19990502 Brigada Today

Now with 9062 participants!
News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
On the WorldWide Web, browse https://brigada.org or http://www.eGroups.com/list/brigada-today
Brigada Today is “the missionary helper newsletter!”
Compiled by Doug Lucas <DLucas@teamexpansion.org>, Louisville, KY
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]

In this issue….

Y0UR OPINION COUNTS!

We’re using eGroups’ polling software to get your opinion. Right now, Brigada Today (and Brigada Peoples) is not listed publicly in eGroups’ index. You have to hear about it and know about it in advance in order to subscribe. However, since the Brigada site is open anyway https://brigada.org, maybe it’s okay to go ahead and list Brigada Today publicly in the eGroups list. What do you think? Vote your opinion and we’ll report on the outcome next week. In the meantime, stop by the eGroups web site for Brigada anytime this week to watch the votes add up! Just point your browser to http://www.egroups.com/list/brigada-today then click on “polls” and vote your choice. If you don’t have web access, sorry… because eGroups doesn’t have an email polling feature at this time. No need to reply personally.

By the way, we had to re-start the polling, which produced a duplicate polling invitation. In the first attempt, we had configured the polling page to list those who voted. After seeing the first 6 or 7 responders, it occurred to me what a temptation it was to spam those folks about this or that… so we aborted the poll and restarted it with anonymous voting. Sorry for any inconvenience. . . . and . . . sorry we didn’t spell the word “matter” correctly on the 3rd choice! Guess it doesn’t mater.

ADD YOUR LINK TO THE BRIGADA-TODAY EGROUPS SITE

There are already a ton of links at the Brigada Today eGroups site… Add a link to your resource or organization for free today! Just go to http://www.egroups.com/list/brigada-today (you might have to register first… just follow the instructions), then click on “links” and fill out the form. Thanks for helping build the resource library!

TYPO IN LAST WEEK’S IRS ITEM

Sorry about the late-night typo in last week’s item… “IRS AND FORMSWARE.” It was supposed to be “formsware” (like to rhyme with “software.” We honor the IRS and all governments, since they wouldn’t be there if God didn’t want them to be. The IRS is only trying to do its job. We weren’t trying to be confrontational or rebellious.

NATIONAL (WORLD) DAY OF PRAYER A BIG SUCCESS!

It appeared that the National (or world) Day of Prayer captured the attention of the nations! Even CNN got into the act, showing David Bryant praying at the prayer televised event out in Washington. Yahooo!

Let’s make it into a revival! Want to keep up the momentum? I asked our Prayer Coordinator at Team Expansion to share some links on the web that might give you some fuel for the fire. Here’s what Mary came up with. If you’d like to post additional prayer sites, go to the eGroups Brigada-Today web page, click on “links” and add your sites to the “Prayer Resources” folder. (These are already posted.)

For more information on activities surrounding The National Day of Prayer, check the following websites: http://www.nationalprayer.org ; http://www.concertofprayer.org ; http://www.ndptf.org.

“Light the Window” will be the theme of the fourth “Pray through the Window” campaign to be held in October 1999. This event will involve an anticipated 50 million believers worldwide. Information concerning available materials (including a prayer calendar), can be found at http://www.Christian-info.com.

Mission America is seeking God for three million “Lighthouses of Prayer.” This is an attempt to establish homes across the country from which individuals will pray for and reach out to their neighbors with the gospel of Christ. For more information, check out their web site at http://www.missionamerica.org

The Sentinel Group has recently completed an important prayer map of North America. This map covers spiritual strongholds and obstacles to effective evangelism, as well as documentation on the emerging bright spots of spiritual activity. For more information, contact the Sentinel Group at (800) 688-5657; E-mail: sentinelGp@aol.com

(Source for above information: ‘Prayer” magazine; March/April edition.)

WANT TO FINALLY GET “ENGLISH-HELP”?

Thanks to those who have been so patient to get to the site on help in teaching English as a second language. The actual site is (drum roll):

https://brigada.org/today/articles/webmission.html#english-help This time, I’ve tested it to be sure! Last week’s URL (the 2nd misspelling in a row!) had left an “s” out of the word “mission!” Pardon the correction. This site has been added to the list of links at the eGroups Brigada Today web site.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR NEWS?

