In this issue…

  1. WANT TO MINISTER TO THE POOR WITHOUT CREATING DEPENDENCY?
  2. AVOID TAKING A HIT WHEN YOUR MISSION TRIP CANCELS
  3. REACHING JAPANESE FOR CHRIST CONFERENCES
  4. GET CREDIT: DISTANCE-LEARNING COURSE ON MICROENTERPRISE
  5. TINYURL TRICK: CUSTOMIZE YOUR BROWSER WITH THE TOOL
  6. YWAM OFFERS TO ENHANCE YOUR RELIEF TEAM
  7. THE LINK BETWEEN: CONNECTING CHRISTIANS LIVING BETWEEN CULTURES
  8. INTERNET EVANGELISM COALITION VIDEOS
  9. FREE EPHESIANS BOOKLET
  10. GREAT OPP FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PERSON IN RALEIGH, NC
  11. YOUR GIFT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
  12. THE BACKPAGE: WHAT WILL VIDEOCONFERENCING DO FOR YOU?
  13. CLOSING STUFF
  1. WANT TO MINISTER TO THE POOR WITHOUT CREATING DEPENDENCY? — Learn how through the “Foundations and Principles of Holistic Ministry” distance course from the Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development at Covenant College. The January 8 – February 2, 2007 offering of the course is now full and the Chalmers Center is taking registration for the May 7 – June 1, 2007 course offering. The “Foundations” course is designed for anyone doing ministry and community outreach among the poor – pastors, church planters, ministry leaders and lay staff, and missionaries. This course is a guided- reading program with weekly written assignments and peer-to-peer interaction with other course participants. Because it is e-mail based, slow dial-up speed will not limit participation. Prior financial or economic experience is not required to participate. Group discounts and a Two-Thirds World discount are available. To learn more or to register, visit

    http://www.chalmers.org

    or call 706-419-1805 (U.S.), or email chalmers(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 .] When registering, use Reference Identifier BRN-10/06.

  2. AVOID TAKING A HIT WHEN YOUR MISSION TRIP CANCELS –- Have you ever had to cancel a mission trip due to weather, political unrest, personal emergency or other crisis? Have you lost out on pre-paid travel expenses? What if you could get insurance that would pay you back for nonrefundable trip expenses? And what if you could help Brigada at the same time? Well, through a partnership between Brigada and Insurance Services of America it is now possible to do so! When you purchase insurance from Insurance Services of America on Brigada’s website your purchase will help to support Brigada’s work with the missionary community! Check out the “Round Trip” travel insurance plan at

    http://www.missionaryhealth.net/brigada.htm

    In addition to this plan, coverage is available for any international need – short-term trips, career missionaries, trip cancellation, short- term teams and term life insurance. Insurance Services of America has agreed to help support Brigada from sales that are made on this link, so when you purchase on this site you will be helping to support Brigada and you will be protecting yourself and your ministry from financial loss!

  3. REACHING JAPANESE FOR CHRIST CONFERENCES — The Reaching Japanese for Christ 6th Annual National Conference will take place February 16- 18 at Northshore Baptist Church, Bothell, Washington. And now for the first time, on January 27th at Pacific View Baptist Church, Torrance, CA. there will be a one-day RJC conference in Southern California. Besides important workshops Dr. George Gallup, Jr. will speak concerning religious awareness of Japanese. If you are involved in or interested in ministry to Japanese in North America, these conferences are for you! Information is available at

    http://www.rjcnetwork.org

    or contact Don Wright at don_wright(at)comcast(dot)net

  4. GET CREDIT: DISTANCE-LEARNING COURSE ON MICROENTERPRISE — For those ministering to the poor in the Two-Thirds World, the Chalmers Center also offers a distance course on microfinance and microenterprise development services and interventions and a distance course on basic principles of Savings and Credit Associations (SCAs) and how SCAs can be used as a ministry tool. The microfinance and microenterprise course is also available in self-study format. To learn more or to register, visit http://www.chalmers.org or call 706-419-1805 (U.S.), or email chalmers(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 .] When registering, use Reference Identifier BRN-10/06.
  5. TINYURL TRICK: CUSTOMIZE YOUR BROWSER WITH THE TOOL — Hats off to Jonathan for pointing out that we don’t have to “go to TinyURL” to create a shorter URL for that long web address. We just put the following Java code in our toolbar in IE, Firefox or Opera. Then we click and — wala! — the page we’re viewing is given a TinyURL! According to Jonathan, this also works a shortcut in Blazer on the Palm/Treo. Here is the javascript:

    javascript:void(location.href=’http://tinyurl.com/create.php?url=’+loca tion.href)

    Warning: Ironic, isn’t it . . . that the above script might wrap in your email client — so be sure to reassemble it into one line when we enter the above code into a favorite or bookmark. (Thanks Jonathan!)

  6. YWAM OFFERS TO ENHANCE YOUR RELIEF TEAM — Join Streams Express in “Streams in the Desert,” a trans-national relief & development ministry of YWAM-MMI. Streams would like to host all types of teams through their dispatches within the 10/40 countries. Streams dispatches are equipped and some are nationals in their country base. Contact the Streams Center now if you know the number of people in your teams coming to which country. Streams dispatches can host your teams and enhance their capability in the outreach with the needs of their target communities. Streams dispatches are particularly in the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, Liberia, Mali, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, Syria, Dubai, China, Albania, Kosovo, etc.

    http://www.streams.mysite.com

    Skype: streams7express or email streams7(at)juno(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

  7. THE LINK BETWEEN: CONNECTING CHRISTIANS LIVING BETWEEN CULTURES — In searching for support in the wonderful, yet challenging task of uniting across cultures within intercultural marriage, Rukshan and Jody F. have often felt like pioneers. Though globalization increases the stakes of effective cross-cultural skills, much seems left unsaid – especially by Christians. “The Link Between” seeks to provide a network for Christians living out Christ’s call to “live at peace with all men” by crossing the cultural boundaries of parenting, marriage, church, career and life. The Link Between is continually compiling resources exploring these themes. If you are interested in contributing articles are resources, check out Jody’s blog at

    http://thelinkbetween.wordpress.com/

    or mail her at jodyfernando(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 .]

