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News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
On the WorldWide Web, browse https://brigada.org
Compiled by Doug Lucas, Louisville, KY
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]
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In this issue….
* GCOWE 97 ADVANCES A CHURCH FOR EVERY PEOPLE
* FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET THE RUSSIAN BIBLE ON THE WEB!!!
* HYPHEN HERE, HYPHEN THERE . . . PICKY, PICKY, PICKY!
* GLOBAL GLIMPSE ON THE JESUS FILM
* MY THUMB’S HEALED
* S/MIME IS DEAD???? PGP COULD BECOME AN OPEN STANDARD???
* BRIGADA SHORT-TERM MISSIONS OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTORY
* HOW TO BEGIN A MISSIONS AGENCY, IN 5 EASY LESSONS
* CALLING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS IN THE USA CAN TAKE ITS TOLL
* BRIGADA HOY HOY
* A BETTER NUMBER FOR ACMC
* INTERNATIONAL WEB ACCESS FOR THOSE WHO ROAM
* ARE THERE NO MOBILIZATION MATERIALS IN BETACAM EUROPEAN FORMAT?
* RECYCLING LOW-TECH
* NEED A PC? … AT WHOLESALE PRICES?
* CASTING A GREAT IMAGE ON MISSIONS (SOURCES FOR MISSIONS GRAPHICS)
* BRIGADA CONFERENCES GROW IN NUMBER AND LANGUAGES!
* BRIGADA-TRAVEL ALIVE AND WELL
* NEW PEOPLE GROUP PRAYER CARDS — GOTTA’ HAVE ‘EM
* “FINISHING…” STRIKES A NERVE
* NEW TERMS, NEW HOPE
* TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY
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GCOWE 97 ADVANCES A CHURCH FOR EVERY PEOPLE
Just received this item from Luis Bush at AD2000 International Office in Colorado Springs. “During GCOWE 97 a list was unveiled of 579 ethno-linguistic peoples from the original Joshua Project 2000 list of 1739, who did not have a reported church planting effort underway. As a result of GCOWE 97, of the 579, only 172 remain unclaimed for any kind of commitment to church planting by December 31, 2000. This came after pledges made at GCOWE 97 by:
1. the African national initiative leaders who committed to church planting and
2. the mission executives who committed to encourage their mission agencies to church planting.”
Exciting news. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean we’re done with the Joshua Project list. Quite the contrary. These pledges indicate commitments, in most cases, to get started!
Luis went on to write… “Please pray for these 172 unclaimed peoples, … that mission agencies, churches and individuals around the world will be raised up to send and support a church planting team to be operative by December 31, 2000. As of June 1997, AD2000 data reflected that, of the original Joshua Project 2000 list, 579 of the 1739 peoples were without a reported mission agency church planting effort in their midst. AD2000 data was based on the results of a survey conducted over the year ending June 1997, resulting in the submission of more than 25,000 pieces of information received from over 450 distinct mission organizations from over 80 countries.”
Course, I can already hear what you’re some are going to say. They’re going to point out faults with the list. So Luis wrote, “This is an incomplete and an imperfect picture! However, it is a starting point toward ensuring that there is a church planting effort targeting the least reached peoples. The selected list of unreached peoples called the “Joshua Project 2000 List” includes those more than 10,000 individuals with less than 5% evangelical and 2% Christian. Several groups have smaller than 10,000 and others which exceed the percentages. As new information becomes available the list is being updated.”
If we get these final commitments, will world evangelism be finished? Sorry Charlie. No such luck. And Luis, to his credit, points out, “This in no way implies that these peoples have been reached or that the task is even close to being done among these peoples. From the beginning of the launch of the Joshua Project 2000 in December 1995, the goal has been to see, at a minimum, a church planting team and a church planting effort resulting in a life-giving church of at least 100 believers in one or more reproducing fellowships among every people on the Joshua Project 2000 list. This does not mean that the AD2000 & Beyond Movement is responsible for this progress. However, we can praise God that we are nearer to reaching that objective than imagined less than two years ago. Let us pray and work together to the end that there can be a church for every ethno-linguistic people by the year 2000. It can be done, it ought to be done, it must be done with your help.”
To get a complete ascii summary copy of the list of the remaining 172 peoples, send email to hub@xc.org containing this simple message:
get brigada unclaimedlist
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FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET THE RUSSIAN BIBLE ON THE WEB!!!
