In this issue…
1. CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR WORKERS AT HOME OR ABROAD
2. LEARN A PRACTICAL SKILL FOR MISSIONS
3. SUMMER MINISTRY WITH MUSLIMS
4. MAYBE IT’S NOT SO EASY TO GET THE NIV AFTER ALL
5. COPYRIGHT LAW IS CONFUSING
6. FOLLOW-THROUGH RESOURCE FOR SHORT-TERM MISSIONS
7. YOUR WORK AS MINISTRY
8. OVERCOMING DEPENDENCY
9. CULTURE SHOCK RUSSIAN STYLE!
10. REACHING JAPANESE FOR CHRIST CONFERENCE
11. UNREACHED PEOPLES CONSULTATION
12. A HOOT OF A MISSIONS BOOK JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!
13. JUST 2 WEEKS LEFT TO HELP BRIGADA IN 2005
14. THE BACKPAGE: A WORLD FULL OF CHRISTMAS
15. CLOSING STUFF
1. CLEAN DRINKING WATER FOR WORKERS AT HOME OR ABROAD — Keep your family healthy at home or abroad with clean drinking water. 911 Water provides discounts for missionaries on the best portable water filtration units in the world. Dip water out of a stream, puddle, or any fresh water source and filter out bad tastes and odors, bacteria, harmful chemicals, and more. No electricity or water pressure necessary. Comes with self sterilizing and re-cleanable filters. Order online at http://www.911water.com , or call 877-702-4433 in the US, or 1-205-453- 0471 from overseas. Call or email nicknoll(at)911water(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] to ask about a discount for missionaries and mission agencies. Larger discounts on bulk orders. Also, 911 Water is searching for international dealers and distributors. Up to 50% of global health problems are related to contaminated drinking water. These filtration units can save lives. If you or someone you know is looking for a business platform or a way to be a blessing, email the same address.
2. LEARN A PRACTICAL SKILL FOR MISSIONS — Simplified dental care can open many doors to evangelism and relationship building among the unreached. No drills, injections, electricity, or sophisticated equipment are involved – only simple hand instruments, a compassionate heart, and two weeks of your time. Now you can bring greatly needed dental care to your community. Courses are offered monthly in Texas. http://www.dentaltrainingformissions.com or email dentaltrainingformissions(at)yahoo(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
3. SUMMER MINISTRY WITH MUSLIMS — Join a two, four, or six week ministry team to Muslim students and business people in Istanbul, Turkey June 15th to July 20th 2006. This is an opportunity to join an experienced/ ministry team, make friendships with English speaking Turkish students and business people, do friendship evangelism, work with local churches and visit and historical sites in Turkey. The aim of the project is to work with local ministries and churches to help build the local churches. This is an ideal opportunity for a church group or for individual interested in getting started in Muslim ministry. For more information contact Doug dougnann(at)compuserve(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] or call (509)302-0027.
4. MAYBE IT’S NOT SO EASY TO GET THE NIV AFTER ALL — For those who followed up on the item, ” ADD NEW VERSIONS TO YOUR COPY OF ESWORD”: https://brigada.org/today/2005/20051028.html#7 maybe it’s not so great after all. Turns out that it might be a breach of the conditions of use of websites from which it gets the texts. Our apologies to the publishers who work hard and deserve the meager royalties they receive. A better approach might be to grab the ESV or some other version that is “open” and not copyrighted. When we published these instructions, we didn’t realize that this approach was tantamount to skipping copyright… never a good idea.
5. COPYRIGHT LAW IS CONFUSING — Come to think of it — is it legal for a church to make multiple copies of its worship song music for the different members of its worship band? When I play piano or keyboard for the local church I attend when I’m in town, I constantly feel funny about looking at photocopied music, especially when it has the copyright warning at the bottom of each page. Wouldn’t the worship minister have to own literally a songbook for each band member in order to legally photocopy that material? I’m no expert . . . but it makes me feel sheepish to even use it. If you have information on that, would you please drop a note to: copy-music(at)brigada(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
6. FOLLOW-THROUGH RESOURCE FOR SHORT-TERM MISSIONS — Change lives before, during and after a Short-Term Mission utilizing The Next Mile follow-through resource. The heartbeat of The Next Mile is built around the spiritual pilgrimage concept. Most publications for short-term ministry revolve around how to prepare for and how to do the ministry. When it comes to keeping the flame alive in people’s lives post- ministry, there are only paragraphs or chapters here and there. While there are some tools available that focus on “debriefing,” there is little done after the ministry. Capitalizing on the experience of more than 30 recognized mission leaders, The Next Mile resource offers practical tools to enable leaders to plan, conduct and follow-through with Short-Term Mission trips for long-term impact. For more information about The Next Mile resource, visit http://www.thenextmile.org or email info(at)thenextmile(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
7. YOUR WORK AS MINISTRY — Here’s a free seminar scheduled for Saturday, January 21st, co-sponsored by Interserve USA and the host Calvary Bible Church, Kalamazoo, MI. Seminars and workshops throughout the day will feature Rev. Douglas Van Bronkhorst, Interserve Executive Director and six other professionals now serving the needs of the underserved in explaining how professional skills and talents can be used for God’s Glory cross culturally. There is no cost. Registration and details can be obtained by writing gplatte(at)ludlow(dot)net [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
8. OVERCOMING DEPENDENCY — Since 1983, World Mission Associates has specialized in how to avoid or overcome dependency in mission- established churches and organizations. Dependency is an unhealthy reliance on foreign resources or personnel. To learn more about how to develop healthy indigenous churches that rely on God to open up local resources in response to His people’s prayers, look at the website http://www.wmausa.org or contact wmausa(at)msn(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
9. CULTURE SHOCK RUSSIAN STYLE! — Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? “Peterburgers” is a humorously piled platter that’s culturally insightful and spiritually challenging. Treat yourself to funny adventures in Russia told with culture shock training for missionaries (and their supporters back home) in mind. Order by contacting Dick dick(at)sleeper(dot)us [As a means of preventing SPAM for our contributors, in the preceding email address, please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Copies are $10.00 per copy (plus shipping).
