Now with 2166 Participants!
News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]
[Our one-year birthday is March 21st — to be celebrated next issue!]

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In this issue….

* ANNOUNCING…. A BRAND NEW PEOPLE GROUP RESOURCE ON THE WEB!
* SURVEY SAAAAAAAID….!!!!??????
* SEE YOUR DIGITIZED SELF IN FULL COLOR ON A PRAYER CARD WORLDWIDE!
* TRAVEL CONFERENCE MODERATOR SECURED!
* YOUR BRIGADA QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
* INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS SET TO SQUARE OFF???
* GLOBAL GLIMPSE
* WHAT DO YOU SAY TO A MISSIONARY?
* PRAYER WARRIORS UNITE!!!
* PICTURE THIS!
* KBM BROCHURE TOUGH TO GET???
* INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT SHARING THE HOPE WITH HINDUS?
* HELPING THE LEAST EVANGELIZED
* TENTMAKERS… READY TO “TIE”???
* BRIGADA-MEDICINE-FOR-POOR SEEKS NEW MODERATOR
* TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY

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ANNOUNCING…. A BRAND NEW PEOPLE GROUP RESOURCE ON THE WEB!
Been wanting more information about the approximately 2000 least reached peoples targeted by Joshua Project 2000? Now, there’s help! This resource roared to life literally only yesterday, March 14th! If you can browse the Web, check out the addition to http://www.ad2000.orgOnce there click on “Joshua Project 2000” and you will find a mini people profile on the approximately 2,000 different peoples. These mini-profiles have been designed to host the updated least reached peoples list that will be released on April 15 (next month) from P.I.N. (Peoples Information Network). These mini-profiles will also announce the completion of more detailed Prayer Profiles by Bethany World Prayer Center when available and tell how to obtain them. Bethany reports that 110 peoples have been researched and 14 profiles completed. These are not available to the public yet but Brigada will announce when they are. (Thanks to the AD2000 & Beyond International Office for this news… and thanks to the amazing work of the techs there who have churned out all the technology so quickly!!! For extra details on this exciting development, future possibilities, and implications for the existing PGC, get the BRIGADA SUPPLEMENT — 15 OF MARCH, 1996. If you’re not viewing this on the web, send email to hub@xc.orgwith only this message in the body of your email note:
get brigada jp2000-peoples

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SURVEY SAAAAAAAID….!!!!??????
The first official Brigada on-line survey came off without a hitch, with 202 Brigada members participating (there are over 2100 Brigada participants in all). Once again, the question was:
“Do you believe it’s possible, through God’s power, to see a church for every people and the gospel for every person by the year 2000?”

Results are as follows:

* 6% ‘voted’ for choice “b”, which was basically a flat ‘no’ – 13 people.
* 36% chose “a”, a flat ‘yes’ – 73 people in all.
* 57% selected “c” – 116 people in all. That choice was, ” Yes but the data doesn’t suggest that it’s likely.”
* (1% was lost in rounding the figures.)

The survey shouldn’t be seen as statistically accurate, because, for one thing, it was a voluntary survey and it depended solely on your initiative to participate. But it is perhaps representative of the fact that well over 9 out of every 10 Brigada participants (over 2100 in all) probably believe that the Task can be accomplished. Many, however, .. in fact the vast majority… just don’t see the data supporting that outcome. They believe it would take a major miracle from God… so that’s what we’d better be praying for during these next few years!

Obviously, one wonders about why the 6% voted that it wasn’t possible. At the same time, they’re entitled to their own opinion. Maybe they hear the message “Many are called and few are chosen” as having a big impact on the evangelization process. At the same time, one voter wrote in and basically said, “Duhhh… How could God not be capable of pulling this off?” And as AD2000 & Beyond media guy wrote this past week, “We can make plans to present to Gospel to people but only God can bring the harvest and that acording to His time table.” We concur. Maybe we’re the ones He’s waiting on. He wants us to be involved – in obedience – to carry out the Task! Seems to me it’s worthy of our highest commitment!

