In this issue…

  1. GOT MY COPY OF THE VIDEO TOOLBOX
  2. REACHING THE WORLD IN JAPAN
  3. SCRIPTURERESOURCES.COM
  4. TEACHING IT SKILLS AS OUTREACH
  5. LOOKING FOR PRACTICAL HANDS-ON MISSION TRAINING?
  6. UPCOMING: 10 DAYS FOR HOLLAND
  7. USE YOUR SKILLS IN MEDIA TO REACH THE UNREACHED
  8. AUDIO COPIES OF THE BIBLE
  9. LEARN MISSIONS IN SOUTHERN GERMANY
  10. EVANGELISTIC LITERATURE IN PULAAR
  11. CROSS-CULTURAL YOUTH MINISTRY TRAINING
  12. HOW MANY NIGERIANS DOES IT TAKE TO SCAM THE INTERNET?
  13. ANOTHER FIX FOR LAPTOPS THAT WON’T DIAL
  14. GET TRAINING IN LEADING SHORT-TERMERS
  15. MANY THANKS TO MISSION TO UNREACHED PEOPLES (MUP)
  16. CLOSING STUFF

  1. GOT MY COPY OF THE VIDEO TOOLBOX — I finally got a peak at the “Toolbox for Video Storytelling” (a 268 page book with accompanying example CD-ROM). Written by missionaries, for missionaries, it takes you through the steps necessary to effectively tell your story, through a short video, to almost any audience. The authors take readers through organizational topics such as “Tell me the new new story,” “Starting before the beginning,” “Thinking stories, not topics,” and “What’s a good story?” (It’s about time one of these books dealt with something more than just the technical topics!) But that’s just the beginning! You’re also led through organizing your ideas, developing your script (including story-boarding and scriptwriting), developing a shot list, preproduction tips, camera technique, and sound and lighting. What’s more, there’s an entire section on editing, copyrights, and music. The accompanying case studies are chalked full of ideas. Great “101-201” course. It is available from Mission Media Productions, Inc for $35.00, including U.S. shipping, but only until May 15th. (After that, a publisher price increase will force suppliers to up the asking bid.) To get yours, contact Bob <mmpi@missionmedia.org> or visit http://www.missionmedia.org/book.html . </mmpi@missionmedia.org>

  2. REACHING THE WORLD IN JAPAN — CrossCampus International is now accepting applications for a short-term mission project in Japan. The dates are June 20 – July 3, 2002. This project will focus on doing evangelism and discipleship with university students in Yokohama and Tokyo, as well as, sharing the gospel of Christ around the Fifa World Cup Competition. World Cup organizers expect over 300,000 people from all over the world to visit Japan in June for the World Cup. For more information about this project and other opportunities to reach university students, see the CCI website at http://www.crosscampus.net or write Steve at <ceo@crosscampus.net> or call from within the USA at 817-861-1770 or from outside the USA at 001-817-861-1770. </ceo@crosscampus.net>

  3. SCRIPTURERESOURCES.COM — They provide Christian websites with a free Bible Resource search tool. It allows users to search for Bible resources from around the world without leaving the site they are on. The coding is available for any webmaster to paste onto a webpage. ScriptureResources.com is sponsored by the Forum of Bible Agencies, made up of key Bible translation and distribution organizations that work around the world: http://www.scriptureresources.com/about.asp (Thanks Tony!)

  4. TEACHING IT SKILLS AS OUTREACH — For many years, teaching English has been a major ‘way in’ to evangelism in many cultures – such that a majority of the Christians in Japan first heard the Gospel through English classes. Now, teaching IT and web skills is gaining the same significance and presents a major opportunity for mission agencies: http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/resources/teach-it.php (Thanks again Tony!)

  5. LOOKING FOR PRACTICAL HANDS-ON MISSION TRAINING? — Get the skills and experience you need you need in The Timothy Project. The Timothy Project is a field based, hands-on internship developed *by* missionaries *for* missionaries. Since 1996 the Timothy Project has offered effective, cutting-edge mission training. Located in Peten, Guatemala, Central America, the Timothy Project provides training in communication skills, partner/donor relations, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, ministry planning and deployment, budget and itineration planning, principles of language learning, stewardship, medical, and tons of mission ministry outreach. Training and mentoring is by career missionary trainers living on the foreign field.

    The Timothy Project offers two 10-week training programs and one 8-week summer session each year. Each session is limited to 12 people. The next available training session is August 23 – Nov 2, 2002.

    If you’re looking for a track to the mission field, needing to refresh your ministry skills or would like a real-life missionary experience before making a long-term commitment check out the Timothy Project web site at http://www.timothyproject.org or e-mail at <training@timothyproject.org> or call 904-398-6559, extension 31.


  6. UPCOMING: 10 DAYS FOR HOLLAND — The Dutch prayer movement launched a worldwide prayer initiative to cover the Netherlands in prayer. From 9 to 18 May, from Ascension Day to Pentecost, Christians, prayer groups and prayer movements worldwide are called to united prayer and fasting for a spiritual change in the Netherlands. The God-given vision is to kick-start ‘prayer altars’ (places of prayer where Christians covenant with God for the land) in all 500 cities and communities in the Netherlands. The Netherlands are known worldwide for their ‘progressive’ social agenda. In the last eight years the Dutch social- liberal government legalized the practice of euthanasia, the use of soft drugs and xtc, prostitution and gay marriage. With the upcoming elections on 15 May many people are calling for integrity and straightforwardness in leadership. The 10 days will be a crucial time for the Netherlands, and her moral influence in the world. If the Spirit of God moves you to pray for the Netherlands, then join in and mobilize others to pray as well. Sign up at http://www.10dagenvoornederland.nl . Information and resources are available in English. A special feature on the website is that visitors can follow the prayer mobilisation real-time, specified by continent and nation.

