In this issue…

1. NOW GET GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE FOR HOME & OVERSEAS STAFF AS 1
2. SHARPEN YOUR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
3. GO GLOBAL WITH GLOBAL MISSIOLOGY
4. EFFECTIVE PLANNING, TRAINING AND LEADING OF SHORT-TERM TEAMS
5. DENTAL TRAINING FOR MISSIONS
6. INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE OF AIRLINE INDUSTRY
7. WHAT ABOUT DOMESTIC SHORT-TERM MISSIONS?
8. GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE LATEST IN LATIN AMERICAN MISSIONS
9. HOW DO CHINESE CHARACTERS REVEAL THE GOSPEL
10. FOR SOME, DANCE UNLOCKS KEY TO CULTURE
11. THANKS TO THOSE WHO ARE HELPING US HELP GET BRIGADA OUT
12. HELP PUSH DOUG OVER THE EDGE (AND LEARN FOLLOWERSHIP)
13. BACK PAGE: WHAT DOES THE AGENCY WANT OUT OF IT?
14. CLOSING STUFF

1. NOW GET GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE FOR HOME & OVERSEAS STAFF AS 1 — Finally, here’s a plan that puts no limit on length of time workers spend on furlough. It is underwritten by a USA carrier rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Thus this is not “surplus lines insurance” or plan offered by an “off-shore carrier.” The plan includes all standard benefits for the international worker including medical evacuation, etc. plus provides direct pay and has medical and Rx co-pays. The company has developed an international PPO with 1600 contracted doctors who are American Board Certified or the equivalent. They have also contracted 300 international hospitals. This is the largest international PPO in the world. For more information contact: jeff(at)gninsurance(dot)com or call 480/813-9100. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Toll free in USA: 866/636-9100. Or visit http://www.gninsurance.com
2. SHARPEN YOUR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS — International Training Partners offers Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills Workshops in different parts of the world. These five-day, highly interactive workshops focus on biblical application of skills in relating to one another and to the host people.

A workshop hosted by International Training Partners will be held at Palmer Lake, Colorado near Colorado Springs October 9-14, 2005. Contact Paul Lere at plere(at)itpartners(dot)org for information. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

Go to http://www.itpartners.org for details on all of the workshops and information on ITP. If your mission is interested in sponsoring a SYIS workshop, contact Paul Lere at plere(at)itpartners(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .].
3. GO GLOBAL WITH GLOBAL MISSIOLOGY — Global Missiology http://www.globalmissiology.org is a quarterly publication with original research and contributions from researchers, practitioners and scholars of international representation with global perspectives. In this July issue under the theme Word and Deed, there is a new section “technology & culture” to cover the inter-phase & integration of technology with Christian life and mission outreach. Also, enjoy the new Chinese version in both “full script” and “simplified script” formats for GM readers. Just simply “click” the appropriate language choice to switch back & forth. In accordance to the missiological principle of indigenization, everything in the Chinese version is originally developed by Chinese missiologists; not translation from English. Lord willing, future plan includes GM in other languages such as French, Spanish, and Portuguese to network missiologists internationally to be inclusive and truly global. Send all inquiries to editor(at)globalmissiology(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
4. EFFECTIVE PLANNING, TRAINING AND LEADING OF SHORT-TERM TEAMS -– This one-day seminar will be offered on Saturday, October 1 at Taylor Seminary, in Edmonton, Alberta through joint sponsorship of Taylor Seminary and Vanguard College. Early Bird registration (before Sept. 15) is only CAD$35.00 and includes lunch. To register call Renetta at 780-431-5246 or email Renetta(dot)geisler(at)taylor-edu(dot)ca [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
5. DENTAL TRAINING FOR MISSIONS — Learn a practical skill through which you can demonstrate the love of Christ in an effective way. In only 2 weeks you can learn to fill and clean teeth with hand instruments. The needs are great. No injections or expensive equipment involved. Monthly courses in Texas. http://www.dentaltrainingformissions.com or write dentaltrainingformissions(at)yahoo(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
6. INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE OF AIRLINE INDUSTRY — Thanks to Brian for finding this interesting perspective on the future of airline ticketing, or the lack thereof: http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/000574.html Bottom line of this article: etickets and their fallout appear likely to unsettle the traditional world of connecting from one airline to another. Yikes. The jungle just got a little bit more complicated.
7. WHAT ABOUT DOMESTIC SHORT-TERM MISSIONS? — Do you have teams or individuals doing short-term mission trips in the States this summer? If so make sure they have adequate medical and evacuation coverage! You may want to check out the “Trip Protector” plan from Insurance Services of America. This plan covers medical expenses and medical evacuation with a rate as low as $24 for trips up to 30 days! This plan will also cover baggage and personal items that are lost, stolen or damaged!

