OUR VISION
The vision of the Upstate Missions Conference is to teach, train and equip churches with tools to more effectively take the Gospel to their community and beyond. Through dynamic speakers and relevant breakout session topics, churches of any size and any level of missions engagement will be able to sharpen the tip of their Gospel proclamation spear. The conference is designed for everyone. Whether you are a lay leader, mission trip participant or pastor, you’ll be able to engage and enjoy what we have in store for you.
Elyse Fields
We read about spiritual warfare all throughout the Bible, but rarely do we see it, or even think about it, in the western world. However, for the majority of the world’s population, there are constant reminders that an ongoing battle is raging in the unseen realms. This session includes several stories of physical manifestations of spiritual war, and how the name of Jesus was glorified through victory in each battle. Come hear how these intense, and sometimes frightful, situations have led many to faith in Jesus Christ.
Bio: Elyse is a medical practitioner who has spent the past eight years in South Asia. When she isn’t giving stitches or praying for the sick, you are likely to find her telling stories to her three boys, while riding in auto rickshaws around their city. Her husband is a music producer that uses his recording skills to give new believers the opportunity to learn about Jesus in their heart language in creative and inspiring ways.
Together, they run a business that employs women at risk for human trafficking. Through their business, they plant churches in urban back alleys and train new believers to take the gospel to villages where the name of Jesus has never been heard.
BUILDING FAVOR IN THE
COMMUNITY
SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
We can gain favor in our communities that leads to credibility, influence, and opportunities to share the Gospel; in this breakout we will discuss a plan that includes strategic prayer, intentional conversations, neighborhood mapping, and engaging the community all in an effort to gain and leverage favor.
BOS
BOSTON MASS
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church Planter & Pastor, Christ Church Charleston
JD Mangrum
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
JD Mangrum is husband to Natalie, dad to Noah and Owen, planter and pastor of Christ Church Charlestown, and a church planting catalyst with Send Boston/NAMB. His family moved to his one-square-mile, 18,000 resident neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts -- Boston's oldest neighborhood -- in 2016 to live on mission and start the church, and they have experienced a journey in Charlestown that only the Lord could have scripted. In addition to his love for his family and Charlestown, JD fills his time with Red Sox baseball, coffee with Natalie, Bruce Springsteen music, and a good Nathaniel Philbrick book.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Do you have any Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in your life that you love and desire for them to know the biblical Jesus? Have you ever left a conversation with a Latter-day Saint being more confused than when you started? Have you struggled to understand what makes the Mormon faith so different from biblical Christianity? Have you ever wondered how to best engage with the LDS missionaries that knock on your door? In this breakout session, David Gaskins (church planter of Mosaic Church in Provo, UT) will discuss the Mormon worldview, offer insights on how to effectively share the Gospel with the Latter-day Saints in your life, and answer any questions you may have about the Mormon religion.
SLC
SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church Planter & Pastor, Mosaic Church
DAVID GASKINS
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
David Gaskins is a Send Network church planter in Provo, UT -the most unchurched metropolitan area in North America with less than 0.5% of the population believing in the biblical Gospel. With a population of 130,000 people, 82% of the city are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and 17.5% of the city are some of the most aggressive atheists you'll ever meet. David and his wife Sara met at Colorado Christian University, and after David finished his Master of Divinity at Denver Seminary, they moved to Utah in 2019 as NAMB missionaries. In October of 2020, the Lord opened the doors for Mosaic Church to be planted, and through that church He has been graciously calling the lost of Provo to Himself ever since!
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Adoption & Foster Care
Every Christian A Counselor
Orphan Care & the Gospel - the call of James 1:27 to care for widows and orphans is to the whole church. In this session, we will explore ways that every person in the church can be part of putting the gospel on display through caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. Topics will include: adoption, foster care, family strengthening, orphans who will not be adopted, and supporting adoptive/foster families within the church.
