20001001 Brigada Today

In this issue….

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BRIGADA SUB-GROUPS?

Good luck.

Truth is, many did not make the jump when MAFxc began its policy of charging “by the byte” or “by the message”, probably because many (like this one) were staffed by volunteers, rather than those getting paid “by the message” (like this one

). Some groups continue under different banners… while others have totally vanished.

That’s a shame. In the hayday of “brigada-connections”, I think the Brigada sub-groups had real potential. But also, remember that 1995 was the height of the hayday of AD2000 & Beyond and all the momentum of raising up groups to reach them. Nowadays, it appears to me that some of that momentum is waning… and that’s too bad. But if any one entity is following in that tradition originally envisioned by those Brigada-subgroups, it’s: http://www.strategicnetwork.org (Make sure you put the “org” on the end and not “com”. If you put “com” then you’re directed to a ring of prostitutes. Okay. I’m joking.)

[more in the item below]

STRATEGIC NETWORK DOT ORG

Anyway… we’ve mentioned the strategicnetwork site before but have you checked it out lately? There are all kinds of possibilities there. The only hitch is that it requires that you be live on the web for nearly everything you do. The old Brigada-connections idea was great for those around the world who are primarily emailers rather than browsers — and there are still plenty of them left. But clearly, momentum is shifting there too. More and more people are getting used to clicking and browsing. Still — if you ask me (and several have) — email is still the most common glue for Internet users. So … it’s a shame to have seen the rise and fall of brigada-connections. But check out strategicnetworks if you have web access (and you use it

). It’s really well-designed. You can find people group networks by region, by country, by people group, or by forum. If none exists for your people of choice, you can volunteer to become one. There are pages to post resources (kind of like the eGroups feature that few use here in Brigada) and there are a ton of special interest cross-section groups like “bookstore”, “directory”, “chronology”, “evangelistic resources”, “opportunities”, “short-term trips” (free advertising, missions agencies!), and tons more. The folks running this site are to be congratulated big-time. If anyone can help you get connected, it’s Strategic Network .com. Hats off to its organizers! (Slight glitch with the site — for now, it appears the secure log-on, though promoted, doesn’t work. Too bad. That would be a great feature. The worst part is that it offers it but doesn’t tell you that it didn’t work… so unaware users might not notice that they don’t get the little “padlock” that they should for a secure site.)

MISSIONS CONFERENCE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

GO (Global Outreach) 2000, a missions conference targeting college students, will be held this year from November 3-5 in Madison, Georgia (one hour east of Atlanta). This year’s theme “What do you see?” based on Matthew 9:36 will be addressed by Donnie Scearce, International Mobilization Director for Pioneers. The weekend also includes interaction times with mission agencies, an international fair, panel discussions, a concert of prayer, personal reflection times, and worship by Silars Bald. The cost is $60 each for groups of ten or more and $65 each for individuals. For more info, write info@globalambition.org, or find them on the web at: http://www.globalambition.org.

RE-DO ON “MISSIONS RESOURCES”

Aren’t you glad that, unlike some situations in life, Brigada Today can offer a “re-do”?

If you’ve had trouble with the link mentioned in last week’s Brigada Today, “MISSIONS RESOURCES INFORMATION“, where you can find “over 150 sources for Bibles, Books, Tracts and Videos,” try this one. The original link had a spurious space: http://www.esbc.com/missionsresources.html

VBS VIRUS

Isn’t it a shame that vacation Bible school will now get a bum wrap because of the vbs viruses going around?

Seriously, if you receive an email with, say, an attached file by the name of: GILU.GIF.vbs follow in the footsteps of Nancy Reagan and “just say delete”.

TESOL SCHOOL IN KONA, HAWAII

The next TESOL Course ( Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages ) At the UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS in Kona will be held beginning Jan. 29th, 2001. This course will equip you to teach English & open doors for you just about anywhere in the world you are led to go. This is a four-week academic curriculum, with a two-week practicum following. The exact schedule is from Jan. 29th to Mar. 9th, 2001. A teaching and cultural exchange outreach to China for approx. six weeks is being planned immediately following the practicum. For more information contact tesol@uofnkona.edu.

ELIJAH COMPANY, INC. – MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMPS

ECI is an international ministry designed to mentor ordinary Christians into career missions. It is hosting Missionary Training Camps in the historic area of Virginia and in Southern Spain. The Camps are designed to give concrete steps for those called to a career in missions. Included are foundational seminars dealing with understanding one’s call, spiritual strongholds, cross cultural work, practical issues of support and family and more. The Camps lead to mentorship ties to provide ongoing assistance. These camps are a week in duration. For more information write to TrumptCall@aol.com or call Norman at 757-474-2054.

LATEST BRIGADA-OPC CHALLENGE: 5-YEAR-OLD KELSEY BROOKE

By the way, if you get an email about a missing 5-year-old named Kelsey Brooke, “just say delete.” She was found about 2 hours after the original email was sent… in October 1999!!! The original email sent by frantic searchers is still circulating! This kind of thing would be drastically reduced if more people followed the Brigada “OPC Protocol”. Get a copy by sending an email to opc@brigada.org.

FOR THOSE CHINA-BOUND

Do you plan to interface with the Chinese world – whether here or there or anywhere? If so, consider the new intensive courses designed to help you acquire the language you need to minister in an effective and culturally appropriate manner. Instruction covers the language, culture, and history. The goal is competence. This means fluency and accuracy in the language, sensitivity and servanthood in the culture, and personal responsibility and perseverance in the learning process. Native-speaker professionals trained in modern methodology provide the language instruction. For more info, write Nancy chineseinstitute@email.com, or click to http://www.chineseinstitute.org or phone 803-786-6888.

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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
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