Now you can get the Russian Bible study software, “Slavic Bible”, 1.5 for Windows by downloading it from a web address!!! You’ll get the “Base package” (Russian Synodal text of the Holy Scriptures with deuterocanonical books, cross reference, maps and photos of Holy Land). You can use this package absolutely free for 30 days. If you decide to keep it, you need to pay a registration fee of 19 Ukrainian grivnas ($10 US currency). Christian colleges and seminaries not need pay registration. You also receive a 40-page Manual and information about additional modules: English, Ukrainian, Greek, Hebrew, German, French, Italian, Finnish, Church-Slavonic, Latin and more, more. Producer of the software, Sergej Fedosov, wrote Brigada Today, “We hope our software will help you in ministry.” To download the software, you can point your web browser to http://www.aist.net/ftp/pub/shareware/sbible/. Included are instructions about where to mail the $10. This is a very short-term opportunity. Sergej has sold complete distribution rights to another organization and once final payment is made to him, he’ll no longer be able to distribute it in this way directly. So if you want it, better grab it now. By the way, Sergej is searching for an organization in the C.I.S. to handle distribution of the software at a very low price. If you or your organization might be able to take part, contact Sergej at sergej@mova.donetsk.ua.
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HYPHEN HERE, HYPHEN THERE . . . PICKY, PICKY, PICKY!
Okay… so I admit it. I left out a hyphen. But it’s just one measly (meazely??? Meezely??? How in the world is that spelled? :-)) hyphen. So okay… I admit you couldn’t download the “web evangelism” item without that hyphen, but . . . after all… I mean… picky, picky, picky. :-) (All kidding aside… last week’s WEB EVANGELISM AND ‘USEFUL FONTS’ ITEMS READY TO “GET” item had a typo. The correct command should be
get brigada web-evangelism
in an email to hub@xc.org . Sorry for any inconvenience it caused! And… seriously, thanks for the notes pointing to the problem.
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GLOBAL GLIMPSE ON THE JESUS FILM
More than 1 billion people in 219 countries had seen the Jesus film by July 1997. It is currently in use by 680 mission agencies and denominations, and is available in 410 languages, with another 220 in preparation. More than 85% of the world population are able to watch and understand the film. Paul Eshlemann, the project’s director, says that black market copies of the film have also increased the circulation. “Our greatest aim,” according to Eshlemann, “is that every person will have had the chance to see the Jesus film by the end of the millennium. There is no reason why we should not reach that aim.”
Source: Campus Crusade for Christ press release, 18 August 1997, www: http://www.jesusfilm.org/news.
Global Glimpse is compiled each week by one of my heroes and friends, John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO, whose wife occasionally even allows him to discuss programming conundrums [complete with laptops between the plates] over the supper table with curious Brigada Today editors. :-) Thanks again Gwen. :-)
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MY THUMB’S HEALED
Already. Amazing how God heals us, isn’t it. Now if we can just be so patient for him to heal us of the emotional challenges we face! :-)
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S/MIME IS DEAD???? PGP COULD BECOME AN OPEN STANDARD???
Have you been following the developments in the email encryption world? Apparently, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), an international body responsible for adopting Net standards, has dismissed a specification created by RSA Data Security and instead is considering a technology from RSA’s arch rival, Pretty Good Privacy. Although nothing’s set in stone yet, it appears that the S/MIME people (RSA) missed a deadline to propose something long-term to the IETF, who was already souring on S/MIME because of its owner’s seeming desire to hog its development rights. To put it in the IETF’s own words, “The truth is that S/MIME is out, as far as the IETF is concerned.” (Those were the words of John Noerenberg, chair of the proposed working group considering the PGP technology for the task force). Bottom line: Looks like PGP might have a chance to become a global standard after all! Stand by for later updates. And thanks, TC, for keeping us informed! In other news this past week (Thanks Tom!!!), http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=4627355-b58 told us about a ruling that a federal judge ruled that U.S. government regulations on the export of encryption software are unconstitutional. See the URL for more info.
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BRIGADA SHORT-TERM MISSIONS OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTORY
That’s what Kerstin Hack is willing to compile! She needs
1. the name + full addresse + tel/ fax, Email of the organization sponsoring the opportunity
2. the kind of work they offer/ qualifications they need
3. the countries where people can go
4. the costs involved.
Send your opportunities to Kerstin at 100711.2622@CompuServe.COM and she’ll compile a directory for us to post online. Thanks Kerstin!!!
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HOW TO BEGIN A MISSIONS AGENCY, IN 5 EASY LESSONS
At least that’s what Jerry Witt Jr. halusa@witty.com wishes he could find. :-) In reality, he knows it won’t be that simple, so he’s asking for materials or references from as many who will give them. Write him if you have a favorite handbook on how to do it! He’ll send us the compiled list so we can publish it online for Brigada Today.
