Now with 5198 participants!!!
News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
Visit Brigada’s new domain on the WorldWide Web: https://brigada.org
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]
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In this issue….
* STOP IN AT PIT-STOP DENVER
* AT LEAST 12,100 ARE PRAYING!
* WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR BIBLES?
* HERE’S A BUNCH OF FREE DENTAL SUPPLIES TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO!
* SEND YOUR INTERPRETER TO SCHOOL!
* HOW MANY URBANA-ITES WILL HEAD OVERSEAS THIS SUMMER?
* WE GET MAIL
* GOT SKILLS? UNCLE PETE WANTS YOU
* YOUR ADVANCE ON ADVANCE
* WINDOWATCHMAN II IS READY FOR YOUR READING!
* HEADED TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR GCOWE’97? CHECK OUT THIS TRAVEL AGENT!
* PHONE HOME… VIA THE SKY
* CHURCH PLANTER RESOURCES BRIGADA STYLE…
* WORK THE WEB WITHOUT THE WEB
* WORLDCHRISTIAN NEWS OFFERS STEAL OF A DEAL TO BRIGADA PARTICIPANTS
* RESEARCHER NEEDS AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADS
* O-HI-O – GET YOUR PRAYER CALENDARS IN JAPANESE OR AFRIKAANS NOW!
* GREAT IDEA FORMING UP FOR REACHING MUSLIMS
* GLOBAL GLIMPSE BEHIND THE BAMBOO CURTAIN
* USE YOUR BCC LINE!
* HUNGARY HUNGRY FOR DISCIPLES
* TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY
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STOP IN AT PIT-STOP DENVER
If you want to help your church or cell group to truly make an impact cross-culturally, consider attending Pit-Stop Denver, April 25-26, at Littleton Christian Church (suburban Denver) – jointly sponsored by Caleb Project, Kingdom Building Ministries, Team Expansion, PACE, “Pit-Stops”, and Brigada. For more information, see https://brigada.org/pace. Entire weekend, including the notebook, materials, program, diskette, most meals, and the fellowship – just $45. For more information, write Robert or Noelle today – rpeterson@ccu.edu or call (303) 761-6187 or send a note to hub@xc.org with only the words,
get brigada pit-stop-denver
in the text of the message.
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AT LEAST 12,100 ARE PRAYING!
Dick Gaffney at Manna Church of Fayetteville, NC RGaff13817@aol.com reports 12,100 registrations to pray for the various people groups on the JP2000 list. If you haven’t registered your intent to pray, write him today! Note that if you’ve already registered at AD2000 & Beyond or Envision ’96, your intentions have already been added to their database. Their goal is to find 10 people/churches for each of the 1739 groups. Just under 5000 to go [assuming these 12,100 are fairly evenly distributed!]! Thanks to the volunteers at Manna!
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WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR BIBLES?
Jerry Kingery jerryk@bf.org would like to know. He’s willing to compile a list of Bible sources – good prices, great selection, lots of different languages, etc. Maybe SIL or somebody already has a great web site or a giant search engine to give Jerry the answer??? Send your best guess to Jerry and he’ll compile a report for us to post here in a couple of weeks. Thanks!
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HERE’S A BUNCH OF FREE DENTAL SUPPLIES TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO!
Several wrote asking for info. on the free dental supplies note….. It’s available from Outreach Latin America 74724.1506@compuserve.com – about a semi truck load.
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SEND YOUR INTERPRETER TO SCHOOL!
Write servngod@jharper.minsk.by to find out more about a special course for interpreters… to be held in July in Kharkov, Ukraine and then in Kradnoyarsk, Russia in August.
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HOW MANY URBANA-ITES WILL HEAD OVERSEAS THIS SUMMER?
According to convention news releases, perhaps as many as 2,753! To see other cool stats from the conference, send email to hub@xc.org with the words…
get brigada urbana96
as the only text of the message. It’s a short file… maybe 1/2 page…. but it’s stocked with great stats!
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WE GET MAIL
Thanks to those who send in notes of encouragement! You are God’s anointed. Apologies that we can’t answer every piece of mail. For example, this week we heard from Brazil…. “Hey, my name is ….. I’m a missionary in the Brazilian Amazon Basin, rather remote. I e-mailed friends to get me the $79 Britannica, and a month later they brought it with them when they came to visit. No problem. THANKS A TON!!!!!! With our love, …” [he named his whole family, kids included…; I’m a sucker for the kids! :-) ] If Brigada can ever help you or yours, we’ll give praise to God!