If you want the latest, Ken kmacharg@lam.org suggests you check out these! They’ve been added to the “links” page at the eGroups links list. Thanks for the work, Ken! If you have others to add, just go to the eGroups “links” site and add them directly please. Thanks!

Associated Press
www.newsday.com/ap/topnewsx.htm or www.newsday.com/ap/internat.htm
www.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/ap/index.html

Associated Press/Reuters in Spanish
www.espanol.yahoo.com/noticias/actualidad

Reuters News Service
www.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/wl (U.S. wire)
www.yahoo.co.uk/headlines/world (British wire)

AFP (French Press Agency)
www.yahoo.com.sg/headlines/world

Reuters News Service and United Press International (UPI)
www.nt.excite.com/news/international

NO VIRGINIA… THERE ISN’T AN FCC PETITION 2493

Seems like someone unearths this Madeline Murray O’Hare thing every so often… and emails it to 10,000 people! See the FCC’s site at:

http://www.fcc.gov/mmb/enf/forms/rm-2493.html (Thanks to Bob Wilson rdwilson@juno.com for providing the URL.) Bottom line, see the Brigada “OPC” policy (at the very end of this message) and put a stop to the O’Hare/2493 rumor. If someone emails you a copy of the petition, just drop them a kind message back with the OPC response and let’s end this thing once and for . . . all (I hope!).

ONLINE LEARNING FOR MISSIONARY KIDS

NorthStar Academy is a private online school offering grades 7-12 with three different programs of study: USA, Canadian, and UK. They have begun registration for the 1999-2000 school year and are eager to meet the needs of missionary families all over the globe. Check ’em out at http://www.northstar-academy.org for more information. In North America, call toll-free at 1-888-464-6280. Or write brett@northstar-academy.org.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WANTING TO STUDY OR WORK IN ARABIC

Kim came across this great site if you’d like to study or work in the Arabic language (the National Council on US/Arabic Relations: http://www.ncusar.org or email info@ncusar.org.

MORE ON MICROSOFT WORD CARRIAGE RETURNS

We’ve rec’d a ton of response to the Microsoft carriage return stripper macro item. Funny how one little item like that spawns so much interest. Many folks apparently still have an earlier version of Word. If you’re one of those (the macro wouldn’t work for you because you have something prior to Word ’97 or Office ’97), send a note to stripreturns@brigada.worldchurches.org and try out the macro for version 2. Also included is new information for our brave brothers and sisters with MAC computers. (Remember those?

) (Just kidding!!!

)

ELEGANCE AND THE WILD WEST

Here’s a former missionary couple, now prosperous in their tentmaking business, with a bed & breakfast on their ranch that they make available to missionaries and ministry types who raise their own support. These are two log cabin units in a quiet setting, windmill, stream, working cattle, and horses 30 miles West of Colorado Springs in the Rockies. “Elegance and the Wild West” is the theme. Quite expensive for tourists but a very low cost donation basis for you. Write gary@operatorservices.com for info and access to their private Web site with lots of pictures.

HOW TO CHANGE ADDRESS ON EGROUPS

Please!!! We’re drowning in those who would like to change their address! It’s a simple matter. Just use your “old address” to prepare an email that says: brigada-today-unsubscribe@egroups.com Send that message. Then use your new email service to prepare a second message that says: brigada-today-subscribe@egroups.com If every would-be address-changer took those couple of minutes, it would add up to a ton of saved time answering your emails. Besides… we don’t change addresses anymore. We’re just going to send you the instructions again anyway!

PUT YOUR CASPIAN SEA MAPS TO WORK!

If you don’t want the map that is bundled with the May 1999 National Geographic, Judith does! She’s requested that you please send it right away to Judith Bernicchi, Jenkins Research Library, IMB, P. O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230. She passes along a big “Thank you!” in advance!

AD2000 ADOPTION FORM

I’m still very excited about AD2000 & Beyond’s adoption form. Go to http://www.ad2000.org and click on “People Adoption Registration Form” (the 5th or so option on their opening page). It’s a GREAT service. Now… is we can only convince every user of the service to send them a $15 or so gift to help offset the great job they do servicing all the adoptions!

