Brigada – 2024-04-14

I’ve got a good friend named Eric who serves as the point person at a large church in the Midwest. He wrote this past week to explain that he’s looking for a source for statistics on missions giving. “I am looking for the % or number of US churches that give 15% or more to missions form their budgets. I feel like this has probably been compiled somewhere but I don’t know where to look.” It’s a fairly specific ask. But what if we at least directed him to sources for stats on missions giving in general. Got anything like that? If so, thanks in advance for pointing us there (in the comments below the web version of this item).

…trying to find enough crafts and teaching supplies to keep dozens of little people engaged in God’s story. What would you do? Well you might visit…

http://www.mylittlehouse.org/

a web site dedicated to parents and children where you can find a variety of arts and crafts activities and paper toys to cut out and assemble and play with. And maybe lots of little people around you would suddenly be all smiles, all heart, and all soul. Try it. (Thanks for the tip, Mike!)

Did you like “War Room,” (the movie)? Looking for a way to introduce the idea to your kids? Check out this book…

http://www.amazon.com/Peters-Perfect-Prayer-Stephen-Kendrick-ebook/dp/B013CQY360

Peter is used to seeing his mom pray in her special prayer room, and now you can help him search for his own place to pray-Peter’s perfect prayer place. Is it under his bed? Up in his treehouse? Between the pots and pans? Where can God hear him best? There’s lots of fun as Peter looks and looks, but in the end, he learns that although it’s great to have a special place to be alone with God and pray, God hears you no matter where you are-under, up, or in between! This companion book to the movie, “War Room,” will teach young readers an important lesson about talking to God.

Here’s yet another companion book to the movie, “War Room.” The idea is — as kids grow, their prayer lives need to grow too. But how? Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick offer a strategy that kids can use to figure out how prayer works and just how powerful it is. Lots of great explanation is combined with fun activities, illustrations, and journaling prompts to get kids thinking and praying. It even contains 32 perforated journal pages kids can use to write specific prayers and then post them on the walls in their prayer room-just like the characters in the movie. Topics include:
What is prayer?
Why should I pray?
Where do I pray?
Is there a wrong way to pray?
What should I pray for?
Does God really hear me?

This would be a super Christmas gift for every missionary family on your church’s list.

http://www.amazon.com/PrayerWorks-Prayer-Strategy-Training-Kids-ebook/dp/B013CR7EWO

If you read Roy Moran’s book, “Spent Matches,” with an open mind, it will spark a fire in your soul for prayer, hybrids, and the difference between going and coming. Discover Innovative ideas for growing the church, methods to reach those who may never have attended church, and scripture passages that touch on the subject of church growth.

http://www.amazon.com/Spent-Matches-Spiritually-Dissatisfied-Refraction/dp/0718030621

Want to make this Christmas special in a truly remarkable way? Try this “faith dare” bible study…

http://www.womensbiblecafe.com/WBC_studies/faith-dare-christmas/

Join Debbie Alsdorf and your friends online or in a coffee shop or church.

TRAIN International’s 2-week, ORIENT pre-field training April 25-May 5 (and September 5-18) prepares cross-cultural workers in areas such as cultural adaptation, spiritual formation, personal identity, personal and cultural values identification, expectations, transitions, stress coping, leaving well and more. TRAIN partners with Discovery Ministries during this training to lead participants through outdoor challenges and group initiatives to incorporate interpersonal skills and conflict resolution strategies as well. Learn more and register at…

http://traininternational.org/Training.html

Each November/December, we ask Brigada participants to chip in on the costs we incur to provide resources, motivation, information, and trends to Great Commission workers all over the world. We hold our requests to a reasonable amount. We’ve worked off of a budget of $17,120 annually for over a decade. This covers the costs associated with domains, email-sending services, light marketing costs, and a part-time assistant to help with compiling and publishing. Everything we do is associated with reaching unreached peoples. If your church, family, or business would consider chipping in, we’d be very grateful.

Will we try to go on producing Brigada even if you don’t help? Probably so. Because we serve out of passion, not for financial gain. So one might ask, “Well then why should we chip in? Brigada will likely keep going anyway, in one way or another.” But isn’t a ministry of passion one that you’d RATHER help? So have at it: Throw gasoline on our fire. Back Brigada. Become a “true fan” by sending a $100 gift (or whatever you can afford) today.

Brigada hits screens all around the world. To help, just 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 through Team Expansion is tax-deductible. If you’d rather give online, just click “Donate” in the upper right corner at brigada.org .

Written in the style of the Quran, this book is an enigma to me. Would you be willing to explain how it might be helpful? Has it been helpful to you? And could you also explain why it might NOT be helpful (if that’s the case)? Apparently, it has some Bible verses translated into Arabic in the formal poetic style that the Qur’an uses? Please — someone explain.

http://www.amazon.com/The-True-Furqan-Al-Saffee/dp/1579211755

Please just click “Comment” following the web version of this item. Let’s get to the bottom of this.