For details, a free quote and to apply for coverage go to http://www.InsuranceForTrips.com , email them at health(at)missionaryhealth(dot)com, [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] or call them at 1-800-647-4589 (1-480- 821-9052 outside of North America) and ask for Mark. Insurance Services of America is a Christian organization that specializes in helping missionaries and mission organizations find affordable healthcare. They have a wide range of plans for missionaries, mission groups and churches, so be sure to contact them to see how they can “shop around” for you to help you save money on your health insurance needs.
8. GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE LATEST IN LATIN AMERICAN MISSIONS — The Second Latin Missionary Consultation will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, on September 19 to 23, 2005. The First Consultation was in Stavanger, Norway, on 2004, with a very good result. This will be a good opportunity for Latin missionaries serving overseas to share their ideas and fellowship with other missionaries. For more information visit the consultation website at http://www.missionarios.com
9. HOW DO CHINESE CHARACTERS REVEAL THE GOSPEL — Did you know that Chinese culture/characters contain evidence that the ancient Chinese descended from Noah and knew the Genesis history? Want to learn more and even share this with a Chinese friend? The Intercessors for China 2006 prayer calendar shares some of this evidence and its evangelistic potential in twelve beautifully illustrated monthly profiles and has 365 carefully researched prayer items for China’s cities and minorities. Why should you care about this in July? If you buy before August 1, you can take advantage of their “Two More for China” offer. You’ll get two copies of the 2006 calendar, “Chinese Characters Reveal the Gospel,” plus two copies of the current 2005 calendar, “Chinese Christian Women,” all for less than $15, including shipping. One for you and one to share: that’s two more praying for China! Callers in the US/Canada can dial toll-free 1-888-462-5481. Others can call 1-717-687- 8564. Email: order(at)prayforchina(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address, please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Calendars can be ordered after August 10 at the regular prices as posted at http://www.prayforchina.com
10. FOR SOME, DANCE UNLOCKS KEY TO CULTURE — The weekend of the 8-11 July 2005 was very exciting for all those who took part in the very first International Dance Weekend at All Nations Christian College in Ware, Herts. Organised in partnership with the Christian Dance Fellowship of Great Britain, participants and teachers came from all over the country and beyond, including Germany. Three main dance areas were studied from the Indian form of classical dance Bharatha Natyam to Oriental Egyptian dance and Bollywood. … For more information or details of opportunities to study the Arts and Culture, contact Jill Ford on arts(at)allnations(dot)ac(dot)uk [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] or visit http://www.allnations.ac.uk
11. NG TO GHANA WEST AFRICA? — The North American Women’s Association, committed for over 35 years to helping women & children in Ghana, has compiled an extensive, resourceful insider’s database for Ghana at http://www.noworriesghana.com Laurie Korum, missionary nurse to Ghana for more than ten years, doesn’t promise to have all the answers but is willing to help field questions for those considering coming to Ghana. Her contact is Ghana_Laurie(at)hotmail(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
12. THANKS TO THOSE WHO ARE HELPING US HELP GET BRIGADA OUT — This past week, we appreciated a gift from Andy at Dial-Abroad for $105, representing the long-distance calling benefits some Brigada readers generated through using Dial-Abroad long distance. If you’re talking on the phone anyway, and you’re thinking about switching anyway, try Andy’s services by clicking here. Thanks Andy!

