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Brigada Today
02 Dec 2005

In this issue...

1. MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP
2. "STUFF VOLUME IV" NOW AVAILABLE
3. GLOBAL CONSULTATION ON MUSIC AND MISSIONS 2006
4. SUMMER MINISTRY WITH MUSLIMS
5. SPECIAL PRAYER WEEK FOR UNREACHED DEJING ZHUANG OF CHINA
6. ANOTHER OPTION (BETTER?) FOR ANONYMOUS INTERNET WORK
7. THE NORTHERN CAPE COLOURED OF NW SOUTH AFRICA
8. BRIGADA BY THE NUMBERS
9. WANT TO HELP LIGHT A FIRE FOR BRIGADA?
10. THE BACKPAGE: "SYSTEMS" CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
11. CLOSING STUFF

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1. MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP -- Elijah Company's next Missionary Training Camp is February 23-26, 2006. During those four days, they'll share crucial highlights for missionary preparation and sending. See their web site http://www.elijahcompany.org for what others have said, their manifesto, course content and more. For applications write to elijah(at)elijahcompany(dot)org or call 757-226-3507.

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2. "STUFF VOLUME IV" NOW AVAILABLE -- "Stuff IV - Yet More Stuff you need to know about Doing Mission in Your Church" is the fourth volume of an encyclopedia of all the things you wanted to know about doing missions but didn't know where to find. It is a compilation of one-page concepts, lists, outlines, forms, samples, and resources covering everything from Becoming a World Christian to Missions Web Sites. "Stuff" is available only on CD in Microsoft Word. A CD of all four volumes with cumulative index is available for $26 each (including shipping). Send a check (in U.S. Funds) to ACMC, Box 221, Brownsburg, IN 46112. Specify the "Stuff CD" and provide your postal address. See portions of the first two volumes and the cumulative index at http://www.davidmays.org/Resources/resmays.html

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3. GLOBAL CONSULTATION ON MUSIC AND MISSIONS 2006 -- The Global Consultation on Music and Missions will be held July 11-15 at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Celebrate what God is doing world- wide while learning about music and missions from such recognized experts as I-to Loh, Roberta King, Ronald Man, Mary Oyer, Steven Fry, John Witvliet, and others. Choose from over 30 informative breakout sessions on topics such as syncretism, promoting unity in blended cultural contexts both at home and abroad, and other facets of using culturally relevant music to reach and encourage others with the good news. GCoMM attendees from sponsoring organizations will be eligible for a 10 percent discount on the registration fee. Subscribe to receive free email GCoMM updates at http://www.gcommhome.org . For more information or details on how your church or organization can become a sponsor, write to info(at)gcommhome(dot)org . [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] GCoMM 2006 is made possible in part through a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

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4. SUMMER MINISTRY WITH MUSLIMS -- Come join a two-, four-, or six-week ministry team to Muslim students and business people in Istanbul, Turkey June 15th to July 20th 2006. This is an opportunity to join an experienced/ministry team, make friendships with English speaking Turkish students and business people, do friendship evangelism, work with local churches and visit and historical sites in Turkey. The aim of the project is to work with local ministries and churches to help build the local churches. This is an ideal opportunity for a church group or for individual interested in getting started in Muslim ministry. For more information contact Doug dougnann(at)compuserve(dot)com or (509) 302-0027. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

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5. SPECIAL PRAYER WEEK FOR UNREACHED DEJING ZHUANG OF CHINA -- Though they are part of a Gateway people group and receptive to the gospel, the Bible-less, unevangelized 1.1 million Zhuang in the Dejing dialect area continue to be greatly overlooked. If you'd like to bless the Dejing Zhuang with one of the most significant Christmas gifts possible, then join this prayer effort by e-mailing dejingzhuang(at)pobox(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] If you write "Send printable 2 page guide" in the Subject box they'll email you a printable 1 page(front and back) PDF file with the prayer requests for all 7 days. If you write "Send me e-mails December 17-24" in the Subject box they'll e-mail you one short prayer entry with a picture each day for seven consecutive days beginning December 17.

