In this issue…

  1. “WHEN BRIGADA MOVES TO EMERALD HILLS,…”
  2. PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
  3. MAJOR MISSIONS EVENT IN PHOENIX, AZ, TAKE MY LIFE
  4. 2006 LAUSANNE YOUNGER LEADERS’ GATHERING, RECOMMENDATIONS NEEDED
  5. TRANSFORMING NATIONS COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY
  6. BLUEWATER DTS 2006 (MIX YOUR BIBLE WITH SOME SAILING)
  7. NEED ENGINEERING EXPERTISE?
  8. TENTMAKING SEMINAR: USING YOUR PROFESSION OVERSEAS
  9. HOW TO AVOID SENDING YOUR EMAIL RECIPIENTS ON THE WARPATH
  10. WHERE DO WE FIND LARGE MAP TEMPLATES?
  11. WOULDN’T IT BE COOL IF LAST NAMES A-B SENT A GIFT IN FEBRUARY
  12. THE BACKPAGE: WHAT SHOULD TEAMS LOOK LIKE?
  13. CLOSING STUFF
  1. “WHEN BRIGADA MOVES TO EMERALD HILLS,…” — “…Will service be interrupted?” That was the question of one loyal reader of Brigada Today. He continued, “It would be good to clarify that Emerald Hills is the new home of Brigada and that the fine service will continue on uninterrupted from its new home (if that is the case, or whatever the case may be).” Whoa. Honestly… sometimes that’s all it takes to feel warm inside. :-) The answer is — yes!, of course, the move to Emerald Hills shouldn’t interrupt Brigada at all. To learn more about the relationship between Brigada, Team Expansion, and Emerald Hills, just click on over to:

    http://www.emeraldhills.info

    then click on “About” in the top line menu. Thanks for your interest.

  2. PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION — Sign up now for Principles of Language Acquisition: Natural Techniques and Skills (PLANTS) Held in Toronto April 2-14, 2006. PLANTS is a proactive approach to learning a new language. Before you are field-tested you can be language lab- tested. You can evaluate your language learning strengths and weaknesses, learn the principles and skills of language acquisition, practice with national speakers of your target language, and actually grow in your target language, all within two weeks in the world’s most multi-cultural city – Toronto. For more information go to

    http://www.missionprep.ca or email info(at)missionPrep(dot)ca [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

  3. MAJOR MISSIONS EVENT IN PHOENIX, AZ, TAKE MY LIFE — Take My Life is a 2-day event, Feb. 10-11, 2006, that gives college students and twenty-something’s a worship/learning experience that will challenge them to let God use their lives to change the world. Carl Medearis, who has been serving God in the Middle East, will share about trusting Jesus wherever God sends you, living above fear. Local ministries that serve the poor, bless international students, and spread the gospel overseas will be offering workshops. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday. Room is still available for those who wish to set up a booth. Registration for each person is $20. For more information, email jeremy(at)takemylife(dot)org or browse

    http://www.takemylife.org

    This event is sponsored through Frontiers.

  4. 2006 LAUSANNE YOUNGER LEADERS’ GATHERING, RECOMMENDATIONS NEEDED — The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization

    http://www.lausanne.org

    is asking for help in identifying outstanding younger leaders who are committed to world evangelization and whose lives demonstrate exceptional capacity for leadership. The Lausanne movement is committed to developing the next generation of leaders for the cause of world evangelization and will convene a Younger Leaders Gathering (YLG06) 24- 30 September 2006 in Malaysia. Lausanne asks leaders from around the world to recommend younger leaders (between the ages of 25 and 25) to attend YLG06. Younger leaders will be challenged, strengthen, inspired, developed and united in the cause of world evangelization. The YLG06 Participant Recommendation Forms are available in Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, French and English are available for download:

    http://www.ylg06.org

    Just click on “Recommendation” in the left margin. Completed forms should be sent BY 7 FEBRUARY (whoa; better get busy; didn’t receive this ’til Jan. 30th; it didn’t make the last cut-off. Sorry for the quick notice!) to ylg06(at)lausanne(dot)org

  5. TRANSFORMING NATIONS COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY — Are you interested in establishing a Community-Based Health Care Program which integrates the physical and the spiritual? Medical Ambassadors International’s Training of Trainers (TOT) introduces people to Community Health Evangelism (CHE). This strategy teaches concepts, gives vision and practical How-To’s for implementing and managing CHE in your ministry. Training dates for the USA will take place September 12-17,2006. TOT II focuses on developing teaching materials, methods, and curriculum. TOT III concentrates on the evaluation and management of the project as well as how to multiply into other areas. TOT II, III happen April 3-8, 2006. Additional information can be found at

    http://www.medicalambassadors.org/che_training/training_explained.asp

    or, for TOT I, by writing Helen(at)med-amb(dot)org and for TOT II & III by writing april(at)med-amb(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

  6. BLUEWATER DTS 2006 (MIX YOUR BIBLE WITH SOME SAILING) — Marine Reach is excited to announce that the next Bluewater DTS will take place in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK, a place that offers good sailing, effective sail training and involvement in the local community. This six-month YWAM Discipleship Training School will begin April 14th. During the land-based lecture days teachings will come from a variety of international speakers on topics ranging from the character and nature of God, to evangelism. During the sailing days you will be on board various yachts (30ft – 45ft), learning to sail, working together and engaging in all the challenges of sailing in the Irish Sea. The plan is to visit ports in Wales, Ireland and potentially England and Scotland. The DTS also offers the chance to gain qualification with the RYA in sailing by the end of the school. The outreach phase of the DTS begins July 22nd. Locations will be confirmed near the start of the school. If you are looking for God-filled adventure, interested in missions, ready to be challenged spiritually and physically, and want to be better equipped to make a difference in the world then this course is for you. For more information contact cassiewilliams(at)compuserve(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
  7. NEED ENGINEERING EXPERTISE? — Here’s a group that offers free architectural and engineering design services to ministries in developing countries helping the poor and advancing the Kingdom. For more info, ministries can contact

    http://www.emiusa.org/requesthelp.html

    or email projects(at)emiusa(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