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CALLING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS IN THE USA CAN TAKE ITS TOLL
… unless you have options. Well don’t forget you can do it two ways — first, you can use call-back services like CrossLink (email them at Crosslink@earthlink.net. Or you can use internet calling services like Net2Phone (find it at http://www.net2phone.com. Both are quite reasonable, and the last method is probably even free. And … if you were wondering about that nasty rumor that those calling back from South Africa would have to pay a big penalty, the CrossLink folks tell us that it hasn’t actually been approved yet. So you can still use CrossLink without fear from South Africa.
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BRIGADA HOY HOY
Some have been asking about when the Spanish version of Brigada Today will finally see the light of day. Good question. Unfortunately, the fellow who agreed to head up this project — quite a qualified guy — was immediately transferred to another country where he hasn’t been able to get Internet access so easily. So… as of this week, we’re going to put the idea back out on the selling block again and reassemble a team to try this Brigada Hoy thing again… but this time, we’d like to see it today and not months from now! :-) So… if you’re serious about making a global mobilization contribution to a Spanish-speaking world, drop us a line at DLucas@TeamExpansion.org and we’ll reassemble a new team and appoint a new team leader. Thanks! And… thanks again to the original gentleman who hasn’t been able to get Internet access — thanks for trying at least!
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A BETTER NUMBER FOR ACMC
Finally we’re getting to the bottom of the original request for a good toll-free number for ACMC resources, which include several helps for local churches wanting to upgrade their missions promotion/policy-making. 800-798-ACMC. Interestingly enough, it’s the same toll-free number that ACMC has had all along! :-)
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INTERNATIONAL WEB ACCESS FOR THOSE WHO ROAM
When roaming, do as the roamers do… choose Netcom. At least that’s what Fred said. He pointed us to a PC Magazine ad http://www.pcworld.com/market_watch/1.15/netcom.html which recapped Netcom’s new global roaming service (more info. at http://www.netcom.com/services/roam.html. Funny thing is that Netcom is my access-provider and I didn’t even know about the roaming options! :-) Apparently, by signing on, you can get web access from any of some 50+ countries for just $1/call + 10 cents/minute + $6.95/month. The charges (including the monthly $7) are only levied when you use the service… so there are no fees hanging around when you get home. Sounds like a no brainer, if you ask me. Course, the number of overseas pops is in the process of growing… but the concept is great!
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ARE THERE NO MOBILIZATION MATERIALS IN BETACAM EUROPEAN FORMAT?
That’s the question being asked by Les Norman 106075.3655@CompuServe.COM, who teaches for a ministry in Spain that operates a Christian TV station. Apparently, Les and his colleagues are finding woefully few Christian videos in the Betacam European format. They’re even willing to dub Spanish over the English (in everything but preaching, which, according to Les, is a bit too overwhelming right now). So if you’ve got a mission video in Betacam European format, drop him a line. He’s trying to mobilize the “old country”! Les, if you come up with a list, be sure to send a sample back our way for others who might be interested, okay?
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RECYCLING LOW-TECH
One Brigada participant wrote this past week to fill us in on a real “gold mine” he had found — a good ole’ fashioned film projector and some 16mm films to use in evangelism. His point? Why not “recycle” this old equipment back into ministry with a missionary or outreach that might really use it. If you have an old 16mm projector and/or accompanying films and you’ve “made the switch” to video, maybe you’d like to donate them (or sell them at a low price) to someone who would like to really use them. If so, how ’bout posting a message to brigada-strategy-tv-film@xc.org. If you’re looking for such equipment, be sure to join that conference for the next week or so and watch for traffic!
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NEED A PC? … AT WHOLESALE PRICES?
Then try Daniel Bray at Mobile Media International, Email dnjbray@mindspring.com or Call at (919)828-6792. Daniel and his wife served as missionaries in Asia and are in the process of opening up a wholesale distributorship that will be designed specifically to service mission orgs., non-profits, and individual Christians. Give ’em a chance to bid! :-)
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CASTING A GREAT IMAGE ON MISSIONS (SOURCES FOR MISSIONS GRAPHICS)
Got a favorite site on the web or some other source for clip art for missions? Jack Fussell JackFuss@compuserve.com would like to know… and he’s already agreed to publish his compiled results with us here. So jot him a note with your URLs, phone #s and addresses, and he’ll list them for us right away! Thanks!
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BRIGADA CONFERENCES GROW IN NUMBER AND LANGUAGES!
