In this issue…

  1. FAITHFUL SPONSORS…
  2. TEALBROOK WATER PURIFIERS FOR MISSONARIES AT REDUCED PRICES
  3. SAVE ON CERTAIN TITLES WHILE HELPING BRIGADA
  4. TRY APRESO
  5. HAVE YOU SENT CHRISTMAS CARDS YET?
  6. GRAD WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES
  7. MISSION NEWS BYTES
  8. ANOTHER OPTION FOR PLAXO’D BRIGADIERS
  9. FREE BIBLE STUDIES TO HELP REACH OTHERS
  10. HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE FOR MISSIONARIES
  11. THE MWANI PEOPLE
  12. DOWNLOAD FREE TRAINING FOR YOUR CHURCH LEADERS
  13. TEACHING OPPORTUNITY IN THE PHILIPPINES (K-9TH)
  14. YWAM CROSSROADS DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING SCHOOL
  15. PRESS RELEASES
  16. AQUAPONICS COURSE
  17. FOOTSTEPS MAGAZINE
  18. IS PRIMARY EYE CARE INCLUDED IN YOUR MISSION PROGRAM?
  19. THE BACKPAGE: WHAT TO DO WITH THE FULLER RECOMMENDATIONS
  20. CLOSING STUFF

  1. FAITHFUL SPONSORS… — That faithful monthly sponsor (who used the monthly link to set up a regular $10/month gift to our Brigada secretary fund, is at it again. (Thanks for the faithful sponsorship!) That brings our year-to-date total to $12,320, or about $3000 short of our full-year needs to help provide a Brigada secretary. If our prayers for you result in you inheriting some money, or if you’d just like to pitch in sacrificially — with $100 … $1000 … or whatever… — just go to

    https://brigada.org/sponsor.html To send a check, make it out to “Team Expansion (Brigada secretary),” then send it to Team Expansion/Brigada, 13711 Willow Reed Dr., Louisville, KY 40299. We appreciate you!!!


  2. TEALBROOK WATER PURIFIERS FOR MISSONARIES AT REDUCED PRICES — TealBrook Supplies, a sponsor of Brigada, has been distributing water purification systems to the mission community since 1991. In the past year they have updated the resin they use to purify the water, improved some of the physical aspects of the units, and most importantly are lowering many of the prices for 2004. TealBrook would like to offer these new prices immediately to Brigada subscribers. Visit their web site at http://www.tealbrook.com/ to see all they have to offer. You will need to request the new price list by emailing them at info@tealbrook.com or calling them at 1-800- 222-6614 or internationally at 651-365-7714.

  3. SAVE ON CERTAIN TITLES WHILE HELPING BRIGADA — Bill Berry, of Into All the World Magazine, is offering on a “mix & match” basis, the following titles. Bill says they must be shipped to a US or Canadian organizational, school or church address. 1-9 total copies ordered, you get a 10% Discount. 10-19 copies total, you get a 20% Discount. 20+ copies total, you get the 30% Discount. Plus, modest S&H charges will be added to the invoice that will be enclosed in your shipment. Send an E-Mail to BBerry4215@Aol.Com. HERE ARE THE BOOKS: ** Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission ($20/copy), from STEM Press. ** Ministering Cross-Culturally ($13/copy, new & revised 2nd Edition), by Lingenfelter & Mayers. ** Teaching Cross-Culturally ($13/copy, brand-new title), by Sherwood & Judi Lingenfelter. ** Let the Nations Be Glad ($15/copy, new & revised 2nd Edition), by John Piper. ** The Short-Term Mission Workbook ($13/copy), by Tim Dearborn. ** Beyond Duty ($8/copy), by Tim Dearborn. ** Mack & Leeann’s Guide to Short-Term Missions ($12/copy). ** The Essential Guide to Short-Term Mission Trips ($16/copy), by David Forward. ** Today’s All-Star Missions Churches ($12/copy), by Tom Telford. ** Missions in the 21st Century ($12/copy), by Tom Telford. ** Operation World: The 21st Century Edition ($18/copy), by Patrick Johnstone. ** The Whole World Guide to Culture Learning ($25/coy), by J. Daniel Hess. ** Getting Sent: A Relational Approach to Support Raising ($13), by Pete Sommer. Note that Bill is pledging to give 10% of the income from all orders to Brigada. So get these great discounts for yourself & support Brigada. Thanks… and thanks especially to Bill!

  4. TRY APRESO — I did, this past week. *Very* impressive. Get a trial copy at: http://www.anystream.com In a nutshell, it’s a software tool to help you merge PowerPoint charts with a video — then let you spin the result out to a CD, or host them on a web page. We tried it, at Team Expansion, to generate some training materials for our team leaders … and it’s *dynamite*! Very easy, too! Check it out! (By the way, they’re not sponsors. This is just “one beggar telling another beggar where to find breath.”)

  5. HAVE YOU SENT CHRISTMAS CARDS YET? — Read the following review of AmazingMail, and maybe you will decide to give this “amazing” service a try. It meets a genuine need for lots of missionaries and others living worldwide. AmazingMail lets you go online anywhere in the world and create high quality, full color, glossy postcards. These are real postcards that AmazingMail prints for you (in the USA with best printing technology) and sends by first class, US postal mail the next business day. The cost for everything, including postage, is less than $1 per postcard. Finally, you can create and send one card, or easily send cards to your entire mailing list. For more details, read the full review at http://www.globalcompassion.com/mail.htm (Thanks for the tip, Andy!)

  6. GRAD WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES — Azusa Pacific University’s Master’s Degree in Social Science (emphasis in servant leadership) is in the Philippines May 31-June 11, 2004. They’ve slashed the cost to 1/3 of on-campus prices! The program is called “Operation Impact”. Classes offered this year are: Ethics in a Changing Organizational Environment, Leader as an Agent of Change, Current Issues in Leadership, Group Dynamics and Conflict Management. For more information contact: Melody kzkuka@jmf.org.ph , tel. 632-658-3807.

