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Brigada Today
06 Oct 2006
In this issue...
- SET UP SHOP FOR FREE AT MISSION-WORLD.COM
- TOP 10 LIST ABOUT FORWARDING AGENTS
- DO YOU USE A TREO? THEN GET GOOGLE MOBILE MAPS FOR FREE
- 5TH TENTMAKERS INT'L CONGRESS JULY 9-11
- TEACH ENGLISH WITH CONFIDENCE AND INTEGRITY
- MORE FREE DOWNLOADABLE MULTI-LINGUAL TRACTS
- LEARN MORE ABOUT "BONDING" (LANGUAGE-LEARNING & CULTURE)
- THE MBALANTU PEOPLE OF NORTHERN NAMIBIA IN AFRICA
- MISSING PIECE IN "6) WATCH WHAT YOU DO WITH THOSE VIDEO CLIPS"
- YOUR GIFTS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: BE A BRIDGE
- THE BACKPAGE: MEMBER CARE REQUIRES ADMINISTRATION
- CLOSING STUFF
- SET UP SHOP FOR FREE AT MISSION-WORLD.COM -- It's a great example of combining web technology with a very real need: Missionaries need financial backing. Donors would like to invest carefully. Now they can... at
http://www.mission-world.com
If you're a mission or missionary, register today to get your free referral signpost on the web. The idea is sort of like applying eHarmony or YahooPersonals to the world of missions. If you're a donor looking for a great cause, here's a super place to shop.
Take a look at the organizations that have already bought into the system and you'll probably be surprised at how quickly it's taken off. Use the "Organization" drop-down box and you'll see that the list reads off like a directory from the latest global consultation on world evangelization. They're definitely over the hump on the inertia curve. And the best part is ... it's free.
The developers are doing this all as a labor of love, so it's hard to offer any objective criticism. (In other words, I like they're way of doing it better than my way of not doing it at all. :-) ) Still, in its present configuration, the site seems slanted toward listing missionaries as individuals. So a *team* of workers... or an organization with a *goal* to reach a certain unreached people... would have a hard time knowing exactly how to list. But still... the fill-in- the-blank boxes don't actually force you into any specific pattern. So there really is flexibility once you understand the system. But that flexibility might also get the system into trouble as it grows (rapidly). For example, use the "Denomination" drop-down box and scroll down to "non-denominational". You'll see all the different ways that differing individuals have entered their data -- which isn't verified in any way, apparently.
Still, these are bugs that we're confident they'll work out in time. The bigger questions lie with how the team will support itself long- term. Will they eventually ask for a listing fee? Either way, dive in now... because for today, it's a free referral service -- and get this, they don't even ask for a percentage of your donations! :-) (Thanks to Robby, Bill, and all the rest of the team working on this project.)
- TOP 10 LIST ABOUT FORWARDING AGENTS –- Jason, a Team Expansion missionary serving in Italy, will be speaking to a group of forwarding agents who meet regularly for support and encouragement on the 24th of October. He is attempting to put together a list to share with and encourage this group of men and women who have a difficult and sometimes tedious role which includes checking the mail, receipting donations, running reports, paying bills, and communicating with supporters. The list is entitled, "Top 10 Ways you Know you Have a Good Forwarding Agent." Could you help him by submitting your top reasons and write him at jcasey(at)teamexpansion(dot)org? Thanks! [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
Note that you'll have to write soon. His presentation is coming up quickly. He'll be greatly appreciative. We'll ask him to submit a report back to us here at Brigada.
- DO YOU USE A TREO? THEN GET GOOGLE MOBILE MAPS FOR FREE -- For those in the USA and other Google-mapped countries, or if your furlough is coming up... or you have to speak at a church on the other side of the country next month.. either way... Our Creative Arts guy put me on to this last night...
http://www.google.com/gmm/treo
I have the Sprint Treo 700p... so it uses PowerVision and it downloads these maps lickety-split. You can find the closest florist with this application, along with turn-by-turn directions to wherever you want to go. And you can even switch into satellite view to check out the view of your own back yard. :-) Fun. Free. Fantastic.
- 5TH TENTMAKERS INT'L CONGRESS JULY 9-11 -- Tentmakers International (TI) formerly TIE will hold it's 5th Congress in Malaysia. This is open to anyone with an interest in tentmaking. From the 11th – 13th, the TI Consultation for TI associates and experienced tentmakers will be held in the same venue. To register, please contact:
ticongress(at)gmail(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
For more details, please go to the TI website:
http://www.tentmakersinternational.info or
http://www.tentmakernet.com
- TEACH ENGLISH WITH CONFIDENCE AND INTEGRITY -- Invest three weeks in practical TESOL training and ensure that your teaching is effective and your ministry with students is enhanced. During Essentials of TESOL, July 9-27, 2007, at Biola University in southern California, you will: learn methods and techniques for teaching English language skills, be introduced to the sound and grammar systems of English, discover teaching materials, explore cultural issues, and learn appropriate ways of being a Christian teacher. You will also get supervised experience teaching non-native speakers. Non-credit tuition is only $525. (Credit is also available.) Dorm space is available for early applicants. Visit
http://www.biola.edu/sics/academics_tesol.cfm
for more info or call 562/903-4844 or contact kitty(dot)purgason(at)biola(dot)edu for an application. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
- MORE FREE DOWNLOADABLE MULTI-LINGUAL TRACTS -- In 1954 a pastor preached a sermon entitled, "Steps Leading to Salvation" and distributed his notes. Little did he know that this would give birth to the _Step Up To Life_(tm) evangelistic booklet. Since that time the tract has been translated into 17 different languages and is used worldwide by many different denominations, organizations and everyday "Joe Christians." _Step Up To Life_ may well be the only piece of gospel literature with evangelistic use of the Ten Commandments combined with the Lordship of Christ. More information, teaching materials, free downloads (several thematic English versions and multiple languages), and interactive versions are all available at
http://www.stepuptolife.com Alternatively, e-mail
sutlmail(at)aol(dot)com or phone 402 933 4095, or 402 359 1432, or snail mail Step Up To Life Ministries, Box 730, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022-0730, USA. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] If your target language is not available, there is a submission box for new languages.