This week we feature, brigada-peoples-tunisianarabs, a bilingual conference in English and Portuguese. Conference moderators, Larry & Stephanie Kraft LarryStephKraft@xc.org write, “It is our hope that by having two languages, more people will be able to partner to share information and pray for this large unreached people group, the Tunisian Arabs of Tunisia. The missions committee of a local church in Sao Paulo, Brazil is maintaining the conference and supplying a prayer request per week minimum.
Another church in Rio de Janeiro has also recently committed to praying for this group. Any communication to the conference in either English or Portuguese will be translated and sent out in both languages. We are excited about the bi-lingual aspect, because it allows more than one culture to cooperate toward reaching yet another one. Anyone interested in participating should send a message to
hu with the following text
subscribe brigada-peoples-tunisianarabs
Thanks Larry!
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BRIGADA-TRAVEL ALIVE AND WELL
One of the agents answering requests for Brigada-travel-bids would like to remind users to provide all the following email in their initial request for a quote:
* NAME of the person or persons traveling,
* DEPARTURE city and date of departure,
* DESTINATION city, and if more than one destination the length of stay at each location.
* RETURN date if this is a round-trip.
* Email address or telephone number.
To use the system, write an email to brigada-travel-bids@xc.org with answers to these questions in your email message. Up to well over 50 travel agents will then try to find you the best price possible and write you back with the news. All you have to do is sit back waiting for the response!
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NEW PEOPLE GROUP PRAYER CARDS
GOTTA’ HAVE ‘EM — Treva Kay Gibson is a desperate woman. :-) She wrote this past week, “The Consortium of Global Education, a collection of 47 SBC colleges and universities investing in international matters, will hold its annual meeting at Grand Canyon University September 26-27. For our banquet I have purchased small minority “people” for prayer reminders. Surely there already exists small cards with info on people groups which I can place with these little people. I would like several different cards to mix around tables which will seat around 10 people.” She added, “If no cards exist, what is my best and quickest source of this information for making cards?” Where would you send Treva? Write her at tgibson@grand-canyon.edu.
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“FINISHING…” STRIKES A NERVE
Last week’s item on finishing seemed to touch a nerve [ THE MYSTICAL ART OF FINISHING WHAT WE START]. For example, one reader wrote that he had served on the mission field for years, “…and upon returning home, our church had us stand up to be recognized. The following Sunday a team of highschoolers that had been in _____ [we’ll leave out the name of the country] for two weeks for a summer program were given the entire Sunday morning service to share.” This Brigada participant wrote that throughout his home service, he wasn’t “given so much as ten minutes to share our hearts in our HOME church. I DO understand the teaching value of such short term trips in the lives of our teens, but it seems something is wrong with our priorities when we cheer teams coming home after two weeks, who have no idea about cross-cultural struggles, who bring back sensational stories of the effectiveness of their practiced skit or pantomime, not having any idea their ministry really impacted the culture they were in, and can’t even find ten minutes for those who have sacrificed lives, who are running the race with the intent to finish. Many readers of Brigada Today are the kind who are running to finish. And this article was a precious jewel for us. Thank you, Doug.” So — next time you have a full-timer coming home from years of service abroad…. well, let’s just say, if the shoe fits…. :-) Give them equal time . . . or try to think about alternatives. … or something.
Another Brigada participant wrote with a tip — Finishing Strong (the book)! According to Neal, “To introduce his theme, the author gives statistics that one in ten who start in ministry, finish! Nine out of every ten who begin to minister, crash!” Neal went on to observe, “It is no wonder that Jesus mused, ‘Will there be faith on earth…!'” The book is authored Steve Farrar (Point Man; we’d better get it) and published by Multnomah Books.
Yet another Brigada participant wrote, sharing a song he had written — an exclusive release on Brigada Today. He’s a musician in Germany working with GEM. This song will be released on CD within a year and I his promise that, when it is released, he’ll let Brigada Today know about obtaining it! :-) For the meantime, you can at least read the words in your next sermon! And his current release, “Found Free,” is available now and, according to Don, has similar content. Don wrote, “The style is ‘James Taylor,’ southern pop/rock with country elements. We did it in Nashville but it’s not released in the states.” Yet. :-) You’ll have to email Don directly if you’re interested 106155.2350@CompuServe.COM. Either way, here’s the lyric that talks about finishing… (thanks Don!)
Hold On
by Don Newby
Deep within the jungle A hundred native cheers Lands a four-man Cessna alone. Unwritten language, Greeting drums and spears Suddenly a long way from home. Tropical diseases, Dietary change Begin to take their physical toll. Translate the message For the hungry hearts Hundreds come and drink till they’re full.