BHM
BIRMINGHAM
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Senior Vice-President of Engagement, Lifeline Child Services
Rick Morton
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
11:25 AM
READ BIO
As Senior Vice President of Engagement, Rick Morton shepherds the ministry’s outreach to individual, church, and organizational ministry partners as well as the ministry’s commitment to publishing resources that aid families and churches in discipling orphans and vulnerable children. Prior to Lifeline, Rick served for 15 years as a college and seminary professor, and he also served local churches in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He is an accomplished writer and sought after speaker. Most notably, Rick is the co-author of the popular Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-centered Adoption and Orphan Care and the author of KnowOrphans: Mobilizing the Church for Global Orphanology. Rick and his lovely wife Denise have been married for over 32 years, and they have 3 children, all of whom joined their family through international adoption. God has continued to grow their family, and he now enjoys the role of “Doc” to his precious granddaughter!
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
The works of evangelism and discipleship is done through interpersonal relationships. As each individual member of the local assembly takes time to connect with others within the assembly and outside the assembly for the purpose of demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ to others, someone will be saved and someone will be mature as God wills.
Therefore, since the work of evangelism and discipleship is done effectively and efficiently through interpersonal relationships, we must build our relationships with that in mind. As we develop interpersonal relationships, we must consider that we are ambassadors to unbelievers with the primary objective of presenting the gospel to unbelievers. We must also consider that we are builders of believers with the primary objective of helping believers become like Christ in all aspects to spiritual maturity.
GSP
BUCHAREST
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church at The Mill
BIBLICAL COUNSELING TEAM
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
The Biblical Counseling team at Church at The Mill is made of committed, trained volunteers who walk alongside those who are suffering and struggling. We are a church-based counseling ministry and offer free Biblical Counseling to our members and regular attendees.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Five Things You Need To Know About
Going On A Mission Trip
Reaching Muslims
Preparing for a mission trip, especially if it's your first, can be a little overwhelming. What do I pack? What is the food like? What will be expected of me? How can I communicate if I don't speak their language? We have taken more than 300 people on their first mission project ever. Join us and learn how to make sure you are ready for what God is going to do in AND through you!
GSP
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Author & Speaker, Impact Sports
John Andrews
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
11:25 AM
READ BIO
After playing college basketball, John taught in public high schools and coached multiple sports teams for almost a decade. On his first overseas mission trip, while he was teaching and coaching, almost twenty-five years ago, John encountered people face to face, who had never had a chance to hear the Gospel before. God burdened him for the nations with some barrier to ministry.
John has over 18 years of international coaching/sports development experience. He has led over 60 sports mission projects to more than fifteen different countries, using ten different sports.
John's passion is to see people come to know Christ, both locally and around the world, and to see Christians boldly stepping out on faith to follow Jesus in the adventure He has for their lives.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
In this session you will learn a simple way to share the gospel with Muslims and a few keys to encourage you in witness.
SDF
LOUISVLLE KY
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Southern Seminary
DR. KEITH MCKINLEY
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
11:25 AM
READ BIO
Dr. McKinley is Associate Professor of Christian Missions at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Director of the Bevin Center for Missions Mobilization. He was born and raised in Bangladesh and served among Muslims with his family through the IMB for 20 years in Southeast Asia. Keith is married to Gail, and they have four adult children. He is the author of Evaluating Leadership, due to be published this summer by Wipf & Stock.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Discerning The Call
Vocation As A Mission
Join a dialogue and discussion about the call to serve short-term, mid-term, and long-term missions. Some of the topics: What is a call to serve in missions? How do we distinguish between call and desire? How do we discern a call upon our lives?
GSP
SPARTANBURG
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church Mobilization Strategist, IMB
Greg Queen
BOARDING TIME
11:25 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
Greg served in Senegal, Africa before returning to the US in 2007 to serve in church mobilization. Until 2018, he made connections for churches desiring to partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, he serves the church in making disciples of the nations
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
This session helps the attendee to learn how to bridge the gap between praying for co-workers and clients and getting the opportunity to share with them. Learn how to utilize prayer effectively to reach those that you care about deeply and rub shoulders with daily.
SAS
SOUTH ASIA
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Missionary
ELYSE FIELDS
BOARDING TIME
11:25 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
Elyse is a medical practitioner who has spent the past 8 years in South Asia. When she isn't giving stitches or praying for the sick, you are likely to find her telling stories to her 3 boys, while riding in auto rickshaws around their city.