Would you like to help make Brigada happen next week and beyond? Your sponsorship or gift helps offset the costs of our webspace, some secretarial help, and a small amount of advertising. To chip in or make a substantial donation, just click here (to use PayPal or a credit card), or just send a check payable to Team Expansion to: Team Expansion (Brigada secretary), 13711 Willow Reed Dr., Louisville, KY 40299. As always, be sure to let us know if you’d like us to promote any particular service or ministry, or if you’d prefer your gift be anonymous.
13. HELP PUSH DOUG OVER THE EDGE (AND LEARN FOLLOWERSHIP) — I know, I know. You’re getting tired of hearing about Doug’s dissertation survey. But the truth is, we really do need some more takers… and this survey only takes 5 minutes. It’s anonymous — in that your input won’t be shared with anyone (especially not with your supervisor). :-) Likewise, the responses of your supervisor are kept secret too. Through these surveys, we’re learning lots about the relationship between followers and their bosses, and the perceptions of each about the other. We’ll publish the broad strokes here — and if all goes well, Doug will finish a Ph.D. out of the whole thing. We’ve had about 250 people participate, and about half that many bosses have completed their matching portion (which, unfortunately, is a necessary part of the project). Would you please consider passing this request to your mission or church staff? If you’re a member of a local church, would you ask your minister(s) to participate? (It’s free of course!) Anyone who has ever completed a Masters Degree or Ph.D. can identify. We just need a bunch of viewpoints… hundreds of them. (To be precise, we need at least 500 pairs of responses — followers and their bosses. :-( Still a ways.) If you’ve ever considered yourself to be Doug’s friend – – or not — now is the time to rally the troops. Just send your staff members to: https://brigada.org/followership The simple instructions are all there. I’m really not kidding… maybe this will only take 5′. Please give it a shot. (Any employee of any non-profit or church anywhere in the galaxy can participate.) Thank you, thank you, thank you. :-)
14. BACK PAGE: WHAT DOES THE AGENCY WANT OUT OF IT? — The final installment of our thinking about change in missions is centered on the agency. (For those who have been napping :-), we’ve asked “what does the church want” out of missions today, and what does the missionary want.) Again, it appears to me we’re living through a period of profound change. For example, today’s generation of students are asking completely different questions about their world and how to reach it. Neal Pirolo, author of “Serving as Senders”, wrote us this past week with this observation: “As aging mission agencies are being forced to relate with a younger generation in the Church, they must come to realize that there is a major, basic different point of view. The younger generations more and more want a greater and greater involvement in the decisions relating to the tasks to which they commit. Past generations ‘signed the check’ and said, ‘God bless you. Go do it.’ Today’s (and tomorrow’s) generations want to be a part of the strategizing, planning and execution of the task. (And they are more interested in task-related proposals than ‘career’ commitments.)” This can have a *major* effect on mission agency models, as you can imagine.

But other changes are happening across the board. Again, we see effects brought about by shifts in technology, missiology, cultural values, and even the shrinking nature of a planet perhaps more in tune with itself and its inhabitants.

Our Training Director at Team Expansion, Glen Gibson, handed me an article earlier this week that helped crystallize some of these changes and their impact on missions. In it, the director of CBInt’l, Hans Finzel, lamented that missions agencies ” are not changing fast enough or deep enough to meet the needs of today’s world.” He concludes, “What worked … in the 1980s and even 1990s does not apply today.” He’s observing changes like…
*** Leadership election to leadership selection
*** US-based launching to globalization
*** Country boundaries to people groups [OK Hans… maybe we started this shift back in 1974. :-) ]
*** From territorial divisions to functional teams of ministry
*** From rigid field structures to simplicity and mobility
*** From lifetime mission careers to the revolving door of short-term service
*** From command and control administration to decentralization and regionalization
*** From using the sending churches to serving our partner churches
*** From fee-based administration to funding for value added
*** From recruiting on the campus to mobilizing from the church
*** From classic, narrow ministry focus to 360-degree deployment. [See Hans’s article in the July 2005 EMQ, p. 330.]

Whoa, if that’s not a bunch of major shifts, then I’m not sitting here at 3:18am compiling Brigada Today. Yikes… it’s enough to scare the wits out of the control freaks among us.

What do *you* think today’s mission agency is seeking out of the mission agency – church – missionary continuum? What are the motivations for agencies to move forward? Why do they keep trying to do what they’ve always done? What are the “itches” that they scratch? Why do we need them? What causes their eyes to glisten and their little hearts to warm with gladness? How do we avoid offending them (and do we care? :-) )? How will they best relate to individuals as missionaries and church leaders of today and tomorrow?

Those are the haunting questions that cry out for answers. (Is that melodramatic or *what*? :-) ) Want to register your thoughts? Jot a note to this email address: brigada-feedback@googlegroups.com You won’t have to join the group or register in any way. Your feedback will be assumed anonymous, though you’re welcome to leave your name and contact information if you desire. Look for information about these responses in next week’s Brigada Today. And until then, please be careful out there — it’s a jungle you know. Doug