19990321 Brigada Today

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Brigada Today is “the missionary helper newsletter!”
Compiled by Doug Lucas <DLucas@teamexpansion.org>, Louisville, KY
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In this issue….

IS MELISSA A VIRUS OR A WORM?

I always get all those words mixed up… worm, virus, trojan, who knows (Jonathan will straighten me out if I call it the wrong thing

). Basically, I just know it’s a dastardly attachment that somehow tricks your copy of Office ’97 into emailing a corresponding attachment to 50 of your friends. Evidently this one is real. However, there’s no need to email everyone in your address book about it. (Someone probably already has!) This one is getting more press than any virus (or worm or whatever it is) I’ve ever heard of. It’s relatively easy to prevent. First, if you run virus-checking software in your system tray (you do, don’t you?), just update the version you’re running through the standard update process. But even if you don’t, just go to the Microsoft web site and (after updating to Service Release 1 and Service Release 2) download the special patch called WD97SP.exe, available in “Downloads.” (for example, read the bulletin at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/ms99-002.asp. Then you’re back on the road, fit as a fiddle! So… why all the fuss about a virus if it’s so easy to prevent? I don’t know. Maybe the public is enthralled with the idea of hackers, making our computers do amazingly evil things. Or… maybe it’s a mob-mentality thing. Or… maybe we’re just plain scared, having heard too many horror stories. So… either way, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But… please… no panic.

(Oh — thanks for the tips from everyone who sent them my way; Sharon wins the prize for being first!

)

GET USA STATE DEPT. TRAVEL ADVISORIES BY EMAIL FOR FREE!

Just browse http://www.state.gov/www/listservs.html to find out how to receive USA gov’t travel advisories for free, via email. (If you don’t have web access, ask a friend to sign you up.) Find out fast if there’s a travel warning in Macedonia or Indonesia or wherever. It really doesn’t matter whether or not you’re from the USA — they would still apply most of the time (though warnings are slanted toward situations where USA travelers are put at risk).

JUNE IS FOR LOVERS

…of unreached people groups. People-Specific Advocacy is learning, linking and loving on behalf of the unreached. Caleb Project is offering its fourth Advocate Training Seminar June 3-5, 1999, in Littleton, Colorado, USA. Meet a group of 30-40 like-minded people to learn more about advocacy, partnerships, field realities, and adoption, and come away with specific plans. This will be the only ATS offered in 1999. Can’t come? The 250-page advocacy reader, “Keys to the Nations” is also available from Caleb Project. For more information write to training@cproject.com or see http://www.calebproject/ats.htm.

GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM NORTH AFRICA

Many churches in Northern Africa are growing, despite suffering intense persecution. When Islamic fundamentalists in one north African country discovered the time and place of a church meeting, they went there and waited to massacre the Christians. But when the time came, the place remained empty. Not one of the 65 people expected to attend the meeting turned up, not even the preacher who had been specially invited. Every single one had been prevented from coming by some unexpected event, from a flat tire to a family visit. God coordinated and performed 65 miracles, saving the lives of 65 people, and demonstrating that his hand is over the region’s Christians.
(Source: Friday Fax, Vol 99, No. 12, March 26th, 1999, www.cmd.org.nz/ffaxnu.html)
Global Glimpse is compiled each week by John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO.

NEW MISSIONARY VIDEO WINS NATIONAL AWARD

“Return to Hauna,” a 30 minute video featuring Wycliffe Bible translator Marilyn Laszlo, has won a 1999 Angel Award from Excellence in Media. In the video, Marilyn, a master storyteller, shares many fascinating and entertaining glimpses of the 23-year process of translating the New Testament into the Sepic Iwam language of Papua New Guinea. She walks around the village sharing about what happened on the very spots where the events occurred. She ends with an inspiring and encouraging challenge to reach the world. It has a broad appeal and is suitable for use by members of other agencies or for a general missions emphasis in churches. “Return to Hauna” is a follow-up project to another film done in Hauna village in 1981, “Come By Here,” also an Angel Award winner. Both videos were shot and edited by producer Dan Philgreen of St. Cloud, Florida, and are available at http:/www.dpproductions.com along with more information, behind the scenes photos, etc. Or email dan@dpproductions.com.

NEED TESL MATERIALS?

