Brigada Today 2018/02/04
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Compiled/Edited by Doug Lucas and Tina McCormick, Team Expansion
Brigada online has more graphics and links at http://www.brigada.org

In this issue…

Jump to…1) Conference Just for Church Mobilizers
Jump to…2) Got the Brigada App?
Jump to…3) Is The OSAC Country Report the Best Benchmark for Risk Level?
Jump to…4) SYIS Online Courses
Jump to…5) Is Anyone Listening to Your Story?
Jump to…6) Figure Out 24:14 in 13 Minutes Flat
Jump to…7) How Will the New Regulations in China Impact Believers/Workers?
Jump to…8) Conference: Vulnerable Mission, What It Is, And Why We Need It
Jump to…9) Please Help us Understand the Situation in Nepal
Jump to…10) Free Workbook to Reduce Health Insurance Costs
Jump to…11) Could Robly Challenge MailChimp? Nahhhh…
Jump to…12) If You Appreciate Brigada, Would you Forward This To a Friend?
Jump to…13) We’re Grateful for…
Jump to…14) The Last Bit: The Christian Equivalent the Jeep Commercial?
Jump to…15) Closing Stuff


1) Conference Just for Church Mobilizers

Catalyst Services’ biannual Interchange Conference is designed specifically for church missions leaders and mission agency staff who help mobilize churches. Their next event is called “Ready!” and is slated for May 16-17 in suburban Philadelphia, PA. These two days will help you ready your church, your future workers, and yourself and will include practical workshops and great networking opportunities. Access the entire schedule and registration information at

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2) Got the Brigada App?

Don’t forget — you can now enjoy Brigada (and 23 years of archived editions) on your phone, iPad, or mobile device. Just go to the place where you get apps for your phone and search for Brigada. Thank the Lord, we’ve finally beat out all those crazy games — so when you search simply for the word, Brigada, our app should hopefully come up as the first hit. (Thank goodness, the Russian TV show went off the air before they ever developed their own app.) Available for both iOS and Android. Read more here…

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3) Is The OSAC Country Report the Best Benchmark for Risk Level?

Developed by the Research & Information Support Center of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) of the US Department of State, the OSAC Country Report lists every country in the world by region, providing category descriptions as to whether or not it’s legal to proselytize there, providing notes on restrictions where applicable. Is this not the handiest document ever to provide a starting benchmark for churches an missionary sending organizations to assign levels of security for each land? Obviously, a team with boots on the ground should always be trusted ABOVE the OSAC restriction level (because regional conflicts or social norms could easily supersede national stands by state governments), but as a simple starting point, wouldn’t this document be among the best sources to create a simple protocol regarding how to treat sensitive communication for each country of the world? Download your free copy at…

http://www.brigada.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/OSAC-Proselytizing-Report-Country-List.pdf
See the 34 member companies and orgs who make up the Senior Advisory Committee in OSAC at…

https://www.osac.gov/Pages/AboutUs.aspx

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4) SYIS Online Courses

The Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshop is now available as a series of four online courses. SYIS Online is ideal for any Christ follower who wishes to become more effective and loving in their relationships with others. New courses begin April 2, 2018. Read about the details:

http://www.itpartners.org (just click the link for online courses)
or contact them directly at
syisonline@itpartners.org

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5) Is Anyone Listening to Your Story?

Now you can understand the importance, and urgency, of story for ministry effectiveness. Learn how story applies to reaching and teaching people for Christ. Mission Media U is offering its five-week online mentored experience for you and your team. The course runs February 21-March 21. To find course details, instructor and mentor bios, comments from previous students, and to register, visit:

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6) Figure Out 24:14 in 13 Minutes Flat

Still wondering what 24:14 is? In 13 minutes flat, you can get the entire big picture by tuning in to this video update from Steve Smith, one of the ringleaders of the network.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHAaEV0YphY&feature=youtu.be

It’s worth watching. You can also learn more about 24:14 by reading the recent Mission Frontiers edition dedicated to lifting up the vision.

http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/archive/are-you-in

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7) How Will the New Regulations in China Impact Believers/Workers?

Nobody knows for sure. Our good friend, Justin Long, wrote this past week to point us to one possible set of views at…

https://www.chinasource.org/blog/posts/why-christians-in-china-must-prepare-themselves-for-the-new-regulations-on-religious-affairs?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed:+chinesechurchvoices

No matter what, workers and believers in China are wary. Please pray for them as they begin sorting through the new policies (which went into effect Feb. 1st). (Thanks Justin!)

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8) Conference: Vulnerable Mission, What It Is, And Why We Need It

AVM is staging a conference from the 31st of May to the 2nd of June 2018 at All Nations Christian College (missionary training college), in the UK. Speakers will include Frank Paul (Germany/Argentina), Deborah Bernhard (Germany/Thailand) and Jim Harries (UK/Kenya). The AVM (Alliance for Vulnerable Mission) believes that some Western missionaries should engage ministry in the majority world using exclusively indigenous languages and resources. Learn more at…

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9) Please Help us Understand the Situation in Nepal

Can anyone help us sort out the article at…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Nepal

and the Christianity Today article at…

http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/october/nepal-criminalizes-conversion-christianity-evangelism-hindu.html

From what we can see there an elsewhere, is it true that, over the past six months, freedom of speech about one’s faith has been radically challenged? … and, would you agree or disagree that the church in Nepal is possibly entering a new era of persecution? Please click “Comment” the web version of this item and help us sort this out. Thanks in advance for your help. (And thanks to GBS for raising the issue.)