10. REACHING JAPANESE FOR CHRIST CONFERENCE — The fifth RJC Conference will take place February 17-19. This year there will be five different tracks or emphases. 1) “Foundations” for those wanting basic information about ministering to Japanese. 2) “Leadership” which helps leaders in specific programs for Japanese. Then there will be three tracks in Japanese. One will be a symposium for Japanese pastors working to better minister to returnees. One will be for Christians to become effective witnesses, and the last will be for Japanese seekers. There will also be a Pre-Conference strategy discussion meetings on February 16 and 17, concerning how to reach the 500,000 Japanese who are temporarily in North America. For more details please see http://www.rjcconference.org/. Or contact Don Wright at don_wright(at)comcast(dot)net
11. UNREACHED PEOPLES CONSULTATION –- Do you want to make your connections to the missions field more effective? On March 21-24, the Alliance for Missions Advancement (AFMA) presents “Connections for Kingdom Advancement” at Regent University in Virginia Beach. This consultation will give you the opportunity to network with other agencies working around the world and create strategies that will enhance your missions efforts. You’ll expand your missions vision and network with others who share your passion. For more information, contact AFMA at (757) 226-5850 or visit the consultation website at http://www.upc2006.org
12. A HOOT OF A MISSIONS BOOK JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS! — “The Great Siberian Rail Adventure” is the hilariously heart-stopping story of a missionary family moving by car, ship, and rail across Russia. Come along and you’ll find a dragon, an axe-wielding conductor, a supersonic clothes washer, and a van with a death wish. Packed with cultural insights, “The Great Siberian Rail Adventure” humorously celebrates a slice of life on the mission field. This Christmas, give the gift of adventure. Order by contacting Dick dick(at)sleeper(dot)us [As a means of preventing SPAM for our contributors, in the preceding email address, please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Copies are $8.00 per copy (plus shipping). Climb aboard!
13. JUST 2 WEEKS LEFT TO HELP BRIGADA IN 2005 — Thanks to the anonymous donors in Pasadena, CA, who just sent $50. Want to join them in helping Brigada cover the cost of a part-time secretary… or just do a good turn to help them with some basic advertising costs? Well if you’d like your gift to count toward their drive in 2005, better hurry. Just 2 weeks to go. It’s easy. Just pull together your $25 or $250 or $2500 and click on “sponsor” in the top menu (to use PayPal or a credit card), or just 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. If you send a check, you’ll automatically receive a tax-deductible receipt. If you send your gift via PayPal, please specify in the comment blank on the donor form that you’d like a PDF receipt that you can print on your own printer at home. FYI… So far in 2005, Brigada has rec’d $9,741.28 out of a goal of $16,576. :-( So… over $6000 left to go in 2 weeks. Gulp. What happens if we don’t raise it all? Well eventually, Team Expansion or somebody has to make it up. They’d love it if our readers would pitch in and help. Maybe you could ask your church or group to pitch in? Maybe someone you know is making out a will, or would like to do something as a memorial gift or make a gift in memory of someone? Or maybe there’s a foundation that might contribute? Whatever the case, please consider saying a good word for Brigada in these next 2 weeks. Thank you in advance.
14. THE BACKPAGE: A WORLD FULL OF CHRISTMAS — The Dec. 18th, 1998 Brigada Today included about 33 ways to say “Merry Christmas” (or some similar greeting) in languages from all over the world. Today, seven years later, the web gives us amazing resources. For example, check out: http://www.flw.com/merry.htm — which gives *350* ways to say Merry Christmas *and* provides detailed information about each group. Granted, you might have to turn down your speakers (to avoid hearing the incessant hokey midi music). What’s more, let’s pray that the wacko cursors don’t cause you to curse. But other than that, there’s some great information there.
http://users.aol.com/WSCaswell/message.htm — Bill Caswell takes aim at the same goal — hundreds of ways.
http://silentnight.web.za/translate/index.htm — Jako Olivier takes a different approach by displaying the words of “Silent Night” in over 100 languages. In cases where more than one dialect occurs in one location (like Afrikaans and Albanian), he even presents both versions.
http://www.holidays.net/christmas/voices.htm — one-ups us by purporting to play *audio* of some of those greetings in the original languages.
http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/holidays.htm — goes even one step farther by providing links to *dozens*… maybe hundreds of other sites which give literally *books* full of information about the famous holiday. (And for those worried about exclusivity, you can even pick up your info. on Hanakkah and Kwanzaa there.) :-)
Either way, one thing’s for sure. This Christmas thing is more than a passing fancy. It’s captured a couple of billion hearts… who, in turn, want to share everything they can with the other four billion!
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