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News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
On the WorldWide Web, browse https://brigada.org or http://www.eGroups.com/list/brigada-today
Brigada Today is “the missionary helper newsletter!”
Compiled by Doug Lucas <dlucas@teamexpansion.org>, Louisville, KY
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]

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In this issue….

* BEST BRIGADA DEAL YET! THE JESUS FILM FREE FOR THE UNREACHED!
* WEB-WATCH – CORRECTION TO “MOTHER OF ALL BOOKMARK” FILES
* PORTUGUESE, ITALIAN AND NORWEGIAN BIBLES NOW ONLINE
* ONLINE RESOURCES FOR PASTORS
* INTERNET FOR CHRISTIANS NEWSLETTER
* CONFERENCE WITH DR. ENGEL RESCHEDULED
* YES S. AM., THERE IS A LIST OF LATIN MISSION SENDING AGENCIES!
* STONE-CAMPBELL MISSIONS/HISTORY BUFFS UNITE!
* SUPPORT GROUP FOR CHRISTIAN RELATIVES OF MUSLIM CONVERTS
* MISSIONS TRAINING FOR MISSIONS LEADERS
* AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR…
* DIALING FOR DOLLARS (WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DONOR SOFTWARE)
* ADVANCE RETREAT
* TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY

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BEST Brigada DEAL YET! THE JESUS FILM FREE FOR THE UNREACHED!
In the past, we’ve celebrated several special occasions here in Brigada Today, but to the best of my memory, none has been so monumental as this one! Through a special arrangement with the Unreached Peoples Coordinator of the Jesus Film (who had to check with the director of the Jesus Film Project for permission to pull this off), Brigada participants are being offered an unbelievable opportunity! During the next two weeks (leading up to Brigada’s 3-year-old birthday), the makers of the Jesus Film are going to provide five complimentary videos of the JESUS Film to each individual or team who will commit to deliver them to an unreached people group by year’s end. In fact, if the individual or team can’t go personally, they may even send them to someone else who will be going, or is already there. Of course, additional videos are always available for reasonable prices if the individual or team wants even more copies (only 5 are free). Note that this is a special offer and will not necessarily be honored after Brigada’s birthday (March 21st) so be sure to act now.

To receive your free videos, compose a note with the following information:

* Ministry or organization name
* Contact name
* Shipping address (and special instructions, if any)
* Telephone number and email address, if available
* Name of people group(s) targeted
* Primary language(s) and/or secondary trade language
* Video standard: PAL or NTSC
* Country to be used in
* Date in 1998 that their group will be going to the country
* Date by which they need to receive the videos

Send this email to ddearing@ccci.org, or use snail-mail at:
The JESUS Film Project
ATTN: Don Dearing
Unreached Peoples Coordinator
P.O. Box 72007, San Clemente, CA 92674-2007
Tel.: (714) 361-4518
Fax: (714) 361-7579.

One final word — please be sure to thank Don Dearing and all the folks at The Jesus Film project. They have truly made this Brigada birthday a very happy one . . . and it’s totally because of their heart for the unreached.

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WEB-WATCH – CORRECTION TO “MOTHER OF ALL BOOKMARK” FILES
WebWatch If you retrieved the “Mother of all Bookmark Files” (Doug Lucas’ bookmarks), perhaps you noticed one called “The Palace” and wondered exactly what Doug Lucas had been doing there! :-) Needless to say, you might want to remove this site from your collection! :-) We imported web sites from several sources to compile the collection (including two wholesale imports from PC Magazine “favorites,” so please don’t hold us accountable for the content at every site. The “Palace” has been removed from the bookmark file posted for retrieval from the web and we would encourage you to remove it from your own if you haven’t already. (Some users would also fine “The Onion” in bad taste — again, we’ve never even been there [even to date] so we can’t verify that personally, but you might also remove it, . . . and we’ve removed it from the list on the web.) Thanks to David (who has his own collection at http://www.aims.edu/~dmarvin/bookmark.htm, in case you want to check out additional options)!

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PORTUGUESE, ITALIAN AND NORWEGIAN BIBLES NOW ONLINE
Check out the free ‘Bible Gateway’ online Bible and concordance at http://bible.gospelcom.net, now featuring 15 translations. Included is a Portuguese version of International Bible Society’s New International Version, along with Italian and Norwegian translations. Over the next year, GCN and the International Bible Society expect to add at least a dozen more languages in its efforts to provide free scriptures online for people all around the world. (IFC, January 26, 1998)

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ONLINE RESOURCES FOR PASTORS
WebWatch Looking for help with your upcoming sermon? Here’s a site that features a wealth of information and links for pastors. Includes a Pastor’s Forum, Sermon Prep Center, a listing of Ministry Opportunities, Worldwide Prayer Link, and more. http://www.pastornet.com/ (IFC, January 26, 1998).

