32 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Deep Roots podcast page.