- MOMENTUM MAGAZINE OFFERS “STATUS OF THE GOSPEL” REPORT
- REPORT ON “HOW DO I GET FED”
- NEW SHORT-TERM RESOURCES
- NEW ETHNE DVD
- PHRONEMA
- WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD? (FIND OUT IN EASYENGLISH)
- WHERE DO YOU TURN WHEN A HARD DRIVE CRASHES?
- ENHANCE YOUR SUPPORT LETTERS FOR YEAR-END GIVING!
- LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN BRIGADA? KEEP IT COMING
- THE BACK PAGE: PROMISING FUTURE
- CLOSING STUFF
- MOMENTUM MAGAZINE OFFERS “STATUS OF THE GOSPEL” REPORT — Among the offerings in the new issue of Momentum Magazine is a “State of the Gospel” powerpoint presentation with extended notes for each slide, so you can give the presentation too. I can’t say enough good stuff about Justin Long & Jason Mandryk for making this and other resources available at their momentum-mag site. This powerpoint alone, shared as a PDF file, could have easily been marketed for $20… and instead, they’re giving it away for free, then inviting folks to pitch in toward their ministry expenses. (We love that paradigm, of course.) Please give it a look… and pitch in if you can. You won’t want to pass this one up.)
http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-article1.pdf
While you’re there, check out…
Global Map 8: China’s Africa Initiative http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-map.pdf
Goals http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-goals.pdf
Reality-Check: The significance of sharing http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-realitycheck.pdf
Events: what has happened http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-events.pdf
UpNext: on the calendar http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-upnext.pdf
Analysis: The Multi-cultural team, money and the glory of God http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-analysis.pdf
Trends: Time to stop fearing an Islamic invasion http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-trends.pdf
TrendSnaps http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-trendsnaps.pdf
Visions http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-visions.pdf
Statistics http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-statistics.pdf
Technology http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-technology.pdf
Resources http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-resources.pdf
Persecution http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-persecution.pdf
Hope: Field reports http://www.momentum-mag.org/200611/200611-hope.pdf
- REPORT ON “HOW DO I GET FED” — Our thanks goes out to those who shared information about how missionaries in the field can feed themselves spiritually. I didn’t know what to expect… and frankly, I’m a bit surprised that we didn’t just get lists and lists of URLs where overseas workers could conduct home Bible studies over the web. Instead, there are several key helps — about 30 pages worth, in all — that you can put into use without the Internet fired up at all. Many of these are due to the wonderful unselfishness of Ron, the Member Care Director at ABWE. I wish I could be like them when I grow up. Check out their web page at:
And see their Bible Study links at:
http://www.abwe.org/training/mrc/links_2.asp?cat=Bible%20Study
Now, see the responses we gathered, including notes on spiritual disciplines, Bible reading journal ideas, spiritual growth plan worksheets, a spiritual disciplines inventory, accountability questions, a scripture memory plan, and a sample “My Time with God” bible study fill-in-the-blank booklet — all for free — by opening this PDF (422K) at:
https://brigada.org/today/articles/how-do-i-get-fed.pdf
(And hats off, again, to Ron. You’re my hero. :-) )
- NEW SHORT-TERM RESOURCES — Thinking about doing a short-term ministry project? These look *awesome*!!! “New Resource: Pre-Field Preparations” in both 7- and 14-day editions are now available as inexpensive, yet effective training materials as you prepare your team for short-term ministry. “Walk As He Walked,” “Abide In The Vine,” and “Ripe For Harvest” devotional Bible studies (in varying lengths of days) are sequenced to the culture-shock curve have been widely use for several years. The best-selling “Coming Home,” and “Coming Home Again” reentry devotionals are sequenced for reentry stress issues have also been used with great success.
The new “Pre-Field Preparations” materials will help you cover all *three* important areas of spiritual emphasis in short- and long-term missions training. Deeper Roots Publications has been a leader in producing and providing these materials for the past dozen years. (For non-USA orders from the website, use the pay-by-check option. DRP will figure the most economical shipping rates and email you a PayPal payment request so you can conveniently pay by credit card.) This will save a *lot* on your shipping costs when compared to the sea or air standard shipping rates on the website. Just browse to
or email DeeperRoots(at)aol(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
- NEW ETHNE DVD — The new Ethne DVD is available. Now you can pray for Unreached Peoples with *tons* more precision and data. For more information and how to get the DVD go to
- PHRONEMA — It’s a Christian humanitarian search engine. Phronema is a Greek word that translates as mind, or “the framework of knowledge.” The Phronema search engine helps Christian missionaries, NGOs, relief, aid and development workers and others find information on humanitarian topics such as literacy, water purification, or even how to find grants and funding. The aim of Phronema is to help people all over the world, find the key information they need to transform their communities.
http://www.phronema.org (Thanks Tony!!!)
Just tried it. Pretty cool!
- WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD? (FIND OUT IN EASYENGLISH) — Matthew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, gives us some clues, using the words of Jesus Himself. Matthew also reminds us of many things that God’s prophets said about Jesus, hundreds of years before His birth. To discover more about this exciting secret go to:
Click on “What’s New?” and choose “Matthew Tells Us the Good News about Jesus.” This is a simple translation with notes in EasyEnglish Level A, using a 1200 word vocabulary.
