Brigada Today
17 of July, 1998
Now with 7373 participants!
News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
On the WorldWide Web, browse http://www.brigada.org or http://www.eGroups.com/list/brigada-today
Brigada Today is "the missionary helper newsletter!"
Compiled by Doug Lucas <DLucas@teamexpansion.org>, Louisville, KY
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]
In this issue....
"HOW DO WE GET JOHNSTONE'S THE CHURCH IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK
That's got to be one of the key questions of July, at least in MY incoming email.
Just after the notice from a couple of issues ago, Johnstone's agent apparently
changed distributors in the USA - so many Brigada Today readers were
confused when they came away empty-handed from the supplier we had provided. Well it's all been cleared up now I think. Apparently the need for the
book is bigger than they thought. 
Anyway, if you want 1000 copies or more, contact CFP at
Geanies House,
Feam, Tain, Ross-shire, IV20 1TW, Scotland, UK If you're a bookstore, order from Riverside Distributors at 1-800-247-5111 in the USA.
If you're ordering individual copies, go with
Clifton Book Co.
122 North Ave. Dr.
Box 511,
Clifton, TX 76634, USA
Tel : 1-800-228-0939
There. I hope that's all cleared up. One hitch: We've heard through the rumor mill that the book might not be
available here 'til September!
[USA] GENTLEMEN (AND LADIES), MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
It's going to happen
Sept. 23-25, '99 in Virginia Beach, VA. That's Thursday evening Supper through
noon Saturday. It'll take place at CBN's conference center near Regent
University. There are only 1000 seats. There's probably one with your name on
it. Trouble is, people will want to come from all over the USA and I'm
wondering how they'll all fit! But that's reality for the last great missions
consultation of the millenium (in the USA, anyway). It's AD2000 & Beyond
sponsored, Mission America 2000 initiated, and it's going to include key
leaders from most EFMA and IFMA missions agencies, together with leaders from
denominations and non-denominations of every stripe. The question is this:
"Where did we drop the ball?" That is, which people groups did we not approach
with the gospel in the AD2000 push. The hopeful outcome? To agree on finishing
the task and figure out how to do it. That's the mandate of the "National USA
Meeting on Unreached People Groups." Bill Waldrop, formerly CEO of ACMC, is a
key player in making this happen and I believe he can do it. My question to
him this past week was, "Where's the beef?" (Remember the old Wendy's marketing
campaign?) In other words, how is this consultation going to be different than
others which have share the similar purpose statement. His answer intrigued
me: "Help us make it different." So there you have it, gang. Mark your calendars.
Other countries are putting together similar consultations. In fact,
sometimes I think the USA is woefully behind in asking the same question. So now it's up
to us. Will we be there or not. No need to send any response anywhere yet.
Bill and company are still revving the engines in the command center for this
thing. But it's coming... so be ready.
FROM THE MAILBAG
This past week we rec'd a note from a Brigada participant, "In the next issue of Brigada Today, why don't you include a
little 'blurb' or short synopsis of the need, the organization (how it works),
and the budget so that anyone interested can present this 'blurb' to the
church mission committee for evaluation and action. Just a thought." It's a great
one, Dale. Thanks for asking! We haven't wanted to ever make financial appeals
in Brigada Today. In fact, when someone writes with an appeal, the answer is
always the same... we just don't do that because most all of us are
missionaries anyway. Brigada operates through volunteers, mostly. People like
Don & Judy who do the administrating of the conference, Bob who lays the text
out on the web, John Hanna who prepares the Global Glimpse, Mark Kelly who
puts together the monthly Advance, and . . . for the most part, Doug Lucas who
compiles general nuggets from contributors who write from all over the world.
The goal is to build a global network of special interest groups, who focus on
specific unreached groups -- and Brigada Today is like a totem pole around
which all can gather to read notes of general interest to all. The very word
"Brigada" comes from the Russian (and Spanish) word meaning "Brigade" . . . as
in "bucket brigade." The idea is that we all stand shoulder to shoulder to put
out an emergency fire . . . one which has engulfed the world in its flames...
the flames of an untold world who does not have a personal relationship with
the Savior, the King of Kings. The budget? - $400/mo. (Doug's time parsing through about 50 Brigada email messages per day)
- $300/mo. that we WOULD spend on marketing Brigada in Christianity Today and other magazines and web sites (if we had the money, that is)
- $200 per year for the web site to MAFxc
- $200 per year for the corporate MAFxc membership
So -- if you ever run across a grant for $400 per year or $700/mo., it
would be GREAT to send it to Team Expansion, 3700 Hopewell Rd., Louisville, KY 40299. Thanks!