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GOT SKILLS? UNCLE PETE WANTS YOU
Have you got special computer or communication skills? Pete Holzmann, Coordinator of the AD2000 & Beyond Interactive Task Force, is putting together a resource catalogue for those who are making inroads into unreached peoples. He’s looking for folks willing to create web pages, host email conferences, write, edit, etc. If you’re interested, send email to hub@xc.org with only this line in the text of the message:
get brigada itf-resource
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YOUR ADVANCE ON ADVANCE
Mark Kelly’s Advance has been posted for your retrieval! Here’s a summary:
ADVANCE! April 1997
THE GOSPEL FOR EVERY PEOPLE – Food crisis in North Korea deepens; Israel bill could outlaw personal evangelism; saving babies’ lives in India’s Kondh Hills; 20 million in spiritual captivity in Nepal; lost Libyan hearts
THE PERSECUTED CHURCH – New believer murdered in southern Asia; three Chinese believers jailed in USA; Indonesia blocking church building permits; Italian missionary worker murdered in northeastern Peru
SPIRITUAL FORCES OF DARKNESS – Five children killed at Rwandan mission school; Christian villagers riot in Indonesia; dark forces of Goth subculture; IBM harasses Christian employees
REJOICE! – 100,000 people in Bogota cell groups; Chinese believers endure hardship to erect building; 134 Thai families turn to Christ after cloudburst; North Korea charters first independent Christian church; missionary released from Iran; 10,000 Ugandan young people signed sexual purity pledges; Australian lawmakers strike down euthanasia law
NETWORKING – Libya highlighted on Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization; weekly electronic mailing covers India; ACMC helps congregations mobilize world evangelization; International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church; e-mail conference dedicated to practical application of technology in the global missions; Brigada Web site; Reasons To Believe Web site; “Human Rights Watch World Report 1997;” new book documents systematic persecution of Christians worldwide
FRONT LINES – Our battlefields
To get your copy of the complete text, send email to hub@xc.org with only the following line in the text of the message:
get brigada advance.9704
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WINDOWATCHMAN II IS READY FOR YOUR READING!
CIN announced this past week that the long-awaited WindoWatchman II is ready for order! According to CIN, “This book contains exciting reports from prayer journeyers who participated in the Praying Through the Window II initiative in October of 1995. This work provides great insight as to prayer points for the nations of the 10/40 Window. In its 432 pages it includes praise reports, country history, pictures, and a full-color pull-out map which indicates the 100 Gateway Cities, at the back of the book. Get your copy of WindoWatchman II for $14.99 plus Shipping and Handling ($4.50 in U.S.), along with a complimentary copy of WindoWatchman I from the 1993 prayer initiative. Please make note that after April 30th, 1997 the WindoWatchman II will be offered for $14.99 and the WindoWatchman I for $10.00 plus Shipping and Handling.” CIN says that to purchase, you may send a check to the Christian Information Network at 11025 State Hwy 83, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 All orders must be pre-paid by check or credit card. In the USA, call toll-free to 1-888-PRAY-104. Worldwide, fax them at (719)548-9000. Email 73422.3471@compuserve.com.
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HEADED TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR GCOWE’97? CHECK OUT THIS TRAVEL AGENT!
AD2000 & Beyond leadership advised us this past week of a special deal they’ve worked out with a travel agent in Canada . . . schaubeck@baxter.net. According to Debbie Wood, you can perhaps save hundreds by using her since she’s selling South African Airways flights at wholesale costs directly to GCOWE participants. Check her out!
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PHONE HOME… VIA THE SKY
Remember the satphone we mentioned last week? MAF has agreed to discount it for those purchasing during the remainder of April. Just tell them you heard about it on Brigada Today. One user wrote… “What a blessing it has been during the past month to have the capability of communicating with our missionaries. Without it we would not have known the situation … during some very tense times. But with the phones we were able to activate our prayer chain across the country within minutes after getting a call. On several occasions the phone call came as a very dangerous situation was arising and the call was to the point – “The city is being bombed – I’m frightened. I need your prayers.” To order a Planet I satphone, write
Paul Lay Planet1@maf.org
or phone: (909)794-1151
or fax: (909)794-3016.
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CHURCH PLANTER RESOURCES Brigada STYLE…
Thanks to Wayne Penner for compiling the church planting resources throughout the month of March! His 5-page catalogue is a virtual storehouse of potential for your ministry or church-planting conference! Get it by sending email to hub@xc.org with only one line in the text of the message:
get brigada church-planting-resources
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WORK THE WEB WITHOUT THE WEB
MAFxc technology guru Bob Sutterfield shared a tip with us this past week . . . somehow allowing you to access the web without even having the web! If all you have is email capability and you need a special page downloaded, this approach could be “just what the doctor ordered” for you! To learn more, send email to hub@xc.org with only the words
get brigada access-via-email
in the text of the message.
Thanks Bob!
