- OPENING FOR A SENIOR DIRECTOR
- PALTALK MIGHT WORK FOR YOU?
- WHY ARE BRIGADAS SOMETIMES RELEASED IN JULY WITH JUNE DATES?
- BIBLE SOFTWARE: SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR BRIGADA SUBSCRIBERS
- US POSTAL SERVICE RADICALLY CHANGES “M-BAG” RATE
- COULD YOU HELP GROW THE BRIGADA FAMILY?
- LEARN TO TALK WITH MUSLIMS ABOUT JESUS: PILLARS AND PROPHETS
- “SERVING GOD AS ALONE”
- MISSIONARY JOURNALIST WEB SITE
- THANKS FOR THE READER WHO GAVE $10
- THE BACKPAGE: LITTLE DECISIONS, BIG RESULTS
- CLOSING STUFF
- OPENING FOR A SENIOR DIRECTOR — The Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development is seeking qualified candidates for a Senior Director. The Chalmers Center,
a research and training initiative of Covenant College, equips churches and missionaries to declare the Kingdom of God in word and in deed by bringing economic development and spiritual transformation in the context of poor communities around the globe. The Senior Director reports to the Executive Director and is the primary person responsible for managing the Chalmers Center’s human and financial resources in order to maximize the Chalmers Center’s impact. … For a complete job description including the job requirements, visit:
http://scots.covenant.edu/employment/all/jobs/expanded.asp?ID=215
Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply. Send a resume and a testimony of Christian faith and experience to: Director of Human Resources, Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Highway, Lookout Mountain, Georgia 30750; 706-820-1560; Email address:
employment(at)covenant(dot)edu [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address, please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]. The application deadline is August 15, 2007.
- PALTALK MIGHT WORK FOR YOU? — This past week, I heard about a new service along the lines of Skype, but apparently it allows multiple video-conferencing (chat-room or conference-room style) with greater ease than Skype. (A cursory review indicated that it does not install spyware on one’s system, but still, one can’t be too careful these days, so watch carefully.) Try it out at:
If you form an opinion of this product, please leave your notes in a comment form at:
http://brigada.org/brigade/?p=18
so that all can immediately see your opinion before they walk down the same road.
- WHY ARE BRIGADAS SOMETIMES RELEASED IN JULY WITH JUNE DATES? — Honestly? :-) Because we get behind. :-) Lately, high school soccer season has started up — so I coach 3 hours per night, 5 nights/week now, after a full work day at Team Expansion. But never fear. We always eventually catch up. Just please keep praying. :-)
- BIBLE SOFTWARE: SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR BRIGADA SUBSCRIBERS –- When you hear the words “Bible Software” what comes to mind? Complicated searches and advanced Hebrew word studies? Or simplified research techniques that make Bible study easy for anyone? Logos Bible Software was created to help everyday people dig deeper into the Word of God. And these aren’t just books on your computer screen. Logos gives reports and search results that will make in-depth Bible study easy. Logos is now offering 25% off to subscribers of Brigada Today. As an added benefit, part of the proceeds from your purchase will go directly to Brigada.
or email mvandyke(at)logos(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
This is a great opportunity to support Brigada and receive a great tool for Bible study. (Thanks for your plans to help Brigada, Logos!)
- US POSTAL SERVICE RADICALLY CHANGES “M-BAG” RATE — This is sad news for those that have relied on this discounted service. We heard from one worker in Botswana and another in Italy, both informing us that shipping books is now *radically* more expensive — like 2 1/2 *times* as much! If you have an alternative solution… one that can offer a cost-savings for those still seeking discounted shipping rates like the old “M-bag” rate, please click here and leave a comment at
http://brigada.org/brigade/?p=19
Those interested in finding solutions need only log on at the Brigada Brigade site above to see ideas from other readers in the 10,000-strong Brigada base.