CATCH A BENGALI CONSULTATION
It's not too late to register for the
International Christian Consultation on Bengali People, planned for the
30th of July to the 2nd of August 1998 in Calcutta. For more information, contact
Susanta Patra at jlove@cal.vsnl.net.in.
WANTED: MORE RESEARCH ON THE CITY
David Dale ddale@mail.one.net is
impressed with the amount of work that's been done to understand the city. But
in his quest to finish a major thesis, he wants more! If you'd like to help
him, email him directly and dialogue with him about how to raise the bar all
the more on understanding the world's cities.
GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM TURKEY
Even though secularism and radical Islam are
both at work in Turkey, the church has a time of peace for the moment, and has been allowed to legally register. This has increased confidence in the
local believers and changed the government's posture toward the church.
Eleven years ago there were only two fellowships regularly meeting in Istanbul,
today there are 16; some smaller cities also have churches. In Istanbul a Christian
FM radio station broadcasts 24-hours, reaching a potential audience of at
least 20,000,000 people. The number of New Testaments distributed in the last
year was more than in the previous ten years combined, all largely through
local believers. Next year's plans include a major distribution campaign for the newly translated Old Testament.
(Source: AD2000 report: Luis Bush in Istanbul, June 14, 1998, http://www.ad2000.org)
AND ANOTHER GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM SAUDI
On June 15 while Pino Aguilar, a Filipino Saudi resident, was away, Saudi Religious police raided his home,
taking his pregnant wife, Yolai. Two days later, after hours of intense
interrogation, she gave birth to a son, Elisha. Yolai is one of 10 Filipinos
and a Dutchman who have been taken away without charges and without
diplomatic access. Christian leaders in Riyadh believe the captives are being abused
for information about Christian activity. Significant church growth has been reported there since the Gulf war.
(Source: IMB News Stories, Thursday, July 02, 1998, International Mission Board, SBC, http://www.imb.org)
Global Glimpse is compiled each week by John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO.
FAST - FAST!!! - FOR THE PARSEES
We're in the middle of a planned 40-day fast for the Parsees. For more information on who they are, see http://www.ad2000.org/profiles/parsee. For more information about the fast in
particular, contact love-parsee@integritynetwork.net.
WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO BE A 'LOAN'
Anyone have any leads on any organization that loans money to home buyers and invests a portion of the
interest it receives back to missions? If so, Jeff Morgan jsmorgan@bmi.net would like to know. He's putting together a compendium of possibilities and
will publish the outcome with us here in Brigada Today.
HERE'S AN OFFER YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
Get this . . . a dentist in Oregon who would like to give away some big-time equipment (including maybe an
x-ray machine), as long as it can go for a Christian cause. Interested??? Contact Dr Brian Spencer at 541-963-2520. Hurry -- it won't be around long!
LET'S GET GRAPHIC
Looking for the ways and means to graphically express
yourself or your mission project? Have you tried Kingdom Graphics? They're
committed to creative mission materials that will assist you in promoting &
strengthening support for Global Missions. They specialize in: - Mission Clip-Art
- Mission Computer Papers ... to create your own brochures and booklets
- Mission Note Cards ... themes of ... "Partnership", "Thank You", "Encouragement", etc.
- Mission Prayer Cards ... creative designing & low cost printing
- Mission Note Pads
- Mission Place Mats ...
- Mission Design & Layout Services ... to meet your custom needs!
Check them out at: http://www.kingdomgraphics.com or write to
2713 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Willow Grove, PA 19090
Tel: 1-800-618-3133 (in the USA or using Net2phone)
Fax: 215-657-5888
e-mail: kingraph@navpoint.com.