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SEE YOUR DIGITIZED SELF IN FULL COLOR ON A PRAYER CARD WORLDWIDE!
Now you can do it! Ever hear of Creative Plus? They’re the folks many missionaries use for prayer cards that, with the help of a couple of colorful magnets, become refrigerator enhancements to remind your friends and supporters to pray for your project throughout the whole year. Well now Creative Plus has added digital photo enhancement! According to the recent “Fax Update” they’ve just released, they can take a “not-so-hot” photo, touch it up and make you look like a million bucks! In the “here-are-just-a-few-of-the-special-touches-now-possible at-a-reasonable-extra-cost” section, they even advertise, “Repair photo flaws” and “Remove distracting elements from photo”!!! Just think, missionary wives! You can ask them to dodge out your husband’s mug and you and the kids’ll look simply mahhhvelous!!! :-) (Just kidding of course.) But do give them a call to get on their mailing list. You could use them for special prayer projects, new building construction campaigns, Christmas cards, even birth announcements!!! Regular shipping is free in the USA. They’ll have a web site soon… and they’ve got email now!!! Try them at 72624.3203@compuserve.com or 1-800-347-2848 in the USA. For international callers (see… we try not to forget you!), call 704-843-5040.

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TRAVEL CONFERENCE MODERATOR SECURED!
Travel Agents, get ready to roll! Thanks to Mark Fremer, an Information Technologist with YWAM Int’l in England fremer@xc.org, you’ll soon have a chance to participate in tons more fares! By mid-April, Mark and Brigada will launch Brigada-travel – where Brigada participants can toss in their travel needs as “requests for quotes” from a whole flock of travel agents who will then answer directly. Can’t wait. Thanks Mark!! And thanks Steve Skaggs for the original idea!

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YOUR BRIGADA QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
One participant wrote this past week asking if “commands” to the hub can be “batched” in one message. You bet! For example, you could request two documents in the same message to hub@xc.org and request a list of conferences on brigada all at the same time!
get brigada jp2000-peoples
get brigada what-do-you-say
conferences

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INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS SET TO SQUARE OFF???
That’s what one Brigada participant believes! Rumor has it that AT&T will be offering five free hours of web access per month (at least in the USA), which will perhaps set off a series of price wars among INTERNET service providers (ISPs). Other ISPs already offering discounts include:

Juno (mentioned last week) – ONLY FOR THE USA, send your mailing address to signup@juno.com for more info. Or check out their web site at http://www.juno.com/ (Thanks to Dennis Fahringer photo@uofn.edu, Photo Schools, U of N, for that resource tip!). Phil Adams also tells us you can call 1-800-799-JUNO (tell them “Extension F” and when they ask for your “personal response code”, tell them this was a referral) BUT THIS FREE SOFTWARE WON’T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE END OF THE MARCH.

Freemark (also mentioned last week) — http://www.freemark.com/256color/index.html on the Web. (Thanks again to Dennis the sleuth!)

MCI Mail — Call 1-800-999-3690 for MCI mail, with the first handful of messages FREE each month (pay per message after that). This offer is valid only to MCI customers. (Thanks to Bruce Clutter for that tip, MCI ID 719-9921.)

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GLOBAL GLIMPSE
Eight families in India’s Bihar province were ready for baptism, but the village leader wanted one of the believers, a man named Sandhu, put to the test by standing on hot coals. While other believers prayed, Sandhu calmly stepped onto the coals and stood there for 10 minutes. Forty-seven villagers accepted Christ that day!

(Source: Advance, March, 1996. Contact Mark Kelly at 70420.1057@compuserve.com or 8992 Midway Rd., Richmond, VA 23229.
(c) 1996, Kainos Press.) Global Glimpse is compiled by new dad, John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO.
(For more information about the ‘dad’ part, see the end of this Brigada Today!)

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WHAT DO YOU SAY TO A MISSIONARY?
Now for the first time anywhere on-line, you can get Alice Burnett Poynor’s article, ” What Do you Say to a Missionary?” in text form today!!! If you’re not reading this on the web, you can receive this via email, just send a note to hub@xc.org with only this line in the text of the message:
get brigada what-do-you-say

Her first paragraph begins, “So it’s missions conference time again. You’d like to talk to the missionaries, maybe even have them for a meal and get to know them a bit. But what do you say? How do you start a conversation with someone whose life seems so different from your own? (What does a “church-planter” do all day anyway?) Here are a few pointers to help grease the conversational wheels…. “
(Alice Burnett Poynor’s article first appeared in ACMC’s Networker, January-February 1996. Thanks to both ACMC and Alice Poyner, who have graciously given permission for this article to be reprinted here on Brigada.)

