- GREAT INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC CALLING RATES FROM USA
- OOPS – I MEAN FREECYCLE.ORG
- SHORT-TERM MISSION LEADERS’ CONFERENCE
- GREAT CALLING RATES FOR BROADBAND USERS
- ARE CHRISTIANS REALLY ONE BIG FAMILY?
- NEW CHILDREN’S MISSIONS CURRICULUM
- FRENCH EVANGELICAL BOOKS
- WHY DO WE REPEAT THE NOTE ABOUT “PREVENTING SPAM?”
- MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP
- BEFORE YOU SUBMIT AN ITEM TO BRIGADA…
- TRAINING IN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MINISTRY
- SUMMER TRAINING PROGRAM OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT THE NATIONS
- RESOURCES IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF MEXICO
- WOLOF CONNECTION 2006
- WOULD YOU TAKE A STAND TO HELP OUR BRIGADA SECRETARY?
- THE BACK PAGE: SPEAKING INTO SOMEONE’S LIFE
- CLOSING STUFF
- GREAT INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC CALLING RATES FROM USA — Get great calling rates for domestic (starting at 1.9cents/min to continental US and Canada) and international calls (200 countries for less than 10cents/min …UK 3cents, France 3cents, Russia/Moscow 2.5cents, Israel 3.2cents, Colombia/SA 4.2cents, South Africa 9cents). You can call from any touchtone phone including cell. It’s a prepaid service, so there’s no contract necessary, nor any monthly, activation, or connection fees. Furthermore, there’s no need to switch carriers. Beyond that, get up to 470 free minutes on signup and lots of convenience features. For more info go to:
http://www.tel3advantage.com/?agentnumber=837371
An agent affiliate program with good income potential is also available at no cost to sign up. (In our own case, the agent has committed to send a gift to Brigada as a way of saying thanks for each new partner that signs up — so please… keep talkin’! (Thanks Judy!)
- OOPS – I MEAN FREECYCLE.ORG — Contrary to the vicious rumor (instigated by the “.com” in last week’s Brigada Today), the site is freecycle.org, not freecycle.com. [blush] We apologize for any inconvenience. Thanks to those who helped us make this correction.
- SHORT-TERM MISSION LEADERS’ CONFERENCE — The annual Short-Term Mission Leaders’ Conference will be held 20-22 April at Bethany College of Missions in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This national training event is designed for anyone in North America who is a church, school, or agency leader, and who is leading, training, organizing, or supervising Christian short-term mission trip efforts. More than one dozen speakers and national leaders will discuss such STM topics as: Partnership or Paternalism, Maximizing Media in Short-Term Mission, and more. The STMLC is one of three national short-term mission training conferences endorsed by the U.S. Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. For more information, visit
http://stemintl.org/training/stmlc
or email stmlc(at)stemintl(dot)org, or call toll-free in the USA 877-STEM-646 or local 952-996-1385. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
- GREAT CALLING RATES FOR BROADBAND USERS — VoIP service is now available using a small adapter unit on cable or DSL connections with unlimited calling to US and Canada for $19.95 per month (and very low international rates). Check out details at
http://www.voipnetadvantage.com/?agentnumber=837371
This service can be used to call from international locations as long as they have compatible cable or DSL connections, and a US or Canadian address for credit card billing and shipping of the phone connection adapter unit. There is a one time setup and shipping charge of $46.90 for this service, but the first month of calling to US and Canada is currently free to offset some of the initial costs. (Thanks to Judy, who has said she’ll send a gift as a thank-you for everyone that signs up from this Brigada referral.)
