Exloring Life Eternal

http://www.russianlanguage.org

Studying at the Institute of Strategic Languages and Cultures (ISLC) (formerly Russian Language Ministries) will give you a good head start in learning the needed language and culture. Their experienced staff is called by God to equip you in the Russian language & cross-cultural skills you will need to be effective in ministry. Courses are tailored to your learning needs and offer an intensive and focused experience with, gradual effective immersion in the language, communicative learning methods & flexible duration for all programs. Their U.S. based courses are taught in an encouraging spiritual atmosphere with a focus on future ministry.

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http://www.markharris.us

Dr. Mark Harris has made available a set of seven papers based on the research he did a few years back among Russian young people. In addition, there are four papers to help you understand Russian Baptist churches, and a few other miscellaneous papers on ministry in Russia.

CF: www.brigada.org

LINKING LITERACY AND ORAL COMMUNICATION

Nearly 4 billion people cannot read. But what about the millions who are learning to read but continue to read too poorly to understand? There is a very simple way to help turn poor, struggling readers into good readers. It is the Talking Bible in that reader's own language. The advent of the talking Bible now offers a wonderful new way to help poor readers become good readers. A poor reader with a talking Bible can open the printed Bible and follow the text while listening to the narration of that text in audio. The new solid state, digital Talking Bible will make it easy to select the exact passage in the printed text. Talking Bibles International says it will have its revolutionary, new solid-state, digital Talking Bible available by summer's end. An exciting new era is dawning. For more information visit:
http://www.talkingbibles.org

Contains a quiver of tools to track commercial and private flights.

http://flightaware.com

HOW TO DO ONLINE RESEARCH: "WISE UP TO THE WEB"
Want some free tips on doing research on the web? Check out:

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective

A Bible study guide called, "Finding Strength for the Journey," provides a tool for member care or personal encouragement. One missionary writes, "I have been able to relate to it more than any 'stateside' Bible study." Author Janice Lemke drew from experiences as a missionary when writing this series of thirty studies that explores topics such as perseverance in hardship,
dealing with depression, handling conflict, and benefit from trials.

For more information contact cjlemke (at) cs (dot) com

(Visit Brigada-Today online for more info.)

Becoming a World-Changing Church
By David Mays

This newly released 32-page booklet is the compilation of six articles published in the ACMC quarterly 'Mobilizer' magazine, under the topic "Your Church and Its Mission."

Many books on ”doing church” cite the Great Commission as the church's marching orders, identify the core of the Great Commission as making disciples, and give primary attention to reaching people
like you in your own community. The "all nations" part of the Great Commission is often treated in a page or two near the back of the book under "missions."

This booklet takes a fresh approach to making the Great Commission the central organizing principle of a church. The first part argues that "all nations" or "all the earth" is an integral part of the overriding purpose and mission of the church. The second part helps church leaders look objectively at their priorities and use of resources. The third part outlines what a globally focused church might look like. The fourth part discusses the relationship between purpose and ministries. The fifth part approaches the concept of implementing change. The sixth part examines the roles of church leaders in light of the mission.

Read excerpts (http://www.davidmays.org) from “Becoming a World-Changing Church.”

Available from ACMC’s on-line store (http://www.acmc.org).

NOTE: Like most writers, David is also an avid reader. We enjoy looking over his shoulder and get ideas for our own reading from his Book Notes (http://www.davidmays.org/BN.html). These come out about once a week and deal with mission and culture issues as well as leadership, management, and other interests. To subscribe, write to David Mays <davidmays@acmc.org>.

FREE CALLS OVER VOIP
Call free to over 40 destinations. No catch, no setup fee, no special equipment needed, just a microphone - and headphones if possible - and your computer with broadband connection. (Dialup is possible too, but quality can be low.) Open an account with €10 and calls to landlines in over 40 destinations are free, and very low-rate calls to others. The same company operates under two names - with a few different free countries on each, so check each out before deciding which to go with.
http://www.voipbuster.com/
http://www.voipcheap.com/

MullinsMedia has been providing media support to missions and missionaries since 2001. Recognizing that a well-designed and regularly updated website is the best communication tool available today, they specialize in providing low-cost, easy-edit web spaces to missionaries (hosting, training and maintenance included).

MullinsMedia also travels worldwide to produce documentary-
style DVDs that mission organizations use to tell their story.

Visit http://www.mullinsmedia.com

Click on "links" to see some of the sites they have developed.