  7. MISSION NEWS BYTES — News Bytes is a free monthly digest of short, world mission-related news items and resources compiled by Debbie Meroff of Operation Mobilization. An html version is posted on: http://www.om.org/newsbytes/ For an e-mail subscription send a subscribe message to newsbytes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

  8. ANOTHER OPTION FOR PLAXO’D BRIGADIERS — One Brigada participant (thanks Justin!) recommends opting out of Plaxo at: https://www.plaxo.com/opt_out This step will reportedly “turn off” the flow of Plaxo invite messages to your email address. If it works, it’ll be a welcome step by the Plaxo “pingers”!

  9. FREE BIBLE STUDIES TO HELP REACH OTHERS — ChristianBibleStudies.com, from the editors of Christianity Today, offers dozens of ready-to-download Bible studies for personal or group use. To download the free samples today, simply visit: http://store.yahoo.com/biblestudies/freesamples.html

  10. HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE FOR MISSIONARIES — If you homeschool or are thinking about it, check out this new website geared toward missionaries and Christian workers overseas. There is lots of information, curriculum ideas, links, and articles. Check it out at: http://www.homeschoolingabroad.com Or e-mail krysti@homeschoolingabroad.com .

  11. THE MWANI PEOPLE — They live along the coast of northern Mozambique, Africa, and make their living from the sea. “Mwani” means “beach,” as that’s where most of them live. They’ve been Mus1ims for 1,100 years and are known as a people resistant to the Gospel – only about 8 of the 80,000 poeple are Christians. Missionaries from SIL, AIM and World Outreach have started working among them with little fruit so far. Would you like to get involved in adopting and/or praying for them? Contact Hendrik at e-mail <hendrik@nusa.co.za> . (Remember that we can’t possibly personally visit each and every field so, as always, learn everything you can about this and other opportunities before “signing on”!) </hendrik@nusa.co.za>

  12. DOWNLOAD FREE TRAINING FOR YOUR CHURCH LEADERS — BuildingChurchLeaders.com, from the editors of Leadership journal, can help build faithful and effective leaders in your church or ministry. Now you can download some free, easy-to-use training resources to use in your regularly-scheduled meetings. Get free samples here: http://store.yahoo.com/buildingchurchleaders/freesamples.html

  13. TEACHING OPPORTUNITY IN THE PHILIPPINES (K-9TH) — If you are a teacher or you know of a teacher who wants to serve the Lord as a missionary, there’s a great opportunity at Christian Academy of Baguio in the Philippines. CAB needs at least two new teachers for the next school year, which will begin in August, 2004. CAB is a small K-9 school serving missionaries from several nations who work in the Baguio area. Teaching is done in English using American curriculum. For more information, please contact Steve at slhong@missionaries.com

  14. YWAM CROSSROADS DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING SCHOOL — Are you over age 30 and at a crossroads in your life? Are you looking for a new direction in ministry, or deeper intimacy with God, or a taste of cross cultural missions? Youth With A Mission of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA wants to invite you for three months of preparation and instruction followed by two months of ministry in Ukraine. The course begins April 18, 2004 and is open to adults aged 30 or more and to families with children. See their website at http://www.ywampa.org or e-mail to ywampa@comcast.net.

  15. PRESS RELEASES — You can get free publicity for your church or Christian organization from the secular press and broadcasting media – if you do it right. http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/resources/writing-pressreleases.php (Thanks Tony!)

  16. AQUAPONICS COURSE — What is aquaponics? It involves combining aquaculture and hydroponics for mutual benefit. These ecologically sound, highly productive systems are ideal for food production in almost any part of the world and can be used as a “helps ministry”. The course will be held March 8 – 12, 2004 at Camp Living Water in Bryson City, NC, USA. For more information, visit: http//www.aquacultureinternational.org or email: cwjohnson@graham.main.nc.us . Lodging is FREE for full time missionaries and registration is at student rate ($75). Register early since a limited number of rooms are available. Aquaculture International is a nonprofit organization that honors Jesus Christ as Lord.

  17. FOOTSTEPS MAGAZINE — Catch many practical ground-level development ideas for the non-western world from UK’s Christian NGO TearFund: http://www.tilz.info/frameset.asp (Thanks again Tony!)

  18. IS PRIMARY EYE CARE INCLUDED IN YOUR MISSION PROGRAM? — InFOCUS will train you and your mission team to provide affordable Primary Eye Care including eye glass distribution, to people in developing countries. Learn how to use the focometer, a hand-held instrument that measures visual refractive errors accurately. Primary Eye Care and Focometry workshops are held quarterly in Houston, Texas U.S.A. Next workshop is January 23-24, 2004. For more information visit http://www.infocusonline.org or send an email to info@infocusonline.org

  19. THE BACKPAGE: WHAT TO DO WITH THE FULLER RECOMMENDATIONS — Okay… I give up. What are we supposed to do with the new recommendations floating around the Internet from Fuller Theological Seminary. To see what I mean, just go to your favorite search engine, put in “Fuller prohibit proselytizing” and read any of the hundreds of pages you see, commenting on the subject. (It’s fairly heated, I guess.) The way I get it, Seminary leadership is basically asking for a two-year moratorium on proselytizing the one faith from the other. On the surface, this seems like quite an about-face from the central focal point of Donald McGavran’s “School of World Missions”, which typically teaches entire degrees in how to share Christ’s hope with Muslims. If you’ve got the “inside scoop” on this topic, please drop me a line. I’m eager to learn more. When I do, Brigada readers will be the first to know.