20000514 Brigada Today

In this issue….

THE WORLD OF ISLAM CD-ROM

Whoa. This is big. GMI is about to release a strategic new missions resource for understanding Muslims and ministering in the Islamic context. This CD-ROM contains the full text of over 50 of the best books on Islam, seminary courses, an extensive bibliography, as well as photographs, maps and Web links. The result of a three-year cooperative project by Lausanne, ISIC, Fuller Seminary and GMI, the CD will be available in July 2000. Bulk-quantity discount prices (under $40) are available via a pre-publication offer from GMI through May 31, 2000. More information is available on the Web at http://www.gmi.org/products/islamcd.htm or contact Karen info@gmi.org or by telephone: 719-531-3599 or fax: 719-548-7459. As an alternative, since this is such a key resource, we’ve set up a Brigada autoresponder as well. To get a 6K email with more details about this resource, send a normal blank email to world-of-islam@brigada.org. Trust me — this is one you’ll want. So — you’ve got about one week to order at the discount price. Run (don’t walk) to your telephone or fax.

RETRIEVE THE NEW MONGO LISTS OF CHRISTIAN VIDEOS

You can get them for free, in fact. If you’d like the list of Christian videos in English, just send a blank email to videos-english@brigada.org. A 145 K email message will zip your way. If, on the other hand, you’d like a list of Christian videos in Spanish, just write videos-spanish@brigada.org (61 K). To see a list of all our auto-responders, send a message to brigada-info@brigada.org and catch the 4K file that sums up the listing.

‘WINDOWS OF BOSNIA’ VIDEO AVAILABLE

This video is created from stirring still photographs. Sounds as if it’ll have a major impact on any crowd that views it. $20 US funds for NTSC, $28 US funds for PAL (European). Write kvakaren@aol.com to request a copy and work out payment.

LEARN THE QUESTIONS OF CULTURE

You may know the answer, but what’s the question? Learn how to discover the questions of culture and how to apply it in cross-cultural ministry anywhere in the world. “Applied Anthropology for Strategic Ministries” taught by Dr. Richard Lewis at the Center for Intercultural Training July 31 – August 14. Information and registration through CIT website http://www.citi.org or calling 800-887-1786.

FREE CD FOR THIRD WORLD PASTORS

Pastor Richard Lee in UK teaches the interdenominational School of Ministry. This is a 2-year-long part- time course on Biblical Studies, Theology, Church History and many other related topics. Subjects on which Christians may have different views are treated sensitively without dogmatism. Much of the material is online at: http://scm.schoolofministry.org. Most of the course lectures (plus many other relevant documents) are available on a CD. Richard would like to offer it free to Third World pastors and missionaries who have access to a computer with CDRom drive, but only have limited, expensive, or non-existent access to the Internet. Over 60 copies of the CD have already been sent out to many countries. To apply, email Richard at Richard@schoolofministry.org. Remember, if you have good Internet access, then please make use of the resource via the website instead. The offer of the CD is only for those who really really need it – please don’t abuse the offer. This part-time School of Ministry has limited resources.

GET A PORTRAIT OF JESUS

Audio Scriptures International (ASI) located in Escondido, California is urging people and ministries to incorporate using ASI’s Portrait of Jesus cassette or its “God’s Powerful Savior” cassette in their overseas planning You can check out these special arrangements from the Gospels in RealAudio on ASI’s WEBSITE, http://www.audioscriptures.org They’re up there in 85 different languages. Leaving behind a cassette in Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic or whatever, is a great way to seize an opportunity which may otherwise be lost! These cassette tapes are to the audio what the JESUS film is to the visual and they are very inexpensive! This is a marvelous opportunity that can easily be missed! What a wonderful way to enhance all types of social service ministries with Word content in whatever language communicates best! Check out their WEBSITE for more information.

GLOBAL GLIMPSE: TWO BANDITS FOUND JESUS

“On the return journey after a seminar two and a half hours from Jayapura, we were held up by a number of young men demanding money. They told us that they would destroy our vehicles if we did not pay. We opened the window and gave them some money. One woman in the car asked one of the men ‘Do you go to church?’ ‘Where are you from?’ was his astonished reply. ‘From a seminar about the Kingdom of God,’ she told him. He replied, ‘Why don’t you hold the seminar here. Then we can be freed from our drinking.’ As he said that, I got out of the car, called him to me and asked ‘Do you want to be freed from drinking?’ ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Do you know that you are a sinner?’ ‘Yes’. ‘That you need forgiveness?’ ‘Yes’. I then told him about what happened on the cross, and asked ‘Do you accept that for yourself? Do you want to be freed? Then let’s pray!’ He knelt of his own accord in the middle of the road. I knelt with him and started to pray. He gave his life to Jesus. His deliverance was visible; his body relaxed noticeably. We stood up together. He was a little ashamed of what he had done in the middle of the road, but bowed his head and hugged me. When we were done, one of the others was waiting to pray with me too. We left the bush with joy – two bandits had found Jesus!
(Source: Evangelist and Bible teacher William Lerrick, March, 2000, fax (+49)-7745-5739 via FRIDAYFAX Issue 19, 12 May, 2000 http://www.egroups.com/groups/FridayFax)
Global Glimpse is compiled by John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO.