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6. ANOTHER OPTION (BETTER?) FOR ANONYMOUS INTERNET WORK -- Thanks to Paul in France for suggesting an alternative option for anonymous emails and browsing: Portable Apps Suite. This download allows you to carry all your standard applications on a USB thumbdrive, iPod, portable hard drive or any other portable media. It contains a portable web browser, email client, web editor, office suite, word processor, calendar/scheduler, instant messaging client and FTP client... all in one package, all preconfigured to work portably and be easy to back up. Find it at: http://johnhaller.com/jh/useful_stuff/portable_apps_suite/
   
   Paul has tested it himself and the performance is certainly acceptable. A very good link that discusses this topic: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1849710,00.asp. There you will also find link to encryption tools for USB drives and other security tools.

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7. THE NORTHERN CAPE COLOURED OF NW SOUTH AFRICA -- Christian workers arrived in the small, desert village just on the border of Namibia and South Africa. If it is possible, this village was even poorer than the previous ones visited that week. One family lived in the shelter of a tree and everyone carried water from community taps. But even in this harsh climate, God is working. The Gospel was presented and a young man found new life in Jesus Christ! He was given a Bible and encouraged to grow in his newfound faith. The Christian workers pray that the next time they visit this village many others will want to know how they can have a new life in this desert. Adopt the Northern Cape Coloured people for prayer. Contact http://www.forgottenpeoples.info or the new email sf_swac(at)altonet(dot)co(dot)za [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

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8. BRIGADA BY THE NUMBERS --
     *** Total number of editions of Brigada Today since starting: 568, including this one
     *** Total pages of text written so far this year: 251
     *** Total subscription cost charged to all users since beginning: 0

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9. WANT TO HELP LIGHT A FIRE FOR BRIGADA? -- You can do it with $25 or $250 or $2500. Just go to "sponsor" in the top menu (to use PayPal or a credit card), or just send a check payable to Team Expansion to: Team Expansion (Brigada secretary), 11327 Jefferson Trace Blvd., Louisville, KY 40291. As always, be sure to let us know if you'd like us to promote any particular service or ministry, or if you'd prefer your gift be anonymous.

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10. THE BACKPAGE: "SYSTEMS" CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE -- If you're like I am, "systems" can make a huge difference in your life. When I say "system" I mean that you've worked out a particular way of doing things and you do it that way every time, or you've decided to keep a particular thing in a particular place and now you always know where it is. Here are a few examples of "systems" that I've had to work out so I don't drive myself crazy:
    
    a) In the briefcase I use for my laptop, I have a little pouch in which I carry a "clicker" (radio-controlled rather than infra-red) to advance Powerpoint slides. I keep it there year-round, even though I actually only do an average of 2 or 3 presentations per month. But I noticed time and time again that I'd be up in front of people before I realized I had forgotten to pack my clicker. Now, even if I've already started the presentation, I can easily continue the generic intro. while I fish the pouch out of this particular pocket -- and never break eye contact with the audience. So I have a system to keep me in business.
    
    b) I try to get rid of all those little message slips or other notes that can accumulate from phone messages or reminders. I just transfer them to my to do list -- in one place -- along with all the associated phone numbers or other data. (I keep my to do list on my Treo cell phone/PDA, but a paper Day-timer or other calendar/journal would work the same way.) That way my life is all on one list, ready for action when I have the time.
    
    c) I save up and purchase an 2 extra AC adaptors for my laptop, so I have 3 in all. I keep one plugged in at the office, one plugged in at home, and one packed all the time in my briefcase. In this way, I never have to pack up AC adaptors -- ever. When I arrive at home or the office, I just plug in . . . and when I'm on the road, I feel relieved that I didn't have to remember to pack it up before leaving home or the office.
    
    These are 3 examples of simple systems. Maybe to you they seem rather elementary. If so, you probably have your life broken down into systems already. But for the rest of us, we could probably all use some work developing these approaches or routines. Start by identifying something that bugs you... something you forget, or something that seems jumbled or garbled. Then "think outside the box" to try to figure out a solution so you can handle it the same way each time you approach it. Take whatever steps necessary to build that system, then start with the next challenge.
    
    In this way, life gets simpler as each day goes by . . . and less stressful. And less stress is good, because there are enough real reasons to be stressed beyond those that we could resolve more simply anyway. Beside... dealing with life by "systems" can cause us to feel like we're in control . . . like we have impacted our reality, rather than becoming a victim of it.
    
    So good luck. Go build a system and then celebrate the small stuff. :-)

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