13) We’re Grateful for…
…Savannah Christian Church, who wanted to invest in Brigada because of the resources it provides to churches, cross-cultural workers, and recruits throughout the world. They believed enough in the vision to send an online gift of $1000. God bless you Savannah!!!
…Horizons International, the people behind Legacy, Engaging Islam Intensives, and Cubs to Lions discipleship, who sent $100 this past week. On the web at…
…the anonymous donors in Sioux Falls, SD, who sent $50. They added a note, “we are just so thankful for what you do!” God bless you for encouraging this work!
…Life Impact Ministries, Oasis Care, providing rest, retreat, and renewal for international workers and christian leaders. Optionally, they also provide coaching services. Thanks for sending $50. Learn more at…
http://lifeimpactministries.net/about-oases/
…Good News Productions, International, accelerating global evangelism through media and technology, for their gift of $100. Learn more about their work at…
…a friend of Brigada in Plymouth, MN, who sent $50 this past week. God bless you’!
…and a worker with Pioneers who sent $50. We appreciate you!
…the folks at Hope Coffee, based in Dallas, TX, who sent $100. We hope many will help get the word out about your global ministry at…
…and a “True Fan” of Brigada who works for World Vision, who sent $100. This and all these gifts to Jesus Christ through Brigada were such an encouragement to our global ministry of distributing resources, motivation, and trends toward accelerating the fulfillment of the Great Commission!
14) The BackPage: What’s Getting in the Way?
This past week at the Finishing the Task conference in L.A. (which went very well, by the way), I heard a one-hour talk by Karin Primuth, of Vision Synergy.
She did a fantastic job in her session. As I read more about her work, and back-traced her sources, I came upon an article by her father. I had seen it before, but for some reason, it just leaped off the page at me this time.
http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/whats-getting-in-the-way
When has any man summed up the hold-up in any more succinct and cutting-edge way? This article should be required reading for every mission strategist who cares about Matthew 28:19-20. Then, we should all pray hard that God gives us all wisdom regarding how to beat these 5 hold-ups:
1) Lack of Laborers
2) Lack of Effective Strategy
3) Lack of Unity within the Global Church
4) Prejudice
5) The Church is Unaware
Could you possibly begin making a difference on any of those five factors today? … this week… or in 2016?
*15) Closing Stuff
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2015/11/29 — Brigada Today
Compiled/Edited by Doug Lucas and Tina McCormick, Team Expansion. Your gift to Brigada will help get motivation, resources, and news/trends out to thousands of Christian workers throughout the globe on a weekly basis. Search over 2 decades of weekly Brigadas using the search box below.
In this issue…
1) Innovative Ideas for Thanking Donors: Hope Coffee Offers an Option
2) How do you Build and Share a Knowledgebase?
3) What Do You Emphasize when you Visit a Cross-Cultural Worker?
4) If you Work for/in a Tense Region, Check out this New Source
5) Desiring God is Doing its Part for Christmas
6) Brookings Institute Focuses on Quality, Independence, and Impact
7) The Best Collaboration Tools Ever
8) Al Massira: (The Journey) English To Spanish Translators Needed
9) Andrew: How/Where Can we Help Syrian Refugees?
10) Need a new Christmas Album to Get in the Spirit?
11) Something for Free this Christmas
12) Only Four Brigada Editions Remaining in 2015
13) We’re Grateful for…
14) The BackPage: Finishing the Task to Convene at Saddleback
15) Closing Stuff
1) Innovative Ideas for Thanking Donors: Hope Coffee Offers an Option
In this holiday season, we’ve been searching for unique ways for missionaries/orgs to thank partners and donors. One option came from Hope Coffee, a ministry enterprise of Camino Global. They are willing to operate a “Gift Service” for ministries this Christmas season. There are three simple steps:
1. Select a gift: 2.5oz of Honduran Medium, Bold, Dark and Guatemalan Decaf as a $10 level gift, while a $15 level would send 12oz of Light Roast or a box of 12 of those Keurig single-serve cups.
2. Email Brian
bmasters@hopecoffee.com the list of names and addresses to which you would like the gifts to be mailed.
3. Brian will reconnect with you, providing easy ways to cover the expenses of the gifts, then promptly deliver your coffee gifts.
He’ll include the coffee gift, all shipping and a personalized shipping label. The label would wish the donor Merry Christmas from you or your org. Be sure to follow up with him by Dec. 16. Obviously, if and when he runs out of coffee, he’ll let you know if you are the one contacting him.
This seems like one good answer to the question of how do we thank donors in appropriate, globe-friendly ways. For example, in this approach, both you and the donor can know you’re involved in ministry the whole way through, rather than supporting some “big business” manufacturing chain or “box store.” If you think of other good options, feel free to let us know. And thanks for the idea, Brian. (Disclaimer: Brian chipped in $100 to Brigada to elevate his offer to the front of the queue of Brigada items. Thanks for the help, Brian!)
Thanks to Caleb for suggesting the idea behind the folks at GetGuru:
If I read this service correctly, it’s supposed to help a team quickly assemble a body of knowledge that they can all keep fresh and jointly use to carry out their work. Unfortunately, we couldn’t figure out how to get the service to work for us. But it did raise up the idea — how does YOUR team collect a body of knowledge together? Say you’re assembling a set of answers to frequently-asked questions about Christ, or trying to assemble ways of answering folks about the work you do in tentmaking. How do you collect and distribute that information to your team on an ongoing basis? In the old days, people prepared “wikis” online or shared Google docs. Is that kind of thing still happening, or have other, friendlier apps found a home with your team? If you have a moment, click comment after the web version of this item, and thanks for your input. (And thanks for the idea, Caleb.)
3) What Do You Emphasize when you Visit a Cross-Cultural Worker?
Kelly and Michele O’Donnell wrote this past week to share their approach in making field visits or “consults,” as they call them. They structure their visit around a four-point outline which includes Risk, Resilience, Relevance, and Relationships. Nice. Read more about this easy outline at…
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=f34fc856e7776d7b69dafd3b3&id=8c9091153a
The four articles and Powerpoint they provide for free are worth the read for sure. (Thanks Kelly and Michele!)
4) If you Work for/in a Tense Region, Check out this New Source
It’s actually more than a news source. The site…
http://www.understandingwar.org/
will indeed let you sign up for daily emails, but their regional updates are much more than a news site. They help you understand the conflicts and personages BEHIND the news… the people CAUSING the news to happen and why. The truth is, they’re not a news outlet, so they’re not trying to boost ‘hits’ or ‘likes’ or viewership. They’re just trying to understand our world. They’re a non-profit with a primary goal of compiling a knowledgebase to help people like you (and the political types) make decisions. Please check them out. (Thanks Caleb!)
5) Desiring God is Doing its Part for Christmas
John Piper would not be held back. Check out…
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/spread-the-word-at-christmas
where you’ll find books about Newton, Things not Seen, Designed for Joy, A Godward Life, and much, much more. Thanks John Piper!
6) Brookings Institute Focuses on Quality, Independence, and Impact
If you’re not in the CENTER of tension points but still want to remain in the know, maybe Brookings Institute is your best bet for news rather than BBC.
They take a scholarly, academic approach (as opposed to drama and ratings). You won’t regret the moments you spend there. (Thanks Caleb!)
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