Her husband is a music producer that uses his recording skills to give new believers the opportunity to learn about Jesus in their heart language in creative and inspiring ways.
Together, they run a business that employs women at risk for human trafficking. Through their business, they plant churches in urban back alleys and train new believers to take the gospel to villages where the name of Jesus has never been heard.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
BUILDING FAVOR IN THE
COMMUNITY
We can gain favor in our communities that leads to credibility, influence, and opportunities to share the Gospel; in this breakout we will discuss a plan that includes strategic prayer, intentional conversations, neighborhood mapping, and engaging the community all in an effort to gain and leverage favor.
BOS
BOSTON MASS
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church Planter & Pastor, Christ Church Charleston
JD Mangrum
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
JD Mangrum is husband to Natalie, dad to Noah and Owen, planter and pastor of Christ Church Charlestown, and a church planting catalyst with Send Boston/NAMB. His family moved to his one-square-mile, 18,000 resident neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts -- Boston's oldest neighborhood -- in 2016 to live on mission and start the church, and they have experienced a journey in Charlestown that only the Lord could have scripted. In addition to his love for his family and Charlestown, JD fills his time with Red Sox baseball, coffee with Natalie, Bruce Springsteen music, and a good Nathaniel Philbrick book.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Do you have any Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in your life that you love and desire for them to know the biblical Jesus? Have you ever left a conversation with a Latter-day Saint being more confused than when you started? Have you struggled to understand what makes the Mormon faith so different from biblical Christianity? Have you ever wondered how to best engage with the LDS missionaries that knock on your door? In this breakout session, David Gaskins (church planter of Mosaic Church in Provo, UT) will discuss the Mormon worldview, offer insights on how to effectively share the Gospel with the Latter-day Saints in your life, and answer any questions you may have about the Mormon religion.
SLC
SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church Planter & Pastor, Mosaic Church
DAVID GASKINS
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
David Gaskins is a Send Network church planter in Provo, UT -the most unchurched metropolitan area in North America with less than 0.5% of the population believing in the biblical Gospel. With a population of 130,000 people, 82% of the city are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and 17.5% of the city are some of the most aggressive atheists you'll ever meet. David and his wife Sara met at Colorado Christian University, and after David finished his Master of Divinity at Denver Seminary, they moved to Utah in 2019 as NAMB missionaries. In October of 2020, the Lord opened the doors for Mosaic Church to be planted, and through that church He has been graciously calling the lost of Provo to Himself ever since!
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Adoption & Foster Care
Orphan Care & the Gospel - the call of James 1:27 to care for widows and orphans is to the whole church. In this session, we will explore ways that every person in the church can be part of putting the gospel on display through caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. Topics will include: adoption, foster care, family strengthening, orphans who will not be adopted, and supporting adoptive/foster families within the church.
BHM
BIRMINGHAM
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Senior Vice-President of Engagement, Lifeline Child Services
Rick Morton
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
11:25 AM
READ BIO
As Senior Vice President of Engagement, Rick Morton shepherds the ministry’s outreach to individual, church, and organizational ministry partners as well as the ministry’s commitment to publishing resources that aid families and churches in discipling orphans and vulnerable children. Prior to Lifeline, Rick served for 15 years as a college and seminary professor, and he also served local churches in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He is an accomplished writer and sought after speaker. Most notably, Rick is the co-author of the popular Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-centered Adoption and Orphan Care and the author of KnowOrphans: Mobilizing the Church for Global Orphanology. Rick and his lovely wife Denise have been married for over 32 years, and they have 3 children, all of whom joined their family through international adoption. God has continued to grow their family, and he now enjoys the role of “Doc” to his precious granddaughter!
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Every Christian A Counselor
The works of evangelism and discipleship is done through interpersonal relationships. As each individual member of the local assembly takes time to connect with others within the assembly and outside the assembly for the purpose of demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ to others, someone will be saved and someone will be mature as God wills.