Hold on, hold on, Hold on in these days of strife. Hold on, hold on, Hold on to eternal life.
747 Runway wet with rain. In the concrete jungle alone. No one there to welcome Or say they’re glad you’re there. Suddenly a long way from home. Raise a little family, Work the nine to five, Blessed with all the comforts of home. Inoculated churches Intellectual rebuff. From deep within the heart a painful groan.
Hold on, hold on, Hold on in these days of strife. Hold on, hold on, Hold on to eternal life.
Four and twenty elders Before the shining sea, Bowing down in front of the throne. Two men on their faces Hear the words, “Well done.” Now at last they’re finally home.
Hold on, hold on, Hold on in these days of strife. Hold on, hold on, Hold on to eternal life.
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV).
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NEW TERMS, NEW HOPE
I’m writing today from Bear Trap Ranch in Colorado, where I’m speaking to Caleb Project’s staff at their annual staff retreat. I feel like a lion in a den of Daniels… and whew! — I’m learning a lot from them. First off, there are some new terms I feel obliged to mention to all those serving overseas, who might otherwise fall “behind the times” while they’re abroad. :-)
For example, if you have just experienced an incredibly great event in your life, you could say that it “blessed your socks off.” :-) Next, if you decide to do some work for someone online — like look up something on the web for them, for instance, or email them an important file — you can say you’re involved in “virtual foot-washing.” (Now when have you ever heard that term before???) Finally, if you’ve worked really hard trying to set up a new evangelistic approach and everything is prepared, then you could say you’re “ready to rock and roll.”
But — aside from the new terms you might want to sprinkle in your everyday speech :-) — I’m also learning something very important about the mission enterprise. I’m now fully convinced that churches across the nation . . . and probably around the world, too . . . are becoming more and more comfortable with the term and function of a “mobilizer.” There are over 100 people here at Caleb Project’s staff retreat and, with only a few exceptions, all are involved in ministry that affects the globe via an indirect, motivational and equipping basis. In other words, they recruit others, they equip them, they train them, they help prepare strong sending bases in congregations, . . . but very few actually go full time to establish new churches.
Is their ministry working? Without a doubt. I just spoke with the “People Specific Advocate” for a group in Central Asia (one which is fairly difficult to reach because of government restrictions) and learned that in one city to the north, there are some 300 believers gathering weekly for worship! That’s quite a shift from 5 years ago, when there were only a handful of believers from that people group. Certainly the advocate isn’t claiming credit for those new believers, but his contribution of prayer, a stronger sending base, and real live recruits is a partial ingredient to the fact that the ministry there is working well!
What does this say to the mission enterprise in general? Well for one thing, it probably means we need to view furlough time (“home service” and “support-raising” — or, to use a newer term, “partnership development”) in a whole new light. Previously, we were generally gearing up so that people would believe in us as individuals. If they learned to trust in us, we concluded, then they would support us. But this new model puts a slightly different twist on things, . . . and it’s probably a healthy one. You see, now we should be helping them to accept ownership and responsibility for reaching the unreached where we’re serving. After all, if they do that, then they’ll want to support someone going there, right!? … and that someone just might be you! :-) So — here’s hoping your socks will be blessed off. Hmmm. Seems to lose something in the translation when I say it. :-) Maybe you have to have an earring in your ear for it to work??? :-)
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TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY, send email to hub@xc.org with only the following message:
subscribe brigada
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send email to hub@xc.org with this line in the text:
unsubscribe brigada
At https://brigada.org on the web, you can see tons more.
(This issue of Brigada Today is Copyrighted © 1997. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute provided that such redistribution is to those who will help the Good News of Christianity to reach the unreached. But please tell your readers where you learned about the item, and if it’s not asking too much, include the 3 lines on how to subscribe — see above.
IMPORTANT: To copy or reproduce Brigada Today for any other reason is illegal and is not permitted.)
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BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:
*Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com
*ADVANCE: Mark A. Kelly, Kainos Press, MarkKelly@xc.org
*Brigada Website: Bob Mayhew, Brigada Volunteer, webservant@brigada.org
*Technical Development: Jonathan Marsden, MAFxc jonathan@xc.org
*Brigada Customer Service Manager: Revis Ann Massey, RevisAnnMassey@xc.org
*Brigada Coordinator: Doug Lucas, Team Expansion & Brigada, DLucas@TeamExpansion.org
*and many other occasional contributors too numerous to mention!
But thanks for working together! That’s the dream of Brigada!
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