- ARE CHRISTIANS REALLY ONE BIG FAMILY? — The Bible says that’s how God sees us, but perhaps you feel doubtful? Then visit the EasyEnglish website at
to find out how God has united all Christians under the leadership of Christ. Click on “What’s New?” and choose “One Family in Christ.” Cynthia Green and Carol Betts have translated the book of Ephesians into really simple English and short sentences. (Level A 1200 word vocabulary)
- NEW CHILDREN’S MISSIONS CURRICULUM — Caleb Project’s newest curriculum, “Outside the Lines: Connecting Kids to God’s Global Purpose” is being tested at 14 locations around the U.S. and should be released early this summer. The 13 three-hour lessons, based on the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course, cover biblical, historic, and cultural themes written at different levels for children from kindergarten to eighth grade. Outside the Lines includes Bible lessons, prayer activities, crafts, skits, games, and simulations, all in printable PDF form, and two DVDs of videos, songs, slide-show presentations, and animation clips. Outside the Lines is a great way to help kids discover they don’t have to wait to grow up before they can make an important contribution. For more information and to receive notification when the curriculum is available, contact outsidethelines(at)cproject(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] To view sample pages and learn more visit
- FRENCH EVANGELICAL BOOKS — Need 6000 French titles to choose from? The website is the catalogue. Discounts are available for mission organizations. The store is located in Quebec, Canada. You can even request a subscription to the Missions Newsletter (25K maximum) sent out about 4 times a year. Call toll-free from Canada & the USA 1-866- 337-7772; or tel. 450-678-7772 elsewhere, or log on at
http://www.librairiepassages.com or email
info(at)librairiepassages(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
(Note that they apologize for the fact that they are not able to ship directly to Africa or Asia at this time, but perhaps a go-between could order the books ad ship them to you on your behalf?)
- WHY DO WE REPEAT THE NOTE ABOUT “PREVENTING SPAM?” — Have you noticed how many times we insert the phrase, ” [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]”? We repeat it because we’re told that many of our readers clip only just the one item, then forward it to members of their team, agency, or church. If we only post this explanation at the front of a Brigada Today edition, we fear it might be a tad more confusing for them if they receive the individual item without the benefit of the explanation. Please pardon any inconvenience.
- MISSIONARY TRAINING CAMP — With many requests for additional training, the Elijah Company folks have scheduled an additional training from May 18-21, 2006. The four days provide steps, stamina and stature for those in or going into missions. For more information, log on at:
or write elijah(at)elijahcompany(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Or call with any questions to +1-757-226-3507.
- BEFORE YOU SUBMIT AN ITEM TO BRIGADA… — Click on “submit” in the top line menu. The requests there might seem a bit daunting at first, but another way to get the big picture is just read a couple of editions to Brigada Today first, before you submit items. Notice our style: We don’t use “classified ad” language (skipping articles, etc.). We try to make the items *read*. And we *try* to keep them short (8-10 lines max, preferably). Please remember you’re writing for an international audience, and don’t use first person — “register for our conference,” etc. Above all, please check your spelling and grammar. Thanks!
- TRAINING IN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MINISTRY — For 25 years ACMI (Association of Christians Ministering among Internationals) has hosted a US/Canadian equipping conference for volunteers and staff involved in ministry among international students. ACMI’06 is June 1-3 at Eastern Nazarene College, Boston, MA. For a brochure, list of 50 workshops, and to register on-line see:
There’s an early registration discount until March 31st.
- SUMMER TRAINING PROGRAM OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT THE NATIONS — Hope Builders International, a missions advocacy ministry in Charlottesville, VA. is hosting a summer training session from June 19th to August 11th at their facility. Proven church planters and mission workers from ministries in Asia and the Middle East will attend. The program targets these areas: a) developing a deep relationship with Christ, b) learning methods of meeting under the Lord’s headship that enable the church to grow outside of traditional building related worship c) studying English at a level that makes them better servants of their ministries. HBI is seeking 5-10 Americans to join the program who have a heart to serve, are teachable and dream big. The age range is generally early twenties to early thirties. More information is available at theforge(at)hope-builders(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] or by clicking on The Forge icon on HBI’s website:
- RESOURCES IN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF MEXICO — Millions of speakers of indigenous Mexican languages emigrate from their native areas seasonally or longer, often working in commercial agricultural areas or cities throughout Mexico and the US. Currently there are hundreds of thousands in the US. Contact Allan migration(at)dpmmcomimex(dot)com if you minister to such folks and want help finding out what Christian resources are available in their languages and how to acquire them. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Materials currently exist in about 250 languages and dialects. Check out http://dpmmcomimex.com/usmigration.htm for additional information.