  8. TENTMAKING SEMINAR: USING YOUR PROFESSION OVERSEAS — Here’s a seminar sponsored by TIM Centre, EFC Global Mission Roundtable and CTN. You’ll be able to discover How to find a job overseas, Integration of work & ministry, and just basically — How to get there from here. It’s slated for April 7 from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, then again on the 8th 9:00 am to 4:00pm at Willowdale Baptist Church15 Olive Avenue, Willowdale, Ontario. The cost for both days is $30 or April 7th – $10 / April 8th – $25. For more information or to register, call the TIM Centre at 416- 226-6620 Ext. 2708 or browse:

    http://www.timcentre.com

  9. HOW TO AVOID SENDING YOUR EMAIL RECIPIENTS ON THE WARPATH — We received several emails this past week from sympathetic souls that had experienced similar sentiments as those we recounted in last week’s “Backpage Editorial” (“DOUG ON THE WARPATH ABOUT SIGNING OTHERS UP”). Keep in mind, some of our wrath is aimed at the Internet itself. Like we said, the original founders overlooked the fact that we’d need some secure way of verifying we *are* really who we *are*… and prohibiting others from taking actions against our account that we wouldn’t have signed up for ourselves. So how do you avoid abusing others? Simple: maybe send them an invitation to your group . . . then quit. The best favor you can do for your friends is not presume that they want to be on your group in the first place. Call them and ask them, or email them an invitation, then move on and don’t take it personally if, for whatever reason, they fail to sign up. Maybe their inbox is just too busy already to take on even one more email.
  10. WHERE DO WE FIND LARGE MAP TEMPLATES? — Here’s a missionary headed to Africa that is hoping to find templates for painting a large world map (or African continent with countries) on a wall (without using electricity). (So remember not to suggest using an overhead projector.) If you know of a resource, please contact Joy at joy(dot)hancock(at)trinitycville(dot)org (Joy, if you get a lead, please let us know what you found. Others might be interested too.)
  11. WOULDN’T IT BE COOL IF LAST NAMES A-B SENT A GIFT IN FEBRUARY — Think about it. Wouldn’t it be cool if those of you reading this paragraph whose last names (or the name of your church, group or agency) began with A, B or C were to send in a gift in February? It could be $100, $50, $15, … whatever God led you to give. Our goal to cover the cost of Brigada’s expenses, secretary, time, etc., for 2006 is $16,576. So far we have $620. But in a perfect world, all we’d need in February would be one gift of $500, 5 gifts of $100 each, and 12 gifts of $50 and we’d have 10% of the year covered. So — if God stirs you to donate something during February (whether or not your name begins with A, B or C), we’ll rejoice!!! When we write two issues of Brigada from Sudan during the latter part of February, we’ll have money to pay the connectivity fees. Please consider it. If you’d like to chip in, just go to

    https://brigada.org

    and click on “sponsor” in the top menu (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.

  12. THE BACKPAGE: WHAT SHOULD TEAMS LOOK LIKE? — When it comes to mission teams, the assumption has been — it’s better to form the team in the sending country and all go overseas together. I just want to point out that as for my part, I’ve seen examples where that scenario has come crashing down in a heap of ashes. In other words, there’s no perfect way to launch a team. Yes it might be true that we *think* it’s generally always better to choose the team leader because of his or her gifts and strengths . . . then facilitate that team leader in recruiting the rest of his/her team. But we’ve also seen it work *plenty* of times the other way around: a bunch of guys and gals come together around some united vision, and once they’re together, God molds them into a team. Regardless of how it forms though, we should all realize — forming teams is hard work, not only for the facilitator, but also for the team members themselves. It takes constant communication, consistent planning and strategizing, and a clear sense of call. In the mission with which I personally work (Team Expansion), we have some teams that still function like a golf team, where everybody’s working on his or her own game. They report their scores at the end of the day. :-) We have other teams that look more like a soccer team. And continuing on that metaphor, without a team member acting as the goalkeeper back there to take up the slack, we would all be in trouble. Some people see their roles primarily as defenders, while others position themselves mostly as goal-scorers (though roles can change during the game for a time). Some teams believe the “soccer model” looks prettier, but honestly . . . I’ve come to the conclusion that it depends on the game itself. Regardless, there needs to be a clear understanding (even before the starting whistle) among the players, or there will be trouble on the field, for sure. The sending agency and/or sending church needs to help the team sort this out in advance — and along the way. In an ideal world, they’re supposed to be able to see into the future, help the team duke it out in advance (:-) ), resolve differences, settle paradigm conflicts, then get to work on what matters. If your agency or church hasn’t been perfect at that job, then rest assured — he/they are probably working on it. The trouble is, we live in an uncertain world. The future isn’t very clear sometimes… Goodness… we have a hard enough time trying to figure out the present. So give ’em a break . . . and keep trying . . . recommit to figuring things out . . . life will get better. :-) Here’s the bottom line of it all: We *have* to learn to get past these questions of who we are, how we work, who’s in charge, etc., because the purpose for which we’ve been sent is so noble — for the glory of God, the hope of the ages. It’s an important mission… more important than anything ‘Jack’ ever tries on “24”. So let’s set our hands to the plow and make like Nike and just do it! :-) Whatever it takes.
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
0 Shares