5) Psychology and Law in Missions 2018 to Focus on MK’s
Telios Law and Link Care Center invite you to take part in a seminar entitled, “Psychology and Law in Missions 2018,” taking place on November 14-15, 2018 at the Potawatomie Inn in Angola, Indiana. The cost is $175. This conference will focus on the psychoeducational and spiritual needs of missionary kids. For more information or to register, visit…
6) Read “Where There is No Psychiatrist” for Free!
You can read the entire book, “Where There is No Psychiatrist” by Vikram Patel and Charlotte Hanlon, online (via PDF) by browsing to…
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/where-there-is-no-psychiatrist/47578A845CAFC7E23A181749A4190B54
Complete with beautiful artwork, this online book profiles mental problems, treatments, and typical medications prescribed, while offering options for those unable to prescribe or get such medications. It would be useful to health workers (and community health evangelism (CHE) practitioners) in low- and middle-income countries and in low resourced settings of high-income countries. (Thanks to Kelly and Michèle O’Donnell for bubbling this up to us!)
7) Curious about What’s Included in the free DMM Course, Zume?
You can see an overview at…
https://zumeproject.com/overview/
There are also frequently asked questions, along with their answers, of course, posted at…
Zume aims to equip and empower ordinary believers to reach every neighborhood using disciple-making movement life practices and strategies. The word, Zume, means yeast in Greek. In Matthew 13:33 Jesus is quoted as saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a woman who took yeast and mixed it into a large amount of flour until it was all leavened.” This illustrates how ordinary people, using ordinary resources, can have an extraordinary impact for the Kingdom of God.
8) Trying to Pick a University with a Great Missions Program?
Cappex.com did a study of 137 schools in the USA offering missions classes and a missiology major. You can filter results by tuition costs, college type, and state (location). You can see stats about number of students, campus life, and even chances of getting admitted. In many cases, there are personal reviews and even tweets and pictures. You can also see if the college is affiliated with a certain denomination and, in most cases, start your application directly from the listings. And in some cases, Cappex has negotiated scholarships with the college if you apply through the Cappex site. Check it out at…
https://www.cappex.com/colleges/majors/MissionsMissionary-Studies-and-Missiology-983
9) It Might be a Bit Irreverent, But it’s Still Funny
John Crist makes us laugh sometimes by poking fun at some of the themes we most fear. For this reason, his piece on “Honest Mission Trip Leader” does not disappoint. You’ll have to watch the 90-second video all the way to the end to get the full impact. : )
10) Which Missions Book(s) would You Give to Your Pastor?
Suppose your pastor’s birthday is coming up and you’d like to “kill two birds with one stone.” What book would you give to your lead pastor, hoping it would influence an upcoming sermon (or sermon series?)? Would it be Glenn Rogers’ “A Basic Introduction To Missions And Missiology,”
https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Introduction-Missions-Missiology/dp/0977439623
or would you opt for something like John Piper’s, “Don’t Waste your Life?”
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Waste-Your-Life-Piper/dp/1581344988
or what about Paul Borthwick’s, “How To Be A World Class Christian,”
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830856803/
Suppose you just have one or two options (your budget is limited, after all). Which book(s) would you recommend? Just click “Comment” following the web or app version of this item. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
11) What’s Your Favorite CRM These Days and Why?
Every once-and-a-while, we’re forced to check out the best customer (constituent?) relationship management software. We know — it’s a really crazy idea. There have to be 50,000 CRM apps out there now, all purporting to be the best. The first step is to jot down a half-dozen or so of your top criteria. For us, those might be…
*** Must offer a free trial or free version so you can kick the tires
*** Low “per user” fees (or no per-user fee at all). Maximum $8/month
*** Lightning fast searches
*** Must allow flexible tagging (labeling the contacts as you wish)
*** Ability to relate one contact to another
*** Extra points for ability to track emails to each contact, either by using a custom bcc: address, or by some other simple means
and, most important of all,
*** Has to be fast and intuitive. If you see more hourglass than contacts, go back to square one.
Lately, we’ve been trying out Agile CRM and Marketing360. The first (Agile CRM) solves the email tracking by asking you to “verify” your email by giving Agile CRM your email user name and password. This will send chills down your spine if you have to use your “normal” email address. But if you can create a free Gmail for a new campaign and the emails are all related to this particular project, it’s probably not a huge deal, based on the relative risks involved. (Even if some Agile CRM employee WERE to cheat on the privacy agreement, the worst-case scenario is — he finds out when your missions weekend is going to happen. You know? Just don’t give out credit card information via email. Right?) The up-side is, it’s lightning fast, free forever, and it’s just … attractive. Could it have better reporting? Sure. But you can always export everything to Excel to create those custom print-outs. And the fact that you can send 25 emails at a time, customized by name or any other field, and track the results, all without going to MailChimp is kind of remarkable in this day and age of cut-throat software. AND the corresponding free smartphone apps are fairly cool as well.
Marketing360 is a tad slower and uses the bcc: approach to track communication. But it’s a great option — and also forever free.
What’s YOUR favorite currently? Just click “Comment” following the web or app version of this item. Thanks for any advice you can offer.
12) Have You Tried the Brigada iOS/Android App?
We’d love it if you would. And we’d love to hear your comments/thoughts. Once you’ve looked (even briefly) at any particular Brigada edition, it’s forever searchable and readable online or offline. So it’s a great way to peruse recent editions on your next plane flight. What’s more, the editions are just kind of attractive, with all the little pictures lined up precisely in consistent size/location. Just search for “Brigada” in the place where you normally get your apps. And let us know what you think please. (Just click Comment in the app!)
13) We’re Grateful For…
…a $100 gift from a “True Fan” of Brigada from a long-time friend. God bless you, brother!!!
Want to partner with Brigada so that all may hear in order to hasten the coming of Jesus? Just click “Donate” at www.brigada.org, or mail a check payable to Team Expansion (Brigada), 13711 Willow Reed Drive, Louisville, KY 40299. Team Expansion is a 501(c)3 incorporation so, for USA citizens, your gift to Christ by writing a check to Team Expansion is tax-deductible. Thank you, in advance, for your partnership!
14) The Last Bit: Your “Worst Missions Conference Ever?”
OK — we confess. We got this idea from a blog entry originally written by Bud Steadman…
https://www.baptistworldmission.org/the-best-and-worst-mission-conferences/
But we have to ask… what’s the absolute WORST missions conference you’ve ever attended and why? Feel free to omit the name of the church or college. In fact, you can even leave out the city. But we would LOVE to hear some of the most challenging circumstances, themes, or arrangements you’ve ever seen. For example, I (Doug) remember a missions convention in downtown New York City years ago. We had been on an extended tour of Bible colleges and universities and, at the time (I know, dumb idea), we were towing a camper to save hotel costs in between campuses. Have you ever looked for a parking spot in downtown New York City towing a 28-foot Airstream? To make matters even worse, my wife had a puppy at the time (you laugh, but this was way better than trying to raise kids on a nine-month speaking tour while staying in a 28-foot camper). While we were sharing in a special workshop about the 8 most unreached countries in the world, some duty-focused police officer ticketed and towed our rig. We eventually won the case (two days later) in court, which meant the city had to refund every dime. (The no parking sign on that particular side street had long-since disappeared.) But we had to put the dog in counseling for post-traumatic tow-truck stress.
So what’s YOUR worst missions conference experience and why? Just click “Comment” under the web or app version of this item. Thanks in advance for ANY entertaining story that will make us chuckle — or any complaint that will sober us next time we plan a missions event.
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