  8. INTERNET EVANGELISM COALITION VIDEOS — The Internet Evangelism Coalition

    http://www.webevangelism.com/

    is offering free access, until the end of November, to videos of presentations from its 2006 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Just click on “Meetings” in the left margin and you’ll see the selection for all the media. Questions? Just email naomi(at)webevangelism(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. FREE EPHESIANS BOOKLET — SOON Ministries have produced a free 32- page small-group study booklet on Ephesians. Written in easy-English, it is intended primarily for the non-Western world. The booklet is available to download in PDF and Publisher formats, so that users can print it themselves. They are also free to sell copies without restriction, or translate the material.

    http://www.soon.org.uk/studyephesians

  10. GREAT OPP FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PERSON IN RALEIGH, NC — The Southeast Regional Offices of the Perspectives Study Program is looking for an administratively gifted individual to help work in the office. Bob Stevens is the Regional Supervisor over a nine state region that will run about 30 classes this year alone with over 900 students. Bob is looking for someone who has good administrative abilities, is good at closing out details and follow through, a self-starter with good computer and phone skills. Such a person must be willing to raise support or fund him/herself and be willing to make a minimum 2 year commitment, working at least 1/2 a day for 4 days a week. If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Bob at BSUSWCMSE(at)aol(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
  11. YOUR GIFT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE — Let’s talk end-of-year. Did your stocks do well? Got $10,000 you’d like to give to a ministry where it won’t be just another gift? Think about Brigada. With $10K, you could underwrite the rest of our entire calendar year 2006 financial needs. (We’re currently at just under $6800 and we need $16,650.) Once you give the $10K, the entire Brigada list of 11,000 subscribers would receive their weekly Brigada editions courtesy of your special gift! These blips would vanish. You’d make a *huge* impact because the entire annual budget is just $16,650! Perhaps you’ve only got $100? Your $100 would still make a huge difference here. Just click on “sponsor” in the top menu (to use PayPal or a credit card), or if you prefer, 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. In any case, thanks for considering Brigada in your estate giving, your monthly church missions fund, and/or your own personal giving for this calendar year.
  12. THE BACKPAGE: WHAT WILL VIDEOCONFERENCING DO FOR YOU? — Years ago, when I would hear about videoconferencing, I’d imagine how cool it might be… then quickly snap back to reality when I saw the hefty fees and per-minute charges. Well… welcome to 2006. Just a few days ago, I had the opportunity to greet and pray with 4 of our mission’s teams working on the island of Taiwan. They had come together for a strategy summit, with the intent of improving their respective outreaches. They hooked up a data projector and shined me on the big screen. From my home in Louisville, KY, I shared a 15-minute challenge & devotion, prayed with them, and then we did question and answer about the latest stuff with the over all organization. So basically, we were able to do a half-hour video conference across the Pacific and the total cost for everybody involved totaled zero dollars. Dream come true — for 5 people… or 500 people. You see, it doesn’t matter. If you get a chance, and the opportunity presents itself, try it out. All you need is a Skype ID, a webcam (pick one up for $40 at CompUSA or have someone bring you one on an upcoming visit), broadband Internet (you might have to visit an Internet cafe… which might be a problem if you’re in a limited access country; but except for that, Skype is supposed to be encrypted, as long as the technology they sold the Chinese doesn’t betray us :-) ), and a headset/mic. On the *conference* side, in addition to the above equipment, they’ll need a data projector and a screen.

    Here are some tips you could try to maximize the effectiveness of your videoconference:

    *** Headset/Mic: Be sure to pick up one of these for you, if you’re the main speaker. If you try to use the mic built into your laptop, you’ll get lots of ambient room noises *plus* the rebroadcasted echo of their questions. Look for headset/mic with a broad frequency range like the Logitech Premium Notebook Headset Mic (for about $50-$60).

    *** Outline: Plan your talk, but I’d recommend that you not write it out word-for-word. Part of the magic of these video-conferences is the spontaneity of it all. If you read a prepared speech, it’ll sound more … “canned”. At the same time, have your talk planned so you can get to the point without rambling. See the next point.

    *** Keep it brief: As fun as these conferences are, I’d suggest keeping your prepared talk to 10′ or less. Leave time for your audience to ask you questions. It’ll *soooooo* much more show off the technology. (After all, you could have just sent them a video or DVD of yourself and the quality would have been much higher.)

    *** Practice makes perfect: Try out your connection in advance, before the crowd gathers. Chad (the guy who prepared the equipment at the summit mentioned above) and I got together a week or so beforehand to work out any bugs. Make sure everything is smooth before you feel “under the gun.”

    *** Be on time: Your group will be looking forward to the new technology. But one of the downsides of this format is … you have to *be* there. In other words, email is “send-it-and-forget-it.” You can be 30′ late and nobody cares — or even knows. Videoconferences, by contrast, are “real time.” What does that word, “real” mean? Simple. If you’re not there, they’ll be *real* frustrated.

    Have fun and good luck. And again… welcome to 2006… the day and age of essentially free videoconferencing!

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