Visit Brigada-Today online for more info.

http://solarpoweredbible.com/

Here is a small bible that fits in the palm of your hand and
now speaks all the books of the Bible, old and new Testament, in a real human voice. You can jump from book to book, and chapter to chapter with the press of a button. You can also jump ahead or back in 15 second intervals. It's easy to use and the batteries are built into the unit. It can be powered by the sun or a light bulb or charged from a 9 volt DC adapter (not included). Fully charged batteries will allow the unit to play for approximately 10 hours. You can listen to the human voice reading the Bible through the Bible's excellent speaker, or through ear phones (included). The unit measures 4 1/4 by 2 1/2 by 7/8 inch.

This would be great for the visually impaired or for your next
road trip. In spite of costs as high as $110 at other sites, Ken found it at:
http://www.kingdom.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=SOLBIB
for just $40 with accessories at
http://www.kingdom.com/category.aspx?categoryID=602

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4967452.stm

The article describes a straw recently invented to kill water-born pathogens as a person drinks through the straw. Below are some excerpts from the above article:

"LifeStraw" made by Torben Vestergaard Frandsen, of Denmark, is made of plastic and resembles a flute. Inside are a disinfectant filter which kills bacteria & active carbon to remove parasites & yields a better tasting water, along with a chamber impregnated with iodine.

In developing world, one person in six does not have access to drinking water, and 6,000 people a day die from water-borne diseases.
But the inventor claimed that it would be possible even to drink water from the notoriously polluted Thames river in London. As the straw is aimed at the developing world, it is being made it in China, where production costs are lower. It is priced at around $3.50 a straw - will last for around 700 litres, around a six months to a year.

OBJECTION:
UK charity WaterAid which works to supply clean water and sanitation in 17 of the world's poorest countries said the price was too high.
"most people in those countries earn less than one dollar a day, with which they have to feed their families," he said. He felt the problem is that many people live very far away from their water, often walking a total of 20km or more carrying a weight of 25 kilos.

It's women and girls who have to collect the water & thus lag the most in education.

WaterAid spends £15 ($30) per person to provide water, sanitation and hygiene education. If there is decent water resource management in the country, this will last them a lifetime.

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My reply to the fellow who sent me the tip on this:

It is sad to see people here spend large $ for bottled water, throw the bottles aside, when tapwater is readily available ... & there are places where people don't would be glad to have drop of clean, cool water on their tongue.

May the Lord show mercy to more so that those both here & there would not spend eternity craving but a drop when a well of Living Water is available today!

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His reply:

Yes to your comments. My first profession was as a microbiologist and
food inspector. I was shocked the first time I went into the back of a grocery store and saw that about 1/3 of the space was taken storing soft drinks mostly and beer and some other alcohol. Our water districts in the USA provide good tap water almost all the time
almost everywhere. I do not have or use bottled water for common drinking. When traveling by car, we carry our own water in bottles from our tap at home, until we get to the next house where there is a tap.

I have been to Jacob's Well and have drank the water from there on 3-4
occasions. Jesus was right, I drink from the water from that well and have been thirsty every day since then. But, spiritually I have drink from the Living Water which He supplies and I have never been thirsty to go to any other source of spiritual water or teachings.

Blessings,
D.D.

Patterson's interactive novel, "Come, Let Us Disciple the Nations", is now available as a free download. It tracks your learning in 20 skill areas while you choose options for a congregation that reproduces in its own community, in a nearby culture, in a distant land and in a hostile one.

The .zip file contains 25 MB = programme, text, pictures, sounds.

GO TO:
http://www.paul-timothy.net/dn/

Or write to:
G Patterson (at) cvi2(dot)org .

The story consists of actual events known to the author that occurred in various church-planting efforts around the globe.

http://www.worldmapper.org

Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where [national/country] territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject [data-set] of interest. Maps will be added, and information modified during 2006.

Currently, the 56 online maps feature a diverse range of data-sets, which uses UN data (same basic info as the CIA apparently) include:
Land
Demographics (birth, age, etc.)
Population (various years)
International Refugees / Migration (various)
Tourism $ (various aspects of)
Transportation (various modes)
Communication (various modes)
Imports / Exports (various commodoties)

As more data is entered, more maps will be added.
Each map is accompanied by a printable pdf, an Excel data file with or without the map, and an Opendoc datafile in standard format.

The Univ. of Michigan has a role in the project:
http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/worldmapper/credits.html

They are copyrighted & are not mass reproduceable. Though other single maps have used one or two sets of data, this is perhaps the most extensive set of maps.

TO PASTE A GRAPHIC INTO YOUR PRESENTATION:
Right-click on the map.
Choose "Save Picture as..."
Save the PNG file on your drive.

In the presentation software, (such as MSPowerpoint):
Select "insert|picture file".
Paste it where you want it.
Done.

COPYRIGHT ISSUES:
If you're using the material to teach a class, "fair use" might be all you need to use that graphic. If you're using the material for any other reason... say... a profit motive, write to
info(at)worldmapper(dot)org
and see what you can negotiate. Again, the authors promise in advance
that non-profit use will usually be granted.