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INTERNET FOR CHRISTIANS NEWSLETTER
Internet for Christian Newsletter is published via email and on the WWW by Quentin J. Schultze and the Gospel Communications Network http://www.gospelcom.net. Dr. Schultze is Professor of Communication at Calvin College and Special Coordinator for the Gospel Communications Network. http://www.gospelcom.net/gf . To subscribe send message to: IFC-REQUEST@GOSPELCOM.NET with the message SUBSCRIBE YOUREMAILADDRESS. [Important note: Remember that on all Brigada conferences, you never have to put “youremailaddress” after the subscribe command. In fact, to do so creates lots of extra work for conference owners!]

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CONFERENCE WITH DR. ENGEL RESCHEDULED
The AIMS Fellowship of Mission Agencies (AFMA) leaders’ retreat, postponed in February, has been rescheduled for November 19-21, 1998 in Houston, TX. The keynote speaker, Dr. James F. Engel, will address the theme “Harnessing the Power of the Storm,” which grew from a quote in his book, A Clouded Future? Advancing North American World Missions. Engel wrote, “… one thing is certain. North American missions agencies are facing turbulent times as the storm clouds grow in intensity.” Recognized for seminal writings in conversion and evangelism, strategic planning and financial resource development, Engel has also served organizations in more than 70 countries. For details, please contact Pamella Foster at 757-579-5850, or by e-mail at aims@aims-usa.org.

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YES S. AM., THERE IS A LIST OF LATIN MISSION SENDING AGENCIES!
The Ibero-American Missions Handbook is a listing of the mission agencies in Latin America, Spain and Portugal which send out Latin Americans, Spanish or Portuguese workers into cross-cultural ministry contexts. The Handbook was compiled for the recent Comibam97 Congress in Acapulco and also contains information on the countries where the Latino missionaries are serving plus summary stats, charts, graphs and maps.

The handbook is available for downloading in Spanish, Portuguese and English at the Comibam web site: http://www.comibam.org

Also available at that site are sets of transparencies in Spanish and Portuguese for missions mobilization which can also be downloaded.

This is exactly what we were searching for – – – and it stands as proof that the Brigada concept is indeed working! Remember Dan Johnson djohnson@c.net.gt, a missions mobilizer trying to assemble a list of just such agencies?? Ted Limpic just saved him about a month of work! Way to go Ted and Comibam organizers! Way to go Brigada family! Thanks especially for making it available for all on the web!!! Yahoooo! Yahoo

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STONE-CAMPBELL MISSIONS/HISTORY BUFFS UNITE!
Those interested in the history of missions in the Stone-Campbell Movement will help write history at the annual Forrest H. Kirkpatrick Historians’ Seminar, April 24, 25, 1998. The topic of the seminar is “Mission in the Stone-Campbell Movement.” The seminar is to help prepare a general article for a Stone-Campbell Encyclopedic Dictionary which is currently being developed. The call has gone out from the general editors of the encyclopedia to anyone who would be interested in critiquing and refining an article on the missionary work of the movement. Participants will respond in person and/or writing to three lectures.
Dr. Thomas H. Olbricht, retired professor of Pepperdine University, will address “Mission/Evangelization Prior to 1849.”
Dr. William J. Nottingham, Affiliate Professor, Christian Theological Seminary and retired President, Division of Overseas Ministries, will address “Development of Missionary Societies 1849 to the Present in the Disciples of Christ.”
Dr. Frederick W. Norris, Dean E. Walker Professor Christian History and Professor Christian Doctrine, Emmanuel School of Religion, will speak on “Twentieth Century Mission/Evangelization among Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.”
The Seminar will begin on April 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, 1101 19th Avenue South, Nashville, TN. It will conclude by mid-afternoon of the next day. Registration is $25.00 (fee waived for students). The Historical Society will respond to requests for information on motel accommodations. For more information, contact
Disciples of Christ Historical Society
1101 19th Avenue South
Nashville TN 37212-2196
Phone: 615-327-1444
Fax: 615-327-1445.

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SUPPORT GROUP FOR CHRISTIAN RELATIVES OF MUSLIM CONVERTS
Check out the new support group where family members of Muslim converts can encourage each other, pray for one another and share the experiences how to deal with this family situation. Parents will be the main participants, but it is designed for all Christians with a Muslim relative be it son, daughter, brother, sister, son-in-law. To subscribe, send an email to majordomo@watchman.com with only this line in the message:
subscribe parents
Also check out the accompanying apologetics Web Site “Answering Islam”: http://answering-islam.org/ and contact Jochen Katz jkatz@math.gatech.edu for more info.

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MISSIONS TRAINING FOR MISSIONS LEADERS
COMMIT is hosting a short-term missions leaders training seminar conducted by Ray Howard of Mission Training International, March 26-28 at Wave of Life Ministries in Makaha (Oahu) Hawaii. The cost for this highly acclaimed training is only $179 which includes tuition, books, and all related material. Lodging and travel arrangements can be made by contacting Greg or Mona Crawford at the address below. If you send short-term teams anywhere in the world, don’t miss this! Mahalo. Don’t you think that all Brigada Editors should be sent to this meeting by appreciative Brigada readers??? (Okay — I’m joking!) For more information, or to purchase gift certificates for your friends, contact
Greg Crawford
Director
COMMIT Ministries
87-109 Manununu Street
Waianae HI 96792
tel or FAX 808-668-6569
commit@juno.com