- LEARN MORE ABOUT "BONDING" (LANGUAGE-LEARNING & CULTURE) -- You can still pick up the little book, "Bonding and the Missionary Task". Just follow this link:
http://www.instantweb.com/l/linguahouse/Stories.html#Bonding
And you'll find that the Brewsters' work is still alive and well.
- THE MBALANTU PEOPLE OF NORTHERN NAMIBIA IN AFRICA -- The question is, "Who reigns supreme?" For the Mbalantu people, human nature is constant. They believe in keeping cultural traditions as well as continuing their religious practices. Many of their beliefs and superstitions center around who they believe is their Supreme Being, Kalunga. They also use a tribal diviner, the onganga, for intervening with the spirits. Please pray for the Mbalantu people. Pray that they will come to know the one true Supreme God. Pray that they will hear and accept the true constant, the living Word, Jesus Christ. Pray that workers will come and share with these forgotten people, the Mbalantu. To adopt the Mbalantu people for prayer or for more information, please visit
http://www.forgottenpeoples.info
or email forgottenpeoples(at)telkomsa(dot)net [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
- MISSING PIECE IN "6) WATCH WHAT YOU DO WITH THOSE VIDEO CLIPS" -- Several observant readers noticed a missing chunk of text in the item, "6) WATCH WHAT YOU DO WITH THOSE VIDEO CLIPS" (2006/09/22). I don't really think the missing piece changed the meaning much. The real meaning still gets through -- be careful what you post on the web, what you publish, what you show to large groups. Make sure your text/pictures don't put anyone in the spotlight that would rather be low profile. Either way, please excuse the hiccup. Here was the original item as it was intended: This past week we heard from a brother who had just spent a week with local citizens in a sensitive country. They were training local believers for personal evangelism in hostile environments. Apparently, a recent short-termer had shot video, then published the clips, thereby exposing the decisions of several local nationals. That led to a decision that no team member, including the director, would any longer grant video taped interviews to anyone at all -- even when you are one of the team partners as is my case. More than being disappointed in not getting video for a story that select others need to hear, I was really disturbed that some camera happy brother had carelessly put our team members here even more at risk than they already are. It would be even more disturbing if I were to discover that this individual were using those video clips for his own personal gain in support raising. You know the routine -- personal publicity about how well connected one is with frontliners, etc. The Church in today's world needs to care for the security of those who are out there doing the hard stuff, not parade them for all the world to know about. So please, watch what you do with those video clips. (Again, thanks to the anonymous brother who shared this testimony.)
- YOUR GIFTS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: BE A BRIDGE -- There's no way we could quit this ministry when we receive gifts and encouraging notes like these... $60 from and a great note from a brother in Cedar Hill, TX, $200 and a great note from Plainfield, IL, $5 from a faithful supporter in Europe. Whoa... Thank you so much. These gifts help us with ministry costs (such as some help from a part-time secretary). Just as importantly though, they provide much-needed encouragement! Want to be that bridge for this coming week? Just click on "sponsor" in the top menu (to use PayPal or a credit card), or if you prefer, 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. In any case, thanks for considering Brigada in your estate giving, your monthly church missions fund, and/or your own personal giving for this calendar year.
- THE BACKPAGE: MEMBER CARE REQUIRES ADMINISTRATION -- Recently, our mission organization has been trying to replace a retiring Member Care Coordinator. It's a tough spot to fill. Over the past few months, we've come face to face with the fact that Member Care involves a lot more than Rogerian psychology. We're learning that today's missionaries (and, truth be known, probably yesterday's too) want & deserve:
*** Help in the transitions of their lives (college-aged kids to the homeland, for example)
*** Great tracking... ie., where in the world the workers are, when their birthdays occur, what's their status, what do they need, how are their kids getting along, etc. -- all that stuff needs to be tracked.
*** Effective debriefing after emotional life experiences (because they probably don't have the degree of Christian family over there that they would have back home)
*** Assistance with important family decisions & needs -- like where do they get homeschooling curriculum... and, just as importantly, how do they make the decision of whether or not to home school or use public schools or ... gulp... boarding schools. These are tough decisions for families in the field.
So you get the picture. It's not an easy task. Basically, we need a bunch of super heroes to staff these member care positions. We'd better pray hard... because I think they're pretty difficult to find. To make matters worse, some missions... like ours... function by faith gifts only. So these workers pretty much are responsible for raising the financial support equivalent to their salary, ministry, and travel requirements. Yikes. No wonder they're tough to find! Pray with me please.
- CLOSING STUFF -- SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION -- Important! Please don't just hit "reply". Subscriptions are automated. First, you need to determine the mailing source of your individual copy of Brigada Today. We're now sending them from 2 sources. To find out, just look at the "From:" address of your last edition. The domain will tell the tale. Here's how to do it:
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COPYRIGHT -- This issue of _Brigada Today_ is Copyrighted 2006. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute these materials, including those available on the Brigada website, provided that such redistribution is to those who will help the Good News of Jesus Christ to reach the unreached.* To copy or reproduce _Brigada Today_ for any other reason is illegal and is not permitted. * When you quote or paraphrase material from Brigada, please include this phrase: "For a free subscription to Brigada's weekly missions publication, write brigada-today-subscribe@googlegroups.com and/or visit Brigada on the web at www.brigada.org."
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