The poster is nice enough to use as a -placemat- at your next missions banquet. Write for permission, then find some generous
businessman with a color printer and a laminator.

If you are interested in writing short stories that have a Christian spiritual message, or are simply morally & ethically sound, you may want to check out:

http://www.abc111.net/cgi-bin/goTEAM.cgi?l=E&db=TEAM&go=TWRadio63

BRING THE FACES OF THE 10/40 INTO YOUR CHURCH FOR PRAYER!
Volume 3 of "The Waiting World" unreached people group prayer series can help your church or small group pray more effectively for the lost of the 10/40 Window. Thirteen five-minute prayer videos are featured on this volume and discuss various Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim peoples. Special features on this volume are the Iraqi's, as well as a general Arab video. Produced by YWAM Strategic Frontiers, the suggested donation for a DVD of Volume 3 is $29.95 (USD), plus shipping. Order all three volumes on DVD for a suggested donation of $69.95, plus shipping.

Mike
klausmeierm(at)ywamsf(dot)org

A website about household colors.

They have a color game that is supposed to help find the colors you
like ... today. Tomorrow it may change.

http://www.voiceofcolor.com/en/index.asp

If you know Russian and you have one of these mobile devices (PALMs, Pocket PCs and Web-enabled phones), you're welcome to try out a new interface here:
www.agape-biblia.org/mobile/

If you don't have a mobile device, but you want to see how it will work on one, go to:
www.agape-biblia.org/AgapbibE.htm

with an ordinary PC and click on the "A-B mobile" button.

Nearly everything available on the full-size Agape-Biblia, almost 5 gigabytes, is also available on the mobile version:

Menu
* God's Plan for your life
* Agape Rehab Society
* Commentaries of Chrysostom
* School of Mission
* Practical Ministries
* Russian songs
* Russian sermons

http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth22.html
Truth Journal
Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence
for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
by William Lane Craig
William Lane Craig is a leading apologist today in the USA.

============
http://www.xenos.org/classes/papers/doubt.htm
Historical Evidence for
the Resurrection of Christ:
by Christopher Louis Lang

============
http://www.wcg.org/lit/disc/11evidence.htm
Discipleship 101
a beginner's guide to Christianity
Evidence of Jesus' resurrection
by the Worldwide Church of God
(A group that returned to "salvation by grace through faith")

==========
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_Jesus
This text includes arguments for & against the resurrection.

==> Also, there are numerous links at the end to various Christian apologists. I think your magazine editors would find this part of the sight most helpful!

It is very much a pick & choose sight - discernment needed! The most
value is the links. One must note though that there are more reasons listed to believe the resurrection than to disbelieve & that they present an overall argument that is fully coherent, whereas many of the others are contradictory & mutually exclusive.

Hope that helps,
Mert Hershberger

Visit the "Missions Catalyst" events calendar -http://www.calebproject.org/main.php/calendar

BOOK - I THINK GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MISSIONARY
from: Emmaus Road International (http://www.eri.org)

"I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary"
By Neal Pirolo

Prompted by the high attrition rate of missionaries who do not
first ‘count the cost’ of cross-cultural ministry, Neal Pirolo
offers this book to help candidates look closely at scores of
issues that should be clarified long before they say goodbye.
In an easy-to-read dialogue style, four young people represent
thousands of others.

A happy-go-lucky guy about to graduate from high school.
A most proper young lady who has always been home-schooled.
Kyle "engaged" to another young lady ... but one Sunday evening ...

In "I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary," we enter the lives of these missionary-hopefuls, their pastors, and others, and become involved in the dialogue as these young people deal with scores of issues to consider before saying goodbye.

Ordering information:
San Diego, CA: Emmaus Road International, 2005, 288 pages.
US$8.95 plus shipping and handling
On the web: http://www.eri.org
By phone: 858-292-7020

A new audio visual tool to motivate & train others is available from:
http://www.createinternational.com/

From Genesis to Revelation, God's global purpose to reach all peoples
unfolds in this power packed graphically dynamic presentation. The
whole DVD (20 minutes) also includes 4 chapters (@5 minutes each)
Biblical, Historical, Unreached People, and Involvement. Select which section you want to show for your teaching or mission promotions. It's great for intercession times and even Sunday school classes at your church. This new DVD can be used as a teaching tool for Perspectives courses, mission conferences, churches and schools. It serves as an inspirational visual masterpiece to unfold God's blessing for every believer - to join Him in reaching all peoples and thus fulfill God's global purpose.

View a short sample video clip [mp4] of the Global Purpose:
http://www.createinternational.com/videos.php?id=48

To order the Global Purpose, please visit Create's online store:
http://www.createinternational.com/store