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AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR…
:-) Thanks again to the folks at Central Pres. in Baltimore for helping the Brigada cause go forward! Check out their web page at http://www.centralpc.org for more information! Recently when we mentioned them (Feb. 6 issue), one of their missionaries immediately wrote them to express his appreciation to them for helping us with expenses! Thanks to Jerry Cooper jcooper@centralpc.org, the Assoc. Pastor for Missions and Discipleship, a long-time subscriber of the Brigada family for his part in making it happen! And more good news . . . It looks like a donor from last year is going to repeat this year as well!!! Yahoooo! Yahoo
Remember to check out the special “Sponsors” web page on the Brigada site… starting at https://brigada.org and join us in thanking the Lord for their help in making this work possible!

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DIALING FOR DOLLARS (WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DONOR SOFTWARE)
Les Tilka clfcebu@iname.com would like to know! He’s looking for a program to use on the mission field that will keep track of his donor list, donations, correspondence, etc. He’s outgrown his current program. So . . . send him your best . . . and Les, we’d like to see a summary report in two weeks, if that’s possible, okay?

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ADVANCE RETREAT
Come to think of it, I don’t think we ever shared the Advance summary for February!!! Sorry about that!

THE GOSPEL FOR EVERY PEOPLE — Indonesians on the brink of panic; 10 million people at India’s Kumbh Mela festival; the Mandinka of The Gambia; the Hazara of Afghanistan; new gospel radio programs in the Middle East; the Bozo of Mali

THE PERSECUTED CHURCH — Sudanese believer imprisoned; Uzbek pastor sentenced; Pakistani schoolteacher persecuted; Malay believer kidnapped; Sri Lanka congregations attacked

SPIRITUAL FORCES OF DARKNESS — Ramadan massacres in Algeria; abortion clinic bombed; test tube baby declared legal orphan; scientist plans human cloning; Cambodians sold into slavery; prayer assault targets Turkey

REJOICE! — 47 baptized in Mali; Myanmar Bible school reopens; decisions among the Mien Yao of Thailand; Jesus film records 1 billionth viewer; wife of martyred Kurdish believer gives birth; Honduras crusade registers 10,000 decisions; Colombia recognizes evangelicals; Russian lawmakers restrict pornography; pandering ad banned in Brazil

NETWORKING — Unreached people group prayer profiles now available; community development school; “writing partners” for Turkish Muslims; training program helps churches develop missions strategy; Voice of the Martyrs missions conference; ministering in the former Soviet Union; sharing the gospel with international students; mobilizing children to reach the world; new book explains joy of missions; booklet focuses on morally irresponsible TV programming

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TO SUBSCRIBE — To subscribe to BRIGADA TODAY, send email to brigada-today-subscribe@egroups.com.

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COPYRIGHT — This issue of Brigada Today is Copyrighted © 2001. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute these materials, including those available through email autoresponders, provided that such redistribution is to those who will help the Good News of Christianity to reach the unreached. But please include this phrase: “For a free subscription of Brigada’s weekly missions publication, write .”
IMPORTANT: To copy or reproduce Brigada Today for any other reason is illegal and is not permitted.

DISCLAIMER — Please note that there’s no way we can possibly screen all the text on all the web sites or items we recommend. We try to check them out first… but if we miss something, please don’t assume that the opinions on those sites are identical to those of the Brigada family of networks. “Eat the corn, leave the cob!” ear of corn
For subscription questions or problems, write help@brigada.org.

SUBMITTING CONTENT — To submit content or ideas to Brigada Today, first please get a copy of “Guidelines for submitting items to Brigada” Then, once you’ve composed your item in keeping with those guidelines, send your item for Brigada Today to DLucas@teamexpansion.org.
Thanks to for hosting the Brigada mailing list.
Emphasis is placed on items relating to unreached peoples and challenges faced by those reaching them cross-culturally.

not symbolPLEASE DON’T SUBSCRIBE US TO YOUR LIST — It’s always better to ask before manually force-adding anyone to your list-serve or mailing list. Recently, tons of well-meaning people have been subscribing Doug to their lists. Since he often travels overseas, he doesn’t join many of those, for obvious reasons (like being charged big-time for overseas access). So as a general rule, please don’t bulk-mail us! See the note above if you’d like to submit items for Brigada Today. Thanks for understanding. Bottom line: We will never create Brigada Today items from bulk mail. Bulk mail gets deleted immediately — sorry. Nothing personal. We suggest you apply the same standard to everyone. Ask first!

OPCWARNING ABOUT FORWARDING EMAILS — Please, before forwarding any kind of request (even if it says “please send this to all your friends”), please check to make sure it has a VERIFIABLE ORIGIN, a VERIFIABLE PURPOSE, and a VERIFIABLE CLOSURE (OPC). By following this simple approach, many “email viruses” could be nipped in the bud… at least in the Brigada family. More information about the full Brigada OPC protocol is available. Thank you.

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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
*Brigada Website: Bob Mayhew, WebServant@brigada.org
*Brigada Customer Service Manager: help@brigada.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!