- WHERE DO YOU TURN WHEN A HARD DRIVE CRASHES? — Chris would like to know. He wrote, asking, “Doug, during my 7 years of int’l mission service as a worker from the USA, I’ve endured the mechanical crash/failure of two external hard drives. I know of many other cross- cultural workers who have dealt with the same problem. It is an irritant that is magnified by the fact that most of are home only every 3-4 years and have no realistic options for repair in our fields of service, many times because of security concerns.”
He continued, “Do you know of any folks/companies back in the USA to whom we could have such hard drives sent (usually by a volunteer ministry team returning to USA) to have repair work done at a cheaper cost than what we hear it normally can be? Is this something that you could ask through Brigada? Perhaps there is someone out there who can bring a little hope to those of us who have suffered the sickening feeling of hard drive failure, knowing there is nothing we can do about it on the field?”
If you have a lead for Chris, please write him directly at:
chrcarr(at)gmail(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
(Chris, if you get leads, could you prepare a simple report for us in a couple of weeks? That way, everybody can learn from your new knowledge. Thanks… and hang in there. Ouch.)
- ENHANCE YOUR SUPPORT LETTERS FOR YEAR-END GIVING! — Is this you? Everyone knows that Christmas is a crucial time to thank your financial partners. It’s also an important time to be visible while they are considering end-of-the-year gifts. But with Christmas, church responsibilities, and everything else that keeps your life constantly moving, do you really have the time to sit down and write that powerful letter you need to bring the money in? That is where Writer’s Edge International can help you. Writer’s Edge International takes your letters, stories, or ideas and turns them into well-polished update letters that your supporters will enjoy reading. Your donors deserve to read a well-written and aesthetically pleasing letter, and Writer’s Edge would like to help you with that. Interested? Contact them today! Visit
http://www.writersedgeinternational.com
or call (858) 413-5120 or email info(at)writersedgeinternational(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
- LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN BRIGADA? KEEP IT COMING — Here’s our dare: In these last 2 weeks of 2006, would you pray that we could enlist a corps of Brigada underwriters to finish the course?
We currently have $ 8045.99 toward our 2006 budget of $16,650. For reference, we have just over 11,000 active subscribers these days. If every subscriber pitched in $1.60, we’d be set. But many of our subscribers are overseas, living in situations where money is short. Would you consider doing a scholarship for 10 of them? or maybe 100?
To make our goal, we really only need 94 people to give: 1 to give 1000 5 to give 500 8 to give 250 10 to give 100 20 to give 50 50 to give 25 So if 1 person gave $1000, 2 gave $500, 8 gave $250, 10 gave $100, 20 gave $50, and 50 gave $25, … we’d reach our goal and we’d end 2006 in the black. But for that to happen, these gifts would all have to be sent in the next 2 weeks… Sometime between now and Dec. 24th. Can we make it?
No money to give? Can’t afford it? No worries. That’s the beauty of Brigada. Whereas other services might grind to a halt if you stopped paying the bill, Brigada just keeps on going… because others step in. Now’s your chance to step up to the plate and help somebody else.
There are several ways to give. Just 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: PROMISING FUTURE — Our organization recently exhibited at what is undoubtedly the major missions convention of the year for us. I was struck by the attendance (which was record- breaking), the college-agers (again, record-breaking numbers), and the *interest* by this new generation of 23- and 24-year-olds (and their near-age peers). We had entire *teams* of young people coming to us to ask, “What would it look like for us to affiliate with your agency?” They were headed to Muslim lands, shopping for the most effective partnerships, and displaying a kind of street-savvy that one wouldn’t have seen 20 years ago… maybe not even 10. What led to this state? Well there are several factors which contribute. At least 3 seem to be chief:
*** For those who attend Bible college & seminary, their mission profs seem key. For example, we noticed the students from Ozark Christian College and Johnson Bible College were highly tuned and ready to roll. Both schools have strong missions programs which prepare them for events like these.
*** Many of these college students have participated in numerous short- term experiences. They’ve traveled widely and interviewed broadly, and now they’re cashing in on their experiences by making smart decisions.
*** They want mentoring. And they’re willing to shop for it. When they say “Mentoring”, they mean the kind of mentoring Luke Skywalker got from Yoda on the planet Dagobah. You remember… Yoda lifted up Luke’s spaceship, showing Luke the ins and outs of the Jedi life. Then he taught Luke how to do it. It almost smacked of near-eastern mysticism, with all the levitation and meditation rituals… but the truth is, I believe the new generation of missionaries wants almost that level of coaching. Gone are the days when we can go over a to do list, pray, then send them out. They want to shadow someone who is truly good at his/her job. And they want *months*, not weeks. Some want two years.
How does the above change our strategy? I believe it should give us a very promising future… if we can figure out how to deliver the goods. More about that edition.
Congrats on the move! It was a long time coming. Hope to see it soon!