- COULD YOU HELP GROW THE BRIGADA FAMILY? — If you could help put readers in touch with Brigada’s free services, just send this note to them in your regularly newsletter, report, or other publication. “For some time now, I’ve subscribed to a more-or-less weekly email called, ‘Brigada Today.’ It’s free and I find it often contains nuggets of information about missions resources, travel, conferences, and more, that I then forward to others. They’ve been in business for over 10 years and they’ve never signed anyone else up without permission, nor do they sell or release subscribers’ email addresses to anyone — so no spamming whatsoever. For a free subscription to Brigada’s weekly missions publication, write brigada-today-subscribe@googlegroups.com and/or visit Brigada on the web at www.brigada.org.” We’d appreciate you helping us get the word out so we don’t have to buy ads in slick magazines. :-)
- LEARN TO TALK WITH MUSLIMS ABOUT JESUS: PILLARS AND PROPHETS — Here’s a book by Carl Medearis that will help you learn to talk freely about your relationship with Jesus to a person of the Muslim faith. Written in a humorous and provocative style, Pillars and Prophets is an engaging quick read that leaves an indelible impression. The book is time well spent, from an author who has lived amongst the Muslims for over a decade, that calls him not only brother and friend, but also a true followers of Jesus. Carl builds relationships, based on the heart of the Jesus, not on religion or rules. To get prices, email your shipping address and how many books you would want to purchase to: Info(at)internationalinitiatives(dot)net
- “SERVING GOD AS ALONE” — The International Centre for Excellence in Leadership (ICEL), a leadership development ministry of the IMB, has published a new self-study course for singles entitled Serving God Alone: Singles Serving Cross-culturally for the Glory of God. Serving God Alone is the result of many months of research, drawing heavily on interviews with single cross-cultural workers. The course is designed to help singles and those who work with them understand at a deeper level the unique perspective, strengths, and needs that single missionaries bring to the mission task. To order, email imb(at)imb(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address, please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] In the USA, call 1-800-999-3113, option 3. Check the ICEL web site for more details:
- MISSIONARY JOURNALIST WEB SITE —- Ken, who writes about mission activities around the world but particularly from Latin America, has developed a web site with almost all of his writing from the past ten years or so. He’s posted there hundreds of articles from Latin America and other regions, plus other articles grouped by subject such as Children at Risk, International Congregations/Union Churches, media and radio, ministry, missions and opinion. Check it out at
http://www.missionaryjournalist.org
and then check back from time to time to see the latest updates.
- THANKS FOR THE READER WHO GAVE $10 — We appreciate the anonymous donor from Oklahoma who sent $67. That was an incredible encouragement. Thanks, too, to the anonymous Brigada participant from Oregon who just set up a $10/month regular gift for our expenses here… and to encourage us on into tomorrow. We put the money toward webhosting, some small marketing projects, secretarial costs, as well as projects for world evangelism. Nothing is wasted. So when we receive $10 from a fellow from Oregon, it can accomplish a lot at Brigada. To set up a regular monthly gift for Brigada, simply go to
https://brigada.org/donate.html
You can pull the money from your PayPal account or from any major credit card. Just click on the icon that says, “PayPal subscribe”. In the next (resulting) page, type in a unit price — for example, $10.00. Then click on the button “Update totals”. If you already have a PayPal account and would rather use it, type in your PayPal account’s email address and password in the box on the lower right. If you’d rather use your credit card, click on “Continue” on the lower left of the page. If you click “Continue”, you’ll get a page asking for the typical credit card information. Thank you so much for spurring us on.
- THE BACKPAGE: LITTLE DECISIONS, BIG RESULTS — Have you ever heard that story about the French guy who kept planting trees? It’s pretty fascinating. All the online illustration versions seem to point back to the original story by Jean Giono. See it still being offered by the original publisher here:
http://www.chelseagreen.com/2005/items/manwhoplantedcloth
for $14, or get it at Amazon for $6 here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570625387/teamexpansiononl
Read a summary at
http://home.infomaniak.ch/~arboretum/man_tree.htm
As they say at Amazon, it is not a detailed how-to guide to planting; it is a touching story of Elzéard Bouffier, who devoted his entire life to reforesting a desolate portion of Provence, in southern France. He single-handedly planted 100 acorns each day before, through, and after two world wars, and transformed a sorrowful place into one full of life and joy. Jean Giono’s words offer a tribute to how much good one person can accomplish in a lifetime and advise on how to live life with deep meaning. It is simply written but powerful and unforgettable.
Granted, I’m a tree-hugger. But one doesn’t have to be a lover of trees to appreciate the patient determination exhibited by a shepherd with a bag of acorns… and some time on his hands. A lot of time, in fact. *Years*, as a matter of fact. Some estimate that by the time he died in 1947, he had single-handedly planted tens of thousands of trees.
Is it a true story? Many present it as such. Wikipedia says no at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Planted_Trees
But regardless, the spirit of the story is the same — a motivated person, with a selfless spirit, determination, creativity, and long-term goals can take on a big problem and make a huge difference.
How ’bout your own life. What are you tackling today? Maybe reforesting an entire valley seems overwhelming. Why not start with rebuilding the relationship with your son or daughter, renewing the friendship with your spouse, or healing a conflict in your local church. Start a mission project. Adopt an unreached people. Dream big. Find a guy with a bucket of acorns for inspiration and jump in to help him. You just might create a legacy that outlives your own life.
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