Check out the Adventures in English materials that the EFCM International Network has put together. With a focus on developing conversational English in a small group setting, these user friendly materials have been developed through 7 years of actual cross-cultural use by short-term teams of non-professional ESL teachers in over 20 countries (including the increasingly multi-cultural US!). For more information or a sample of the 1999 materials, visit the EFCM web site at http://www.efcm.org/adventur.html or contact Don Erickson at 72066.2020@compuserve.com.

NATIVE INDIAN CONFERENCE

For all those who are involved in establishing Native Indian churches in urban centers, or those who have an interest in cross-cultural partnerships among Native Indian peoples — here’s an event you’ll want to check out. It’s called “Kwe’atchii 99,” the fourth biennial Native Urban Church Planting Symposium, May 10-13, 1999, happening in Calgary, Alberta. (Kwe’atchii is an Algonquin word widely understood to mean “thoroughly prepared.”) The event is sponsored by Inter-Mission Co-operative Outreach, a 30-year-old association of 10 mission agencies in Canada and US. Come and choose between 4 tracks of workshops, “How to Get Started Right,” “Counseling for Urban Church Needs,” “Life and Ministry Management,” and “Cross-Cultural Partnering.” Some workshops will be co-facilitated by Native leaders and missionaries. Our guest missiologist from Wheaton College and Grad School, Dr. Duane Elmer, will be leading the Cross-Cultural Partnering workshops. He authored Cross Cultural Conflict: Building Relationships for Effective Ministry, IVP, 1993. Registration (9 meals and lodging) is a bargain for $175 Canadian or $125 US. For a brochure, e-mail Dan Woodard 103535.3026@compuserve.com. Space is limited to the first 75 people registering.

ANYBODY TRIED “MEDIA RING?”

Anybody out there tried MediaRing yet? I installed it and it seems promising as a Net2Phone alternative. Release 5.0 is out and absolutely free. It would give you unlimited Internet long distance for free . . . assuming you don’t have to pay for your local connect charges. It’s on the web at http://www.mediaring.com/zdnet/pcmag/. Thanks for the tip, Brad!!!

A TRAVELING FAX SERVICE FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS EMAIL

Thanks to Les for the tip on efax at http://www.efax.com. What a great idea! For free, you can receive a fax via email, wherever you are in the world. Services like this have, as far as I know, always cost just a bit previously. Check it out!

THE BRIGADA WEB EVANGELISM GUIDE

Check out https://brigada.org/today/articles/web-evangelism.html which now includes a short monthly email newsletter. To join, simply send an email to imailsrv@christianlists.com with this message in the body of the email:
subscribe web-evangelism your name
where ‘your name‘ is your real name, and not your email address.

HORN OF AFRICA MOBILIZATION BOOKLET FROM AD2000

Luis Bush has a new booklet entitled, The Horn of Africa: Challenge and Opportunity, and it’s just been printed! This 12-page, four-color booklet is now available from the AD2000 International Office at only $.50 each (10 copies / $5.00 minimum order) plus shipping and handling. Just email your order to info@ad2000.org or fax it to (719) 576-2685. If planning on paying with a check from a Foreign Bank, they request $10 (US) processing fee to the cost of your order, or use your favorite credit card. (Remember to fax credit card orders, since Internet email isn’t secure.)

GOT TIME FOR A MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE WEB?

If so, Dr. Julia Irvine would like to talk to you … in a matter of speaking.

She’s a family practice physician conducting research through the In His Image Residency program. She wrote this past week, “As a Christian and a former missionary, I am concerned about the emotional, spiritual, and physical health of God’s messengers on the ‘front lines.’ This research survey has been designed to combine aspects of the missiology, business, and psychology literature. The survey is now available on web site and affords maximum privacy for both organizations and individuals. All answers are assigned numbers so anonymity is preserved. I think both you and your members who have served 12 months or more will enjoy this 10 minute survey.” If you can, help her out at http://www.inhisimage.org/irvineresearch She’s said she’ll make available to us an abstract of the research results here on Brigada.

PRAYER NEEDS FOR TIBETAN BUDDHISTS AND ATHLETES INT’L

If you’d like to receive updates on prayer needs for world missions with a focus on Athletes International Ministries and Tibetan Buddhist world, write to prayerwks-subscribe@listbot.com. you will be sent a verification message.

