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News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
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In this issue….
LAUNCH IS LAUNCHED!
No doubt about it — it’s shaping up to be one of the most action-packed meetings in consultation history. This is one where the emphasis is on “what are we going to
do” rather than “what are we going to
talk about.” For full details, send email to
hub@xc.org with only the following lines in the body of the message text:
subscribe brigada-pubs-gcowenewsget brigada-pubs-gcowenews launch-dayoneget brigada-pubs-gcowenews launch-daytwoget brigada-pubs-gcowenews launch-daythreeget brigada-pubs-gcowenews launch-dayfourget brigada-pubs-gcowenews launch-dayfive
Today is Day Four and it’s “open season” on unresolved issues. To summarize, the AD2000 & Beyond Movement is calling us out to a pair of awesome objectives:
a) to mobilize national initiatives to finish the task in our own countries, especially as it relates to making sure there is at least a growing, reproducing church in each of the remaining least evangelized people groups in our midst; and
b) to work together to make it a priority to bring into being a church planting movement in each of the 1685 least evangelized peoples remaining on our globe, as determined by the researchers working in concert with the AD2000 & Beyond Assessment Task Force, the Unreached Peoples Track, and the Peoples Information Network.
Throughout these last three days, two dozen task forces and networks have studied in breakout groups, then reported to main sessions on how they might contribute to these two major prongs. Including staff and volunteers, approximately 300 delegates from around 70+ countries are present (with representatives from another 20 countries wishing they could have come). Highlights??? Too numerous to mention. Get the files. Outcomes??? Tremendous efforts to mobilize entire regions toward finishing the task. Action. Strategies. New partnerships. This one is one for the books. For the next five years, we’ll be carrying out the plans introduced here in Colorado Springs during these last 48 hours!
CROSSCONNECT TO GET NEW NAME!
Yup… you heard right. Once MAF took on the responsibility of CrossConnect, one of the first things they checked was how to register the name properly, once and for all and guess what — the name belonged to someone else already! So as of January 1, Brigada will be carried aboard “MAFxc”. Neither the domain nor any of the services will change… only “the name has been changed to protect the innocent”, so to speak. They’ll pronounce the word, MAF, rather than spell it (with an “a” as in map), then just say the letters “xc” behind it. The xc will be in lower case by design, with MAF in upper.
PRAYING THROUGH THE WINDOW – SEEING THE RESULTS MORE CLEARLY
When Beverly Pegues stood up to report, the entire room of nearly 250+ delegates (plus volunteers and staff) sat on the edge of their seats. And they
weren’t disappointed. Beverly is head of the Christian Information Network, based here in Colorado Springs, which served as the hub of information gathering for the Praying Through the Window II — Praying for the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window. Sponsored by the United Prayer Track of the AD2000 & Beyond Movement, the campaign appears to have been a huge success at mobilizing not only prayer, but prayer
journeys into the 100 Gateway Cities. Beverly reported that it looks very likely that 30 million believers participated during the month of October (and she also said some are still praying!). Keep in mind that reports are still coming in (if you took a prayer journey, she wants to hear from you!). Just yesterday, the last 6000 letters (out of some 25,000 personal pieces — trying making
that your Christmas Card list!!!) went out asking for feedback. As soon as she gets answers, she’ll publish them, probably in another book (like the 1993 campaign’s
Window Watchman). So far, she’s verified that 110,632 churches participated in the event (with 90,000 of them from Brazil alone????), with 405 teams taking actual prayer journeys. Since some visted more than one Gateway City in more than one country, 644 different “journeys” were actually completed by those 405 teams (if you count a visit to each Gateway City as a different “journey”). Churches in 166 nations took part in prayer, having purchased some 10,000 copies of
Light the Window and some 34,000 copies of the book,
Praying Through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window. The book ended up being translated into Spanish, Chinese, Afrikaans, Korean, German, and, of course, English. Wow. All of us in the Brigada network of families should say thanks to Beverly, her staff, the entire United Prayer Track, and the whole AD2000 & Beyond Movement leadership for helping organize and administrate what ended up being a
huge project. (Michael Little, Chairman of the overseeing committee, wonders if maybe the little 8 1/2 x 14 inch prayer calendar became the most photocopied document in 1995!
) But — since Beverly and her staff have more to do than open our thank you notes, let’s all say a big thank you
together via this
Brigada Today (she’s a faithful reader!), so everyone point your head toward Colorado Springs (not necessarily in the direction of Mecca for this one, folks), and say ‘thank you’ out loud to Beverly! [Could you hear that Bev? That’s nearly 1500
Brigada participants — and we’re thankful for
you.] Now let’s pause a moment to pray for God’s continued guidance and provision for her, her big staff (of two people
), and her volunteers (wonderful people) at New Life Church. Let’s pray especially hard for them, because beginning yesterday, the people at this “Launch” meeting began planning “Praying Through the Window III” in 1997!!!! [I think I just heard a big “gulp” from Bev’s office!
] Praying Through the Window III will focus on the Least Evangelized Peoples of the world, with special emphasis on those originating in the 10/40 Window — but living wherever they live in the world (maybe in the neighborhood next door!).
GLOBAL EVANGELIZATION MOV’T VOLUNTEER’S SERVICES TO BRIGADA READERS
Most of us have heard of or studied David Barrett’s
World Christian Encyclopedia, which, though now sadly in need of revision, is acclaimed by some to be the most thorough and most accurate reckoning of global Christianity in modern history. But some may not know that Barrett offers additional resources on a regular basis. We interviewed Justin Long
JDavidLong@AOL.COM , who works as Dir. of Communication and Development for Dr. David Barrett’s organization, the Global Evangelization Movement, and learned more about GEM’s potential contribution to
Brigada‘s readers.