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10) Free Workbook to Reduce Health Insurance Costs

Here’s a free workbook on “Reducing Your Group Health Insurance Premiums” for mission organizations (not individual health insurance). (For individual health insurance, you’ll need to call them 480-813-9100). You do not need to hire them for this advice to work. Does it work? According to their studies, it does. Get the guide at…

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11) Could Robly Challenge MailChimp? Nahhhh…

What’s the best service or app for sending out email newsletters these days (prayer letters, financial reports, announcements, and more)? If you answered MailChimp, you’re probably among the majority. MailChimp is said to own over 50% of the market for email marketing. Constant Contact has dropped to under 12%. And after that (what is there?), something called AWeber has just over 5%. (Source: https://www.datanyze.com/market-share/email-marketing ) But what’s YOUR fave? One newer service is Robly.com.

https://app.robly.com/

They claim to help you get 50% more opens through a technology they call “opengen,” which will automatically re-send your email with a different subject line to those who didn’t seem to open it the first time. Innovative, right? But how do YOU send out email newsletters and why? If you have a favorite that can challenge MailChimp, please tell us by clicking comment. Thanks for your tip!

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12) If You Appreciate Brigada, Would you Forward This To a Friend?

Brigada has nearly zero marketing dollars. Seriously. The only way we’ve grown to have thousands (and thousands) of subscribers is because someone like you forwarded editions like this to a friend. You don’t even have to go to any website to help. All you have to do is say, “Are you a Brigada reader?” and then explain why you asked. You could tell them “It’s free, and it provides motivation, resources and trends about missions — and other related topics.” You could recommend it in your church newsletter or mission agency journal. You could write a review of Brigada on your personal or organizational blog. Either way, if you could help spread the word, we’d greatly appreciate it — and we’d love to think that it would help exalt the name of Jesus by empowering those who are working worldwide to grow His Kingdom. Please… tell someone today.

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13) We’re Grateful for…

…the good people at Catalyst Services who sent $60 this past week to speed Brigada on its way out the door. God bless you!!! Learn more about Catalyst Services at…

http://catalystservices.org/

Want to partner with Brigada so that all may hear in order to hasten the coming of Jesus? Just click “Donate” at www.brigada.org, or mail a check payable to Team Expansion (Brigada), 13711 Willow Reed Drive, Louisville, KY 40299. Team Expansion is a 501(c)3 incorporation so, for USA citizens, your gift to Christ by writing a check to Team Expansion is tax-deductible. Thank you, in advance, for your partnership!

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14) The Last Bit: The Christian Equivalent the Jeep Commercial?

If you watched the Superbowl (and if you hadn’t stepped away for more chips at this time), you might have caught the commercial about the 2018 Jeep Wrangler. If you missed it (gasp), you can still see it at…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmMa4kLj-ZQ

Now, truth in advertising — we don’t work for Jeep nor do we own one. But … honestly… can ANYONE watch this commercial without experiencing a radical increase in respect and admiration for 2018 Jeep Wranglers? For $26,995 (base price, of course), you, too, can ford creeks and streams that only taunt and tease 99% of all other vehicle owners in the land. Now… we’re not sure how many people flocked to dealerships on Monday morning to buy Jeeps, but in our informal polling at soccer practice Monday evening, this Jeep Wrangler commercial was a winner (maybe THE winner?). One young man from Vietnam said, “It gave me cold chills. Goosebumps.” Another player said, “Every guy who sees that ad now respects Wranglers.”

So here’s our question: What’s the Christian equivalent? What could we say in two minutes or less that would indelibly cause friends and relatives to respect Christianity enough to want it? Would it be… “3 Circles: Sharing the Gospel” by the house church?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7mURm-8cOI

This 3 circles tool takes the house church people under 2 minutes to share. Is it possibly the most concise and the most compelling presentation of Christianity on earth today???

Or would it actually be a song? … like maybe “What a Beautiful Name” by Hillsong Worship?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWFzMvCfLE

In just over 5 minutes, Hillsong captured the beauty AND power in the name of Jesus — enough to win the Dove Award Song of the Year last year AND the Grammy Award (last week) for the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. After all, it has attracted 117 million views (as of today). Maybe 1000 of those are mine. But never mind that. This song is both powerful AND compelling. Would IT be the best commercial for Jesus?

Or would it be “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” by Spoken Word (featuring Jefferson Bethke). It’s been viewed 33 million times. 1.6 million of those were in the first 24 hours. Check it out at…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY

Does this simple message (4 minutes long) have a greater impact than any “sermon” ever would?

If you have a better commercial for Christ, would you mind sharing it with us? Just click “Comment” following the web (or app) version of this item. Thanks in advance for sharing.

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