ADVANCE READY TO "GET"
You can download the full text of Advance from
the Brigada document server. Here's a summary:
THE GOSPEL FOR EVERY PEOPLE -- Two previously unknown tribes discovered in
Irian Jaya; the Central Khmer of Cambodia; the Tu of China; the Mina of
India; the Arabs of Yemen; the Luri of Iran; audio version of the Jesus film being
revised for broadcast; spiritual breakthrough in Turkey; earthquake relief in
Afghanistan; the Jesus film introduced in Buddhist country
THE PERSECUTED CHURCH -- Believers arrested in Saudi Arabia; church leaders
threatened, beaten in Myanmar; Pakistani believer charged with blasphemy; new
Uzbekistan religion law; new apostasy law in Malaysia; Christian girls
kidnapped in Pakistan; Morocco fines expatriate believers; Mongolia threatens
churches with destruction of buildings; church building in Indonesia attacked
SPIRITUAL FORCES OF DARKNESS -- New technique allows abortions eight days after conception; Lord's Resistance Army kidnaps 40 girls; the annual
Amaranth pilgrimage in India; pagans and occultists converge on Timonium, Maryland;
House of Commons votes to lower age of homosexual consent;
REJOICE! -- Swedish missionary couple released; dead girl testifies in
India's Bihar state; 750 decisions for Christ in Khmu villages; prayer for the
persecuted at March for Jesus rallies; Kingdom advance in Sudan; Christian
film broadcast in Muslim nation; Myanmar believers reach out to Bama people
group; Turkish Muslim accepts Christ, returns home; Hindu priest accepts
Jesus; two court decisions protect unborn children; Salvation Army sacrifices
income for Christian principle
NETWORKING -- Earthquake relief efforts in Afghanistan; registering protests
over arrests in Saudi Arabia; International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted
Church; "The Church Is Bigger Than You Think;" Praying Through the Window IV;
gospel broadcasts for all major people groups in languages they can
understand; prayer profiles of 1,739 unreached people groups; sharing the
gospel with international students; urgent e-mail warning about computer virus
LOOKING FOR AUDIO SCRIPTURES?
Try a new zip. A couple of issues ago in Brigada Today ("GIVE THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!" from July 3rd
edition), we had them located in Escondido, CA at zip code 42046. Ahem. Apparently it's
supposed to be 92046-0634. Slightly on the other side of the country -- sorry about that.
JESUS FILMS CONTINUE TO BE BELL-RINGERS
We're STILL getting thank-you
notes expressing appreciation to the Jesus Film project for the offer of 5
free videos for anyone who would use them with unreached peoples. The latest came
this past week from a group in the Philippines: "Please pass on the message to
the Jesus Film Project and Campus Crusade for Christ for the video on Jesus
which has arrived yesterday. It will be a great help for our film outreaches
all over the Philippines. May the Lord continue to use the project in order
to be able to reach more souls for Christ all over the world. May you richly
be blessed! In His Love, Christ's Ambassadors in Action (CAIA)." Another
wrote, "I am so thankful to have the Jesus Films arrive. Thanks for being a
channel through which we could get these ministry tools FREE!" 3 Cheers for the Jesus Film people!
JUMP ON BOARD THE BERLIN PRAYER LIFT
Now you can be involved in the Berlin Prayer Lift. It's all about raising the roof in prayer for Berlin.
WANT TO BRUSH UP ON YOUR PUNJABI???
Now you can. A School of Language and Culture Studies is being set up in Chandigarh, India offering studies in
various North Indian peoples. Now you can study Punjabi language, Punjabi
culture, Sikh religion, and Hindi beginning November, 1998. For more info, write JoelDavid@XC.org.
WE DIDN'T DROP THE BOMM DATABASE
In fact, it's just been updated! Check it out at http://www.ris.net/~nwilson/dbindex.htm on the web. The BOMM database is an
organized collection of all the missions information that has been shared over
the Brigada-orgs-missionmobilizers email conference. It is a gold mine of
information with over 200 practical articles on missions! Nate Wilson is the
compiler and he has recently done some major updates to the BOMM database.
It'll be of great help to any mission consultant or leader of a mission
committee or mission emphasis group. Nate works for (who else) Caleb Project
and can be reached at NateWilson@XC.org.
If I'm good, then maybe when I go to Heaven I can work for Caleb Project too.
CHINA IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK
So maybe you need a map? Well now you can get it! Target Ministries has just put together a newly published China
Minorities Prayer Map! This one is printed in Chinese. It is 2' X 3' map that
features ten of the unreached minority peoples of Southwest China. Target
wrote us this past week, "We published it for the purpose of raising awareness
of Chinese Minorities, and for gaining prayer support for them and for the
workers serving the Lord among the minorities." They have priced the Maps at a
very special price for those who subscribe to Brigada: $3.00 U.S. plus
shipping and handling! For more information, write to KEVTARGET@AOL.COM for
information as well as all of the particulars on purchasing the prayer maps. 
(Remember, Brigada does not recommend you giving out your credit card
information over the open Internet. Use Fax or encrypted email instead.)
