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Brigada Today
18 Apr 2008
In this issue...
- WHOA - DO YOU USE OUTLOOK? THEN READ THIS
- RUNNING OUT OF HARD DRIVE SPACE?
- LEARN ABOUT BIBLE TRANSLATION AND MISSION
- MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP
- INTERNET EVANGELISM DAY OFFERS CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
- TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF RAISING SUPPORT
- FREE TICKET TO K'STAN (FOR PROSPECTIVE FULL-TIMERS)
- TEACH IN ROMANIA
- LEARN ORALITY
- OPEN LETTER TO BIBLE COLLEGE PRINCIPALS
- OUR HEARTS GO OUT... (Thank you for the support!)
- FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO CANNOT HELP... (Would you help?)
- THE BACKPAGE: WILL AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN AFFECT YOUR FINANCES?
- CLOSING STUFF
- WHOA - DO YOU USE OUTLOOK? THEN READ THIS -- Last August, our entire
office had to switch away from our contact manager ("Goldmine"), after
nearly 10 years of use. We began using Microsoft Outlook... and although
there were lots of new bells and whistles, I could never quite get my
arms around how to follow up on emails I had sent and replies I had
received in the same thread of conversation. Was it too much to ask just
to see a single history of communication with one correspondent?
Apparently the folks in Redmond just didn't think we needed that. Well
last night, while perusing an article at Justin Long's "Momentum
Magazine" site
http://www.momentum-mag.org
I happened upon a program that, at first glance, appears to have the
capacity to change my life! :-) (You think I'm over-dramatizing, but I'm
serious as a lost email. :-) ) The name of the program is Xobni (which
is "inbox" spelled backward). Find it at:
http://www.xobni.com
Watch the video... read the review at:
http://www.microsoftweblog.com
where the author says it just "might possibly be the best 3rd-party
application on the planet." From my vantage point, he's telling the
truth. Amazingly, this redeeming application is absolutely free!
Granted, it's still in beta; but if you rely on Outlook for email, I
believe you'll find it useful today. (Thanks Justin!)
- RUNNING OUT OF HARD DRIVE SPACE? -- Now might be a great time to
swap. If you've ever switched out hard drives before, perhaps you recall
what an arduous task it is to a) obtain the original drivers and version
of Windows, b) install everything and try to remember all the special
settings you've changed, c) reinstall all the little utilities and
browser plug-ins, d) reinstall all your applications, e) restore all
your data, files, pictures, music, etc. Shew! No wonder people dread it.
Dread it no more. Last week, as I was getting ready to lose about 2 days
of productivity (attempting all the jobs above), I asked our I.T. guy if
he had any last minute tips for me. Shew. Smartest thing I could have
done. He told me about a free utility application called Self Image
http://selfimage.excelcia.org
Basically, you buy a $20 pig-tail that connects your PC's USB port to
the data connector & power plug on the new hard drive. Bam. The new hard
drive shows up as a new additional drive on your PC. Then you just tell
Self Image to create a new copy of the primary hard drive (probably c:)
onto the new additional drive (probably e: or f:). It copies everything:
Windows, operating system, utilities, even *partitions*, even if they're
hidden! So about 20' later, I had upgraded from a 100 gig drive to a 160
gig drive. Even as I write this tonight, I'm still shaking my head in
disbelief. It was so easy. I can't understand why hard drive
manufacturers don't give away a CD with this program on it with every
hard drive they sell. Their customers would spread the word and their
sales would triple over night. Highly recommended. And free. (To our
I.T. guy at Team Expansion, whose name is Greg, I give my full measure
of gratitude. You've earned *high* respect for finding and telling me
about such a helpful resource.)
- LEARN ABOUT BIBLE TRANSLATION AND MISSION -- Let Wycliffe
help you totally settle it once and for all. You like the idea of missions but
you're not sure about learning another language. We'll show you how to learn
language the linguistic way. Or you like languages and you've wondered about
Bible translation, language survey, literacy or other language related
ministries. We'll help you understand the many options in Wycliffe. TOTAL Vision
is a new one-week experience in what it's really like being involved in a
vernacular approach to mission. TOTAL stands for a Taste Of Translation And
Linguistics. In one week you'll know if God is leading you into Wycliffe or
serious language-related ministry. This new program is being offered twice this
summer in Idyllwild, California (in the mountains above Palm Springs): June 8-13
and August 10-15. The cost is only $225 for room and board and all your
materials. To get more information and a brochure, call 951-775-7505 or email
events_WSW
(at)wycliffe(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our
contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at)
with @ and (dot) with . then reassemble the address back onto one line.]
- MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP -- Invest four days of focused examination
on areas critical for becoming one sent from a local church. The days
are a balance of hearing principles and receiving impartation from
others who have years of experience. This type of training has become
the front door for many seeking to enter into full-time service at home
or abroad. The purpose statement for Elijah Company is "Raising up
prayer, sending out workers." For a full description of the training,
what others have said, and how to apply, visit
http://www.elijahcompany.org
The dates of this training are June 19-22, 2008, and the place is Living
Waters Farm, Virginia. To personally communicate with an Elijah Company
representative write to
elijco
(at)elijahcompany(dot)org or call (757) 333-0446. [As a means of
preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email
address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with . then reassemble
the address onto one line.]