They never ask for it… but they sure deserve that and tons more! Great service. They also list the Adopt-a-people clearinghouse’s form at http://www.aapc.net/adptregform.html which falls under the AAPC domain at http://www.aapc.net/. I’m not so sure they’re keeping that page up though. They’ve got several messages there at the AAPC page about how they’ll hopefully have such-and-such posted “by the fall of 1998.” That’s always a bad sign.

DOCUMENTS YOU CAN RETRIEVE FROM OUR AUTORESPONDER

Thanks so much to Bob, our amazing, magnificent, selfless volunteer, who works hard to write up these cool appliances to make it possible to get the word out to you, . . . Thanks to Bob, we have a new autoresponder up and running. Here are some documents you can order into your inbox tonight. To get the document, just compose an email to the address that follows it. Note that it can be a totally empty email… with no subject line. The magic all takes place in the address:

Brigada Today Submission guidelines: brigada-submissions@brigada.worldchurches.org

Information and resources on house churches: housechurches@brigada.worldchurches.org

Guidance on leadership: leadership@brigada.worldchurches.org

Info on teaching English as a second language: tesl@brigada.worldchurches.org

How to transport your XC.org group over to eGroups, if necessary: transition@brigada.worldchurches.org

Resources and options for helping Kosovar refugees: kosovoresources@brigada.worldchurches.org

3 cheers to Bob!!!

TO SUBSCRIBE — To subscribe to BRIGADA TODAY, send email to brigada-today-subscribe@egroups.com.

TO UNSUBSCRIBE — Send email to brigada-today-unsubscribe@egroups.com. (Subject and text are ignored.)
IF IT DOESN’T WORK — Write Don & Judy, our Customer Services Managers at help@brigada.org. Yahooooo for volunteers!!!

COPYRIGHT — This issue of Brigada Today is Copyrighted © 2001. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute these materials, including those available through email autoresponders, provided that such redistribution is to those who will help the Good News of Christianity to reach the unreached. But please include this phrase: “For a free subscription of Brigada‘s weekly missions publication, write <brigada-today-subscribe@egroups.com>.”
IMPORTANT: To copy or reproduce Brigada Today for any other reason is illegal and is not permitted.

DISCLAIMER — Please note that there’s no way we can possibly screen all the text on all the web sites or items we recommend. We try to check them out first… but if we miss something, please don’t assume that the opinions on those sites are identical to those of the Brigada family of networks. “Eat the corn, leave the cob!”
For subscription questions or problems, write help@brigada.org.

SUBMITTING CONTENT — To submit content or ideas to Brigada Today, first please get a copy of “Guidelines for submitting items to Brigada” Then, once you’ve composed your item in keeping with those guidelines, send your item for Brigada Today to DLucas@teamexpansion.org.
Thanks to for hosting the Brigada mailing list.
Emphasis is placed on items relating to unreached peoples and challenges faced by those reaching them cross-culturally.

PLEASE DON’T SUBSCRIBE US TO YOUR LIST — It’s always better to ask before manually force-adding anyone to your list-serve or mailing list. Recently, tons of well-meaning people have been subscribing Doug to their lists. Since he often travels overseas, he doesn’t join many of those, for obvious reasons (like being charged big-time for overseas access). So as a general rule, please don’t bulk-mail us! See the note above if you’d like to submit items for Brigada Today. Thanks for understanding. Bottom line: We will never create Brigada Today items from bulk mail. Bulk mail gets deleted immediately — sorry. Nothing personal. We suggest you apply the same standard to everyone. Ask first!

WARNING ABOUT FORWARDING EMAILS — Please, before forwarding any kind of request (even if it says “please send this to all your friends”), please check to make sure it has a VERIFIABLE ORIGIN, a VERIFIABLE PURPOSE, and a VERIFIABLE CLOSURE (OPC). By following this simple approach, many “email viruses” could be nipped in the bud… at least in the Brigada family. More information about the full Brigada OPC protocol is available. Thank you.

BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:

Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com
Brigada Website: Bob Mayhew, WebServant@brigada.org
Brigada Customer Service Manager: help@brigada.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!