BT: How can readers get past issues of your AD 2000 Global Monitor?
GEM: “For … the past 40 issues of GEM’s AD 2000 Global Monitor, they are available from us at $9/book. This includes 120 pages of monitoring world evangelization from 1990-1994, and includes an electronic index (.DBF and .TXT formats) to the book for quick searches. Within the issues are the Top 211 Least Evangelized Megapeoples, and many other statistics on world evangelization.”
BT: What about keeping up on an ongoing basis?
GEM: The AD 2000 Global Monitor … has changed to the AD 2025 Global Monitor with issue no. 41 (because AD 2000 is too close for really meaningful monitoring). It is available on an 8-page newsletter edited by Dr. David Barrett published on a bi-monthly basis by GEM. Cost is $20/year.
BT: Where should we go for a one-stop shopping book for world stats?
GEM: Check out the book, “Our Globe & How To Reach It.” It’s available from New Hope Press in Birmingham, Al., and from our office (while our supplies last). Cost is $6.95 + $5 shipping & handling for USA orders (others please email JDavidLong@AOL.COM for precise pricing). If you’d rather phone, try (804) 355-1646 or if you want dead, slippery paper, fax (804) 355-2016.
JOSHUA PROJECT TABLES ON THE WEB
Bob (our WWW magician) has recently finished organizing the
AD2000 & Beyond Least Evangelized Peoples List on the WWW. See the Brigada homepage at
http://www.xc.org/brigada/brigada.html and click on tools for Reaching the Unreached. You can also download the list by email commands to the hub, as
mentioned previously in
Brigada.
ASK PAUL FOR A DATE!
Thanks to Paul Filidis for making available a resource for next year….
now. His organization, YWAM Publishing, can provide an illustrated, spiral-bound personal organizer (used successfully by tens of thousands) as a unique combination of a practical daily planner with devotional aids, as well as a richly informative Great Commission primer with people profiles. It also contains maps, prayer guides, daily Bible reading plan and weekly and monthly planning spreads. For now, he’s offering it to
Brigada readers for U.S. $9.09 (the regular price is $12.99!). For specifics, write him at wcn@xc.org or call 1(719)442-6409 or Fax 1(719)380-0936 E-mail:
wcn@xc.org . (WorldChristian News is a ministry of Youth With A Mission’s International Communications Network.)
NEPAL BREAKS FORTH IN SONG
In a new video documentary, Nepali Church leaders relate the story of their unique, self-evangelized Church. Forty years of persecution dissolved in 1990 when new democratic freedoms led to incredible growth as the enduring faith of Nepali Christians, despite persecution, witnessed to the power of Jesus Christ. When social taboos and legal restrictions lifted Nepalis openly sought out the Gospel. This is an ideal tool for groups interested in reaching people with the Gospel and how the Lord is at work around the world. For information on how to obtain copies with a study guide contact Essential Productions
richardf@olympus.net .
AIMS (Association of International Missions Services) and Regent University are co-sponsoring on March 10-13, 1996, a conference called
Penetrating the 10/40 Window. George Otis, Jr., author of
The Last of the Giants will be the principle speaker. The conference will be held on the campus of Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. Sounds like an excellent chance for networking. In addition there will be tracks designed to help build alliances between churches, agencies and Great Commission Christians in seven areas of Unreached Peoples. They are the Tibetan Buddhist world, China, Indonesia, India, Uzbekistan, Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), and Fourth World Peoples (drug addicts, prostitutes, street children). Write Nathan
nathcra@beacon.regent.edu for more info. or call him at (804)-579-4525.
“COMMANDS TO HUB”
Have you seen this phrase? If so, you’ve probably slipped and sent a “command” (like “subscribe” or “get”) to a
conference (instead of to hub@xc.org). Please get in the habit of checking your “command” messages, just before sending them, to make sure you’re sending them exclusively to the hub address. If you mail a message containing commands to a
conference address (like Brigada-peoples@xc.org), all you’ll get is a lot of replies from fellow conference participants suggesting you send your message to the hub!
GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
It began 12 months ago when a man asked the local Islamic leader (sheikh) for permission to set up a tent and speak about Jesus Christ. The sheikh answered “That is a very good idea! Our Muslims are bad Muslims. We need to hear more about the prophet Jesus.” Later, the region’s head of all sheikhs and Imams (Muslim priests) gave permission to show the Jesus film in the local mosques. Durring 7 months, around 1,000 Muslims converted to Christianity, and at least 300 now regularly attend house-churches….
Source: Frontiers, via DAWN FridayFax, November 24th, 1995, (C) DAWN Europe.
http://www.itr.ch/~szbinden/freitagsfax.html .
John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO
Have a great week!
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BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:
Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com
People of the Week: Justin Long, GEM/Barrett Office, JDavidLong@aol.com- ADVANCE: Mark A. Kelley, Kainos Press, 70420.1057@compuserve.com
- Web Wizard: Bob Mayhew, Brigada Volunteer, mayhew@xc.org
- Web Art: Patti Mayhew, pmayhew@discover.net
- Technical Development: Jonathan Marsden, CrossConnect jonathan@xc.org
- Compiler: Doug Lucas, Team Expansion & Brigada, DLucas@TeamExpansion.org
- and many other occasional contributors too numerous to mention! But thanks for working together! That’s the dream of Brigada!
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