- WOLOF CONNECTION 2006 — Are you interested in reaching the Wolof people of Senegal and The Gambia, one of the key people groups in West Africa? Would you like to connect with other leaders, churches and agencies who share your interest? Whether you are just considering becoming involved or are already involved in ministry among the Wolof, the Wolof Connection is for you. This is a growing group of leaders, churches and agencies who meet together annually in North America to consider how they can be more effective by working together than just through individual efforts to reach the Wolof. This year we will be meeting in the Seattle, Washington area for three days in April. Key African and expatriate leaders will be sharing in plenary sessions and leading workshops designed to enable all participants to work more effectively in collaboration with one another to demonstrate and communicate the love of Jesus. For more see
Direct questions to Mark at mssnelling(at)comcast(dot)net [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
- WOULD YOU TAKE A STAND TO HELP OUR BRIGADA SECRETARY? — While on the road in Sudan, Uganda, and the U.K. these last couple of weeks, I’ve been reminded once again how grateful I am for our Brigada secretary, who has reviewed mail daily and forwarded only what was urgent, filing the rest for my return from Sudan. There’s no way I could have hoped to look at all the Brigada traffic daily. Her help is a great blessing. The founder of the Medical Missions Conference at Southeast Christian Church once told us that Brigada was critical to the establishment of what is now said to be the largest medical missions event in the world. If you or someone you know has benefited from Brigada, would you consider taking a stand to help us pay for her salary? Is there a foundation you could approach… or a good steward who is looking for a project to sponsor… If someone were willing to grant Brigada $15,931, we wouldn’t have to mention finances again until January 5th, 2007. (For that is the amount remaining that we must raise in 2006 to sponsor her salary.) What if you knew that your gift would enable 10,000 readers to pick up resources on a weekly basis – for free, throughout the remainder of 2006. And many of those readers are missions mobilizers in majority world nations, where giving is much more challenging. Sponsoring or even chipping in toward our expenses is a way of saying thanks on their behalf too. But remember, either way, we’ll still show up next week, just as we have for the past 11 years. click on “sponsor” in the top menu (to use PayPal or a credit card), or if you prefer, 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. In any case, thanks for considering Brigada in your estate giving, your monthly church missions fund, and/or your own personal giving for this calendar year.
- THE BACK PAGE: SPEAKING INTO SOMEONE’S LIFE — Sometimes, it’s because we’re cowards. But at other times, I’m convinced that it’s because we’re just not sure it’s justified. I’m talking about — how do we know whether or not to open our mouths when we observe something we think could be improved. You see, maybe we say to ourselves, “Hey, I’m a mere mortal too; who am I to get involved.” Or maybe we think, “This is such a minor deal.” We’re afraid if we mention something, it’ll become bigger than life. Or — here’s a big one — we aren’t really the person charged with giving feedback, either because we’re not on the chain of command or because we’ve observed something that ought to be covered by a father or mother figure… and we’re just a friend (maybe not a great friend, at that).
You know, the more I think about all those premises, the more I’m convinced that they’re all kind of hogwash.
The truth is… if we really care about someone and *trust* them, then a) we’ll *want* them to speak into our lives, and b) we’ll want to make an investment in theirs.
So how do we make the most of these opportunities to give and receive input? That’ll be the subject of our next “Back Page” editorial. :-) Tune in next week. In the meantime, start noticing everything you’ve always wanted to say to someone else but just couldn’t get up the nerve! :-)
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