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR CHURCH’S MISSIONARIES?

That’s what John jgmalone@erols.com would like to know. He’s collecting questionnaires, guidelines, materials, anything that would help a local church to evaluate missionaries and hold them accountable. He’d like to know how they are used and by what frequency. If you’ve got a form you can send him, write John directly, and we’ll ask him to post his results here in a couple of weeks.

CHILDREN’S MISSION MOBILIZATION RESOURCES

Check out 21st Century Kids Connect, a web site on children’s missions education, not completely developed yet, but, at least in the judgment of one tipster (Thanks Roger!), looks promising! Browse it at http://www.21stcenturykidsconnect.org/ 21st Century Kids Connect is a consortium of children’s workers, parents, organizations and Christian school teachers who believe this generation may well be the one that sees the Great Commission completed.

PERSIAN-SPEAKERS UNITE!

Now there’s a Persian Christian Leadership Training Center (in West Hills, CA) for those wanting to reach out to Persian-speakers! The goal of PCLTC is to offer biblical and theological training to Persian-speaking Christians and to equip them to minister among Persian people. Courses will be offered on a diploma basis from an accredited CA seminary. The courses will be taught in Persian. The opening seminar will be help on Saturday April 17th from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. First subjects are “How to Get the Most out of My Bible” and How Can I tell if God is calling me into Ministry”. This seminar is open to the public. The Center’s address is: 7115 Shoup Avenue West Hills, CA 91307 Telephone, 818-992-832, fax 818-992-8340, email persianwo@csi.com.

ARE YOU ONE-DIMENSIONAL?

Sounds pretty horrible, doesn’t it. Like someone who has “no shape!” But believe it or not, many of us are. We strike off to work each day (and some of us work in our home-office without even the option of (striking out!”), basically doing the same activity… emailing, …. browsing, … coding, … reading…, or even… teaching, grading, office-ing, etc. You get the idea.

I’ve thought about this recently because someone said to me last week, “I’m so glad you’ve got so many interests… soccer, your kids, your wife, remodeling your basement (Ed. note: glad that’s done!), etc.” At first I thought, so what would be wrong with me if, every day, I just went into the office and typed out emails!? The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized — we aren’t, by nature, one-dimensional beings. Jesus grew “in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) Maybe we should be growing in multiple areas too!

So… stop and take an inventory of your own life: What do you do to grow in wisdom . . . each and every day? There’s this guy I know from Evansville, IN, (his name’s Todd) and it doesn’t matter what day or month you ask him, you can always depend on the fact that he’ll have just finished a new book. To try out my theory, when I saw him this past weekend, I said, “Todd, tell me what book you’re reading?” He answered without a second’s hesitation… something about the effect of television on culture. Goodness. Most people just sit there and watch it, without trying to analyze it. Not Todd. He’s growing in wisdom.

What do you do to grow in stature? Where do you get your exercise? I’ll confess… it took me years to find a regular exercise program. I think we all need something that we enjoy and that’s practical for our lifestyles. My wife rides an exercise bike (into the floor, just about!). I mean… she rides! (We’re on our third bike in 9 years! She literally wears the bearings out! On one bike, I replaced the bearings 3 times before she wore out a part that they don’t replace!) Find something you like and do it… Me? Surprise. I like soccer. My doctor checked me over two weeks ago and said I had the health of a 15-year-old… and I’m 42! (The guys in my office were a bit discouraged, I think. I’ve got one of those “key man” policies that pays out something like a third of a million dollars to our mission org. on the day I die! ) Whatever you do, find something that works your heart, your muscles, and rests your mind!

What are you doing to grow in favor with God? Our family is helping plant a church in our neighborhood. Some of the folks in our mission org. office teach English to Bosnians… others lead music at a Hispanic Bible study. These ministries are all good… but we’ve also got to do something deeply personal… study the Bible with our family, our spouse, and/or individually. Memorize scripture. Whatever.

What are you doing to grow in favor with mankind? Maybe it’s from a new book you’re reading… Something by Covey or ________ (fill in the blank with an author who has helped you grow in your understanding of personal relationships)? Whatever you do, build those relationships to the glory of God.

Because there’s nothing quite so flat in life as being one-dimensional.

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