SOURCES of News and Information on Missions.
See also PRINT:PERIODICALS:NEWS and INFOstatistics
SOURCES for MISSION STATISTICS
From time to time we here at Caleb Project receive a phone call asking about general worldwide statistics relating to the spread of Christianity, evangelism, how many unreached people groups, etc. Over the course of time, many of you will probably be asked this, so I pass on what I have gleaned.
* US Center for World Mission (818-797-1111) <ralph.winter@uscwm.org> Missiology/education
* AD2000& Beyond Movement (719-576-2000) <AD2000@XC.org> People group-related
* Global Evangelization Movement <GEM@XC.org> (804-355-1646