- INTERNET EVANGELISM DAY OFFERS CONFERENCE SPEAKERS -- Need a speaker
to address a conference, seminar or Bible College on an online outreach
topics (anywhere in the world)? Here's a panel that can help you. They
can even offer Skype video-seminars, and their page also explains how
anyone can use Skype to have a speaker across the world share a seminar
and PowerPoint with a group:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/speaker.php
(Thanks Tony!)
- TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF RAISING SUPPORT -- Now you can acquire the
ministry attitudes and face-to-face relational skills that eliminate the
fear of picking up the phone, making appointments and building
relationships that result in people supporting your ministry. You can
join a group via live, interactive videoconferencing over your own high
speed internet connection. Kingdom Come Training will send you the
equipment that makes it all work at a very low cost. You will have the
time it takes to build confidence that you can ministers to a genuine
need of believers to be connected with a major purpose for their
redemption-being the expression of Christ to the nations. No pressure
tactics! Raising your full support shouldn't take more than eight
months. Just browse:
http://www.kingdomcometraining.com
Or give Jerry a call at (503)314-7211 or email
jerry
(at)kingdomcometraining(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our
contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at)
with @ and (dot) with . then reassemble the address onto one line.]
- FREE TICKET TO K'STAN (FOR PROSPECTIVE FULL-TIMERS) -- Looking for a
free trip to K'stan? Here's your chance. Kazakhstan International School
is a privately owned not-for-profit school (see their web site at
http://www.kisnet.org
The school is owned by a group of Christians who have a vision to train
up the next generations of leaders in Central Asia for Jesus Christ.
Although they are a secular school, the large majority of the staff are
believers. Their goal is to prepare the way for their students and
parents (from 28 different countries around the world) to come to know
Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. They are currently
recruiting a Principal and elementary school teachers. They pay for the
round trip ticket, housing, provide school lunches, and offer a generous
stipend depending upon position filled and experience of the candidate.
Interested applicants should e-mail the Philip
pjspottswood
(at)kisnet(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors,
in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot)
with . then reassemble the address onto one line.]
- TEACH IN ROMANIA -- Bucharest Christian Academy is a school primarily
serving missionary families in Bucharest, Romania. There is a need for
teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels for this coming
school year. For more information check out:
http://www.bcaromania.org/
or contact tlong
(at)bcaromania(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our
contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at)
with @ and (dot) with . then reassemble the address onto one line.]
- LEARN ORALITY -- Get "Bridges I" (Training in Orality) with the
group, "Scriptures In Use", July 24-26, at Northside Christian Church,
New Albany, IN (outskirts of Louisville, KY). The cost for all 20 hours
of training is just $75.
- OPEN LETTER TO BIBLE COLLEGE PRINCIPALS -- Internet Evangelism Day
wishes to encourage Bible Colleges to develop modules about online
outreach. See their Open Letter at
http://ied.gospelcom.net/bible-college.php
(Thanks Tony!)
- OUR HEARTS GO OUT... -- .. to Blessed Hope Communications, for the
$16.80 they sent this past month as a gift in recognition of those who
talked on Blessed Hope phone accounts. If you have to arrange long
distance service with someone anyway, why not consider Blessed Hope. It
won't cost you any more -- and you might actually *save* money, because
their rates are so competitive. Just browse to:
http://www.lowermyphonebill.com/brigada/
Thanks, too, to Insurance Services of America for protecting recent
travelers during their trips, which resulted in nice thank-you gifts of
$18 and $14.81 to Brigada, simply because they purchased their trip
cancellation protection by going to:
http://www.missionaryhealth.net/brigada.htm
Thanks, too, to anonymous donors who gave $100 and $30 recently.
- FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO CANNOT HELP... -- Would you help in their
place? Just click on the "Sponsor/Donate" page. You can choose to use PayPal or any major credit card (to do the latter,
when it asks for your PayPal account, just erase the user name and
password, then, at the bottom of the page, where it says "Use any major
credit card", just click there and fill it out like a normal form at any
other payment web form. On the other hand, if you want to use PayPal,
just fill in the info for your account. Or if you prefer, just send an
old-fashioned check payable to Team Expansion to: Team Expansion
(Brigada secretary), 11327 Jefferson Trace Blvd., Louisville, KY 40291.
(Team Expansion is a 501(c)3 incorporation so for USA citizens, your
checks made out to Team Expansion are tax-deductible.) 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. And thank you in
advance for helping.
- THE BACKPAGE: WILL AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN AFFECT YOUR FINANCES? --
What's been your experience now, and in the past? Will a slow-down in
your sending nation or in the global economy affect your capacity to
minister? Here are some pertinent questions:
*** If your support is mostly from individuals (as opposed to most from
church budgets), do you feel you take a bigger "hit" during slow-downs?
*** If you mainly get support from one-time gifts (as opposed to
budgeted monthly income), do you feel those one-time gifts drop off in
hard times?
*** If you're sent out by folks in the USA, do you anticipate gaining
anything through the 2008 tax rebate (incentive) program?
*** If you *do* feel your ministry will suffer in economic slow-downs,
what strategies have you formulated to minimize that impact?
In times of trouble, these are the questions that haunt men's (and
women's) souls. Got an opinion? "Sound off" in this edition's
"BackPage", simply by clicking to:
http://brigada.org/brigade/?p=72
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- CLOSING STUFF --
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COPYRIGHT -- This issue of _Brigada Today_ is Copyrighted 2008.
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