WEB-WATCH: INFO ON AIDS

Have you seen the new and redesigned website from ACET (AIDS Care Education & Training). As well as information about ACET’s own work, the site offers free information of use to anyone working in or interested in the HIV/AIDS field:

AIDS News page updated daily.
HIV & AIDS Update – information summaries including UK and worldwide HIV & AIDS statistics – backdated to Feb 1996.
Feature articles profiling AIDS care projects from several countries around the world.
Links to other HIV/AIDS and general reference sites.
Basic facts about HIV & AIDS.
Downloadable publications and PowerPoint presentations.

Check it out at http://www.acetuk.org (Thanks Tony!!!)

MAF-US TO OFFER AUCTIONS

The first is online at http://www.spiritofla.org and the second, hosted by two well-known radio personalities, will take place over the radio on May 31, 2000, from 3-7:00 PM. The radio auction will be broadcasted from the Museum of Flying located at the Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica, California, USA. Special admission discount to the museum, just mention MAF. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of auction items has been donated by Christian business, national and international ministries, lawmakers, and individuals throughout the USA. For more information on the auction please visit http://www.spiritofla.org or contact MAF-US, Redlands, CA, USA, Marianne Pielin at 909-794-1151, ext. 253 or email mpielin@maf.org.

CONNECT WITH A MINISTRY TO CHILDREN OF MISSIONARIES

Have you seen http://www.mkministries.com? It’s a service to Missionary children of all ages on the field — a place for them to be encouraged, write and receive letters, learn about other MK’s and where they are serving among other bits and pieces. Their mission statement is: “MK Ministries is an interdenominational Christian ministry for children of all ages who are on the mission field with their families. Its vision is to encourage, support and connect missionary children around the world through Internet, email and mail.” Check it out!!

LEARN HINDUISM AND ISLAM

Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon is offering a special intercultural training this summer: June 2 & 3, “The Challenge of Hinduism in Asia and North America.” Topics will include an overview of the Hindu world, Hinduism’s relationship to Christianity, Hinduism’s Westernization and its relationship to the New Age Movement, and contextually sensitive strategies for evangelism in the Hindu world and the West. In addition, June 5-9 will feature “An Introduction to Islam,” an introduction to standard Islam, including and overview of the life of Muhammad, the Qu’ran, the doctrines of Islam, Islamic fundamentalism, folk Islam, the main sects of Islam and the main approaches of reaching out to Muslims. Finally, June 19-23 will feature “Ministry to Children at Risk,” with the biblical mandate for ministry to children at risk, the course will address the needs of street children, those affected by AIDS, children in conflict situations, child laborers, and sexually exploited children. Ministry skills such as prevention, intervention, re-integration, and advocacy will be introduced, as well as how to “care for the care-givers.” To register or for more information, contact Jay Hadley dis@westernseminary.edu or tel. 800-547-4546 in the USA or via Net2Phone.

IF YOU HAD TROUBLE FINDING GRACE…

If you had trouble finding Grace’s website, try: http://www.skyfamily.com/gracew instead. The one featured in a previous Brigada Today had been provided to us with an extra “/” in the URL and we failed to catch it in the proofing. Sorry!

GET THE FINAL ANALYSIS

Now you can read Final Analysis over and over! Get Final Analysis: A Decade of Commentary on the Church and World Missions, by Jim Reapsome, a 240-page hardbound volume with Jim’s top 100 “Final Analysis” columns from Pulse. To get yours, send a check for $14.95 for each copy to EMIS, P.O. Box 794, Wheaton, IL 60189 or fax your credit card orders to 630-752-7155 in the USA. (Provide your name as it appears on the card, account number, expiration date, and whether using Visa or Mastercard.)

THE BACK PAGE: OPC PROTOCOL CAN WORK FOR YOU TOO

Thanks for the great mail we get from time to time here at Brigada Today. In today’s “Back page” editorial, we’ll feature a note from a guy who is using Brigada’s “OPC Protocol.” (To get your own copy, write to opc@brigada.org and a copy will be sent to you automatically.)

“Just a note to let you know how much I appreciate someone at Brigada drawing up the OPC Protocol. I have been using it and forwarding it to those from whom I used to get streams of unsolicited forwards of forwards — some as many as 5 or 6 headers.

“When I get those I send the person from whom I have received the e- mail the entire page of the protocol. I received the an urgent prayer request from a missionary in South America concerning a missionary in Africa URGING me to send it on to my address book. I did not, and two days later he send another e-mail titled ‘Well, shut my mouth’ and included all the corrections to the rumor that had started circulating that had been sent him from the board of the man in Africa. Several weeks later I received the same original message from someone in Wisconsin. I sent them both the protocol and the man in Wisconsin the correction.

“Just this week I received the e-mail from someone in our church about a girl in PA that had cancer and was not expected to live. Before sending it on I checked with the first sender of that multiple forward and found that the matter was 18 months old, and God had indeed answered prayer for the girl. If you are interested in the story check their web page www.sunlink.net/~stefo/. That web page has had 84,920 hits since 05/06/98.

“Everyone that I have sent the protocol to seem to appreciate a mechanism to help them out too. I hope that is OK.”

Joseph — from Newark, Ohio [end]

That’s very okay, Joseph! Thanks for using the OPC protocol!!!

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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!