"BRIGADA JOE" NEEDS YOU AT HIS AUGUST 8 MEETING IN DALLAS
Remember the zealous Brigada Today reader last year who put us to the challenge of
directing him to the least reached people group on planet earth? Well, he
(we'll call him "Brigada Joe") took the people group you most suggested (we'll
call them the "Bazooka people" -- not their real name [duh!]) and moved his
family to live close to the Bazookas who are a people group of over one
million with only one known Christian. Brigada Joe wrote this week and said he is
feeling a little under-qualified for this strategic work and wants to know if Brigada readers can help. He is hosting an all-day strategy meeting for the
Bazooka people on Saturday August 8th in Dallas, Texas. Churches are needed to
adopt to Bazookas. Web page design help is needed to attract Bazooka people
who Brigada Joe has found surfing the Web. Also needed are people who will
knock on the door of Bazookas who Brigada Joe has located in the USA. Prayer warriors
are needed as is almost any other kind of service you might bring to the
table. For his intense security setting, Brigada Joe will need a short paragraph
about your conversion and your church name and your pastor's name and pastor's work
phone number. Brigada Joe will send you an invitation to this all-day meeting.
(All program and food costs for just $15!) E-mail Brigada Joe at afm@xc.org and even if you can't attend the meeting, volunteer your help for the Bazookas.
BEEN TRYING TO "GET BRIGADA CALEB"???
Try again. It's up and running
now. To receive a full catalogue of missions mobilization materials from Caleb Project.
Disclaimer: I don't work for them. Wish I did of course. Maybe when I get to Heaven.
ARE YOU CURIOUS IDOP?
Me too. We didn't put the date in last week's Brigada Today. We don't even know when it is! Sorry! Anybody got the date
for the upcoming International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church? TO SUBSCRIBE -- To subscribe to BRIGADA TODAY, send email to brigada-today-subscribe@egroups.com.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE -- Send email to brigada-today-unsubscribe@egroups.com. (Subject and text are ignored.)
IF IT DOESN'T WORK -- Write Don & Judy, our Customer Services Managers at help@brigada.org. Yahooooo for volunteers!!!
COPYRIGHT -- This issue of Brigada Today is Copyrighted © 2001. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute
these materials, including those available through email autoresponders, provided that such redistribution is to those who
will help the Good News of Christianity to reach the unreached. But please include this phrase: "For a free subscription of Brigada's weekly missions publication, write <brigada-today-subscribe@egroups.com>."
IMPORTANT: To copy or reproduce Brigada Today for any other reason is illegal and is not permitted.
DISCLAIMER -- Please note that there's no way we can possibly screen all the text on all the web sites or items we recommend. We try to
check them out first... but if we miss something, please don't assume that the opinions on those sites are identical to those
of the Brigada family of networks. "Eat the corn, leave
the cob!" 
For subscription questions or problems, write help@brigada.org.
SUBMITTING CONTENT -- To submit content or ideas to Brigada Today, first please get a copy of "Guidelines for submitting items to Brigada"
Then, once you've composed your item in keeping with those guidelines, send your item for Brigada Today to DLucas@teamexpansion.org.
Thanks to <eGroups.com> for hosting the Brigada mailing list.
Emphasis is placed on items relating to unreached peoples and challenges faced by those reaching them cross-culturally.
PLEASE DON'T SUBSCRIBE US TO YOUR LIST -- It's always better to ask before manually force-adding anyone to your list-serve or mailing list. Recently, tons of well-meaning people have been subscribing Doug to their lists. Since he often travels overseas, he doesn't join many of those, for obvious reasons (like being charged big-time for overseas access). So as a general rule, please don't bulk-mail us! See the note above if you'd like to submit items for Brigada Today. Thanks for understanding. Bottom line: We will never create Brigada Today items from bulk mail. Bulk mail gets deleted immediately -- sorry. Nothing personal. We suggest you apply the same standard to everyone. Ask first!
WARNING ABOUT FORWARDING EMAILS -- Please, before forwarding any kind of request (even if it says
"please send this to all your friends"), please check to
make sure it has a VERIFIABLE ORIGIN, a VERIFIABLE PURPOSE, and a
VERIFIABLE CLOSURE (OPC). By following this simple approach, many
"email viruses" could be nipped in the bud... at least in the Brigada family. More information about the full Brigada OPC protocol is available. Thank you.
BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:
Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com
Brigada Website: Bob Mayhew, WebServant@brigada.org- Brigada Customer Service Manager: help@brigada.org
- Brigada Coordinator: 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!