Therefore, since the work of evangelism and discipleship is done effectively and efficiently through interpersonal relationships, we must build our relationships with that in mind. As we develop interpersonal relationships, we must consider that we are ambassadors to unbelievers with the primary objective of presenting the gospel to unbelievers. We must also consider that we are builders of believers with the primary objective of helping believers become like Christ in all aspects to spiritual maturity.
GSP
BUCHAREST
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church at The Mill
BIBLICAL COUNSELING TEAM
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
The Biblical Counseling team at Church at The Mill is made of committed, trained volunteers who walk alongside those who are suffering and struggling. We are a church-based counseling ministry and offer free Biblical Counseling to our members and regular attendees.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Five Things You Need To Know About
Going On A Mission Trip
Preparing for a mission trip, especially if it's your first, can be a little overwhelming. What do I pack? What is the food like? What will be expected of me? How can I communicate if I don't speak their language? We have taken more than 300 people on their first mission project ever. Join us and learn how to make sure you are ready for what God is going to do in AND through you!
GSP
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Author & Speaker, Impact Sports
John Andrews
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
11:25 AM
READ BIO
After playing college basketball, John taught in public high schools and coached multiple sports teams for almost a decade. On his first overseas mission trip, while he was teaching and coaching, almost twenty-five years ago, John encountered people face to face, who had never had a chance to hear the Gospel before. God burdened him for the nations with some barrier to ministry.
John has over 18 years of international coaching/sports development experience. He has led over 60 sports mission projects to more than fifteen different countries, using ten different sports.
John's passion is to see people come to know Christ, both locally and around the world, and to see Christians boldly stepping out on faith to follow Jesus in the adventure He has for their lives.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Reaching Muslims
In this session you will learn a simple way to share the gospel with Muslims and a few keys to encourage you in witness.
SDF
LOUISVLLE KY
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Southern Seminary
DR. KEITH MCKINLEY
BOARDING TIME
10:30 AM
11:25 AM
READ BIO
Dr. McKinley is Associate Professor of Christian Missions at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Director of the Bevin Center for Missions Mobilization. He was born and raised in Bangladesh and served among Muslims with his family through the IMB for 20 years in Southeast Asia. Keith is married to Gail, and they have four adult children. He is the author of Evaluating Leadership, due to be published this summer by Wipf & Stock.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Discerning The Call
Join a dialogue and discussion about the call to serve short-term, mid-term, and long-term missions. Some of the topics: What is a call to serve in missions? How do we distinguish between call and desire? How do we discern a call upon our lives?
GSP
SPARTANBURG
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Church Mobilization Strategist, IMB
Greg Queen
BOARDING TIME
11:25 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
Greg served in Senegal, Africa before returning to the US in 2007 to serve in church mobilization. Until 2018, he made connections for churches desiring to partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, he serves the church in making disciples of the nations
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Vocation As A Mission
This session helps the attendee to learn how to bridge the gap between praying for co-workers and clients and getting the opportunity to share with them. Learn how to utilize prayer effectively to reach those that you care about deeply and rub shoulders with daily.
SAS
SOUTH ASIA
GSP
SPARTANBURG
Missionary
ELYSE FIELDS
BOARDING TIME
11:25 AM
2:10 PM
READ BIO
Elyse is a medical practitioner who has spent the past 8 years in South Asia. When she isn't giving stitches or praying for the sick, you are likely to find her telling stories to her 3 boys, while riding in auto rickshaws around their city.
Her husband is a music producer that uses his recording skills to give new believers the opportunity to learn about Jesus in their heart language in creative and inspiring ways.
Together, they run a business that employs women at risk for human trafficking. Through their business, they plant churches in urban back alleys and train new believers to take the gospel to villages where the name of Jesus has never been heard.
Flight
CATM252
Date
25FEB
Seat
14F
Homelessness & Poverty
Internationals & Refugees
Children & Students
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
8:30 AM
Cafe open, registration
9:00 AM
Worship, welcome
9:30 AM
Keynote 1
10:30 AM
Breakout 1
11:25 AM
Breakout 2
12:15 PM
Lunch & Learn
2:10 PM
Breakout 3