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WORLDCHRISTIAN NEWS OFFERS STEAL OF A DEAL TO BRIGADA PARTICIPANTS
Thanks to Paul and the gang at WorldChristian News! They’re offering Brigada participants a special deal on their new booklets and posters about the Hindu world. Instead of $3 for single booklet orders, and $2 for the two-color illustrated poster on the Hindu world, Brigada readers can now purchase these items at U.S. $1 for the booklet, and U.S. $1 for the poster. [First Class / Airmail postage & handling (same cost for either or both items): $1.50 (within the USA), $2.50 (within the Americas), $3.50 (rest of the world).] Paul qualified… “Sorry, no bulk-orders accepted for this special offer (only single copies per address). For bulk orders (and additional information) browse http://www.ywam.org/prayer/hindu.html or send us your address and request a flyer.” Please mention “Special Brigada Offer,” and send your paid order (payable to WorldChristian News) to:
30 Days Hindu Focus
PO Box 26479
Colorado Springs, CO 80936, USA
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RESEARCHER NEEDS AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADS
Remember Jim Sutherland sutherlandj@utc.campus.mci.net? He’s the guy researching African American cross-cultural missionaries. His questionnaire is done and he’s making one last stab at gathering participants for the study. He wrote this week, “My method is to give a questionnaire to African American missionaries who are serving those who are NOT African American, in this country or abroad, who have been on the field at least one year, currently or in the past. I’d appreciate the names and addresses of such missionaries, or whatever information your readers might have, including mission names. Also I’d appreciate suggestions for contacting others on the Internet with whom I might network regarding this problem. Thanks again. Sincerely, Jim Sutherland.” Please contact Jim directly at the address above. Jim is apparently doing his work at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Il., under Dr. Crawford Loritts, of Campus Crusade. Sounds very interesting. He’ll make a summary report available to us as he closes out his research.
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O-HI-O – GET YOUR PRAYER CALENDARS IN JAPANESE OR AFRIKAANS NOW!
Yup. Now you can get Praying Through the Window III calendars in Japanese by writing japmin@ibm.net. Share them with your Japanese cell groups, ministries, churches, etc. They also make great conversation pieces for the coffee table. (Everyone will be convinced you’re so “cross-cultural”! :-) ) You can also get the Afrikaans version by writing nupsa@global.co.za. Thanks Brenda!
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GREAT IDEA FORMING UP FOR REACHING MUSLIMS
Here’s a guy in Ukraine who is eager to reach Muslims. Truth is . . . the mission church where he’s been doing leadership training has already sent two missionary families to a Muslim group nearby! Great success story in and of itself. Anyway… he’s been hearing stories of Muslims who are willing to watch videos . . . even though they have some . . . shall we say… Christian leaning. So-o-o-o-o-o-o-o . . . he’s curious as to what type of videos exist that specifically address themes like The life of Muhammad, The development of the Qur’an, Comparisons between the Qur’an and the Bible, Major points of conflict between Islam and Christianity… (like Are Christians Polygamists?, What Christians mean by saying that Jesus being the Son of God?, Is the Bible reliable?, Did Jesus really die on the Cross?), Testimonies by Muslim converts to Christianity [as he wrote, “(obviously – slightly more biased on this one :-)”]. So . . .what can we send him??? Chris is at ma. So . . . Chris . . . if you hear from anyone, we’ll count on a summary listing (with sources) here, okay? Thanks! Great idea, by the way.
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GLOBAL GLIMPSE BEHIND THE BAMBOO CURTAIN
Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader who recently died at the age of 92, was “an instrument of revival”, according to Chinese house-church leaders. They say “he was God’s unwilling instrument to help bring revival to China. He gave us the freedom to evangelize by not using the devices to punish us when we did exactly that.” A house-church leader in Guangdong said “Deng replaced Maoist ideology with a materialistic philosophy: get rich quick. This started many people on a spiritual quest, asking if they are only there to buy a larger television or a better fridge.” Although house churches continue to grow rapidly in China, some of the most visible house-church leaders have reportedly been recently imprisoned again.
(Source: Compass Direct, PO Box 27250, Santa Ana 92799, USA. Fax 714-531-2681, e-mail compassdr@Compuserve.com, via DAWN Friday Fax)
Global Glimpse is garnered greatly by good guy John Hanna, Caleb Project Littleton, CO.
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USE YOUR BCC LINE!
Geoff “from down under” (Australia) reminded us this week that we could reduce Internet bandwidth 10 or 20% immediately just by using the “BCC:” box (instead of the “CC:” line) for that long list of addresses to which we’re copying some message. In each case, that would cut down the length of the message significantly! Great idea Geoff!
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HUNGARY HUNGRY FOR DISCIPLES
Got an appetite to train disciples to be disciplers of other disciples? (Now that’s a mouthful! :-) ) So does Brad, a church planter in Hungary who is looking for resources: (books, tapes, studies, etc.). Chris Bushnell ChrisBushnell@XC.org is willing to compile the resource list. Send in your vote… and the answers will be made available here in a couple of weeks! I can’t think of a more important question – if our goal is to create multiplying church movements!
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TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY, send email to hub@xc.org with only the following message:
subscribe brigada
(Sure you can quote from Brigada Today! But please tell your readers where you learned about the item, and if it’s not asking too much, include the 3 lines on how to subscribe – see above.)
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send email to hub@xc.org with this line in the text:
unsubscribe brigada
Our web version and more can be found at https://brigada.org
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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
*ADVANCE: Mark A. Kelley, Kainos Press, 70420.1057@compuserve.com
*Brigada Website: Bob Mayhew, Brigada Volunteer, mayhew@xc.org
*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!
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