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PRAYER WARRIORS UNITE!!!
If you’re concerned about intercession and would like to help… or if you’re looking for a group of intercessors, try visiting brigada-prayer-requests or brigada-prayer-mobilizers. To join, just send email to hub@xc.org with these lines in your text:
subscribe brigada-prayer-requests
subscribe brigada-prayer-mobilizers

Then send your requests to brigada-prayer-requests@xc.org or ask for intercessors at brigada-prayer-mobilizers@xc.org and Godspeed!

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PICTURE THIS!
A list and cost information of currently available mission-related illustrations by Mary Filidis can now be accessed (and three samples can also be viewed) at: http://www.ywam.org/illustrt.html Custom orders are welcome. (Thanks to Paul at YWAM WCN@XC.Org for the note!)

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KBM BROCHURE TOUGH TO GET???
Try “get brigada kbm-brochure”. In the Feb. 23 issue of Brigada Today, we mistakenly left out the word ‘brigada’. Freudian slip indeed. :-) Sorry for the inconvenience! Send email to hub@xc.org with only the following line in the text of the message:
get brigada kbm-brochure

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INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT SHARING THE HOPE WITH HINDUS?
Then you need sessions from the US Center for World Mission! This summer, they’ll be offering three sessions on REACHING HINDUS AND NEW AGERS from June 24-July 11, 96. Topics include Hinduism in India, Philosophical & Popular Hinduism, Christian Missions to Hindus, Folk Hinduism, Hindu Women’s Ministries, Christian Missions to Hindus, Hindu Influence & the New Age Movement in North America, Reaching New Agers for Christ and more! For more information, email to greg.parsons@uscwm.org or write to: IHS, 1605 E. Elizabeth ST, Pasadena, CA 91104.

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HELPING THE LEAST EVANGELIZED
On board the PGC-Design team conference recently, the media guy for AD2000 & Beyond shared these four ways for helping a least reached people group. It helped me see crystal clear the level at which people could become involved:

“Four Options for Adoption

1. Pray – You can pray for a people. (Intercessors)
2. Profile – You can research a people and produce a profile. (Researchers)
3. Pioneer – You can send or join a church planting team. (Church planters)
4. Promote – You can become a people specific advocate. (Advocates)”

Thanks to David for sharing this insight from a forthcoming AD2000 & Beyond mobilization video! Can’t wait to use it!

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TENTMAKERS… READY TO “TIE”???
The Tentmakers International Exchange (TIE) Second Congress is now planned for early 1997. The proposed location is either New Zealand or Australia. TIE serves as a clearing house on tentmaking information worldwide. Networking people, organizations, missions, and businesses interested in tentmaking. We can be reached at PO Box 45880, Seattle, WA 98145 USA, Fax:206-524-6992, email: tie@gati.wa.com. (Thanks to Ken Smith KSmith@gati.wa.com for the update.)

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BRIGADA-MEDICINE-FOR-POOR SEEKS NEW MODERATOR
Interested in medical needs among the poor? Got an XC.org address, or willing to get one? The folks in brigada-medicine-for-poor want you! They need a new moderator. If you’re interested, write MatthewGrant@XC.Org for more info.

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TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY, send email to hub@xc.orgwith only the following message:
subscribe brigada

TO UNSUBSCRIBE (Pulllllllease reconsider! :-) ) send email to hub@xc.orgwith this line in the text:
unsubscribe brigada

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BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:

Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com,
with help from his wife Gwen and their newest “staff member”, Taya Lyn Hanna, who was born day before yesterday (March 13th) at 6:10 pm weighing in at 6lbs. 1oz & about 20 inches long. According to her parents’ “glimpse”, “she has light brown hair, beautiful eyes, and she’s cute & hungry. Her most distinct feature is her long feet with long toes! :-)” Congratulations, John and Gwen!!!!! Welcome to the “staff”, Taya!
ADVANCE: Mark A. Kelley, Kainos Press, 70420.1057@compuserve.com
Web Wizard: Bob Mayhew, Brigada Volunteer, Mayhew@xc.org
Web Art: Patti Mayhew, pmayhew@discover.net
Technical Development: Jonathan Marsden, MAFxc jonathan@xc.org
Brigada Customer Service Manager: Revis Ann Massey, RevisAnnMassey@xc.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!