  7. USE YOUR SKILLS IN MEDIA TO REACH THE UNREACHED–Create International is a frontier media ministry of Youth With A Mission which focuses on reaching unreached people groups with the Gospel message by producing evangelistic and prayer media tools. They could use individuals who have skills in the area of photography, script writing, videography, video editing or graphic design as they travel to remote lands producing culturally appropriate evangelistic films and Video People Profiles (prayer/documentaries). If you would like more information about this cutting edge ministry please feel free to contact them at either their Australian or USA office.

    Create International, P.O. Box 6075, E. Perth, WA, 6892, Australia. From outside of Australia call 61-8-9328-5321 or email them at <calvin@createinternational.com>.

    Create International, Ohio Production Office, 10228 SR 53 N., Upper Sandusky, Ohio 43351, U.S.A., From the USA call 1-419-294-5248, or email them at <darynsandy@createinternational.com>. Find out more by visiting their website at: http://www.createinternational.com . </darynsandy@createinternational.com></calvin@createinternational.com>


  8. AUDIO COPIES OF THE BIBLE — Check out http://www.audiotreasure.com, which offers free MP3s of the Bible for download in a variety of languages (including English, Hindi, Tagalog, Urdu, Slovak, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese). You can download them and burn CDs or you can order them from audiotreasure.com. (Thanks for the great content as always, “Network-news”. To subscribe, write to: ) network-news-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org>

  9. LEARN MISSIONS IN SOUTHERN GERMANY — Train in Folk Religion (June 10-21), Leadership Development (September 16-20), or Multicultural Teams (January 13-24, 2003). Travel to Southern Germany for any one (or all!) of these courses. The German branch campus of Columbia International University at Korntal (near Stuttgart) offers graduate level courses at an incredibly affordable tuition rate (each course = 3 semester hours – € 125,00 per credit, full room and board starting at €124,00 per week). For further information please contact Carmen Crouse at <ccrouse@aem.de>.

  10. EVANGELISTIC LITERATURE IN PULAAR — SOON Ministries have launched a new free evangelistic paper BOOYATAA in the Pulaar language of West Africa. Written in Roman script, it is accessible for Fula/Peul/Fulbe peoples who speak Pulaar (or even Fulfulde). If you have contact with any of these peoples, please write for free copies. A Pulaar language- helper is needed for ongoing development of the paper. (SOON’s other free papers, in easy-English, Franco-phone French, African Portoguese, Swahili, and German for German learners remain available too.) Write <admin@soon.org.uk>.

  11. CROSS-CULTURAL YOUTH MINISTRY TRAINING — Get it July 29-August 2, 2002, from CIT. This course will give missionaries a viable cross- cultural model for the development of youth ministry national leadership and local church strategies in their fields of service. Taught by Randy Smith of Youth Ministry International, the course will also assist pastors, youth pastors and lay youth workers with a Biblical model for contemporary youth ministry here in the U.S. and will address how thy can transfer this strategy to a cross-cultural setting through short-term missions partnerships with national churches. For more information, write or call 800.887.1786 or visit the website at http://www.cit-online.org. </citmail@cit-online.org>

  12. HOW MANY NIGERIANS DOES IT TAKE TO SCAM THE INTERNET? — The answer? Thousands! Can you believe how this one scan has become so pervasive? I mean… can’t someone be a little more creative and say they’re writing from Benin or Togo? Here’s one guy who decided he would try to turn the tables: http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/ He gives specific instructions on how to deal with these guys, if you’re so inclined. Yikes. Why not Guinea?

  13. ANOTHER FIX FOR LAPTOPS THAT WON’T DIAL — I had no idea there were so many others that had experienced similar dialing difficulties overseas. “Jonathan” has an even simpler fix: just carry a small portable phone an accompanying cord splitter. “Dial the number manually, then activate the modem with a null dial string and when it picks up the line, hang up the phone. This phone can also be very useful for troubleshooting, especially if you find one with a mic mute switch so you can listen in while the modem is communicating.” (Elegantly simple, Jonathan! Thanks!)

  14. GET TRAINING IN LEADING SHORT-TERMERS — There is still time to register for the Short-Term Ministry Leaders Training Seminar conducted by ServantPrep International and Gateway Mission Training Center, May 16-19 in Denver, Colorado. This is a 4-day intensive interactive training seminar that provides each participant with proven, cutting- edge methods and information; everything needed to implement an effective short-term ministry program or augment existing programs. This seminar covers most all short-term issues including in depth pre- field training, team dynamics, on-site materials, and comprehensive debriefing. The seminar will be held at the Christ Episcopal Church in Denver; cost is only $225 which includes materials and tuition. Contact Ray <servantprep@aol.com>. </servantprep@aol.com>

  15. MANY THANKS TO MISSION TO UNREACHED PEOPLES (MUP) — What an incredibly helpful tool! Each week, we create Brigada Today as a Word document, send it out in email format, then port it over to the web for the brigada.org site. Previously, the process of porting to the web took no less than 30 – 60 minutes (including inserting bookmarks, table of contents, etc.) and sometimes longer. Now, thanks to a *most* kind web servant at MUP, it takes about 15 seconds! Sadly enough, our now- deceased partner, Bob Mayhew, had authored such a tool for his own personal use, but the “magic” of his code disappeared with his passing out in California. Now, thanks to the anonymous but greatly appreciated servant at Mission to Unreached Peoples (Thanks MUP!!!), we’ll save no less than a week’s worth of work-time, all hours combined, each and every year from now on. Please join me today in asking God to greatly bless Mission to Unreached Peoples, along with its humble and sacrificial staff! The immediate benefit? This issue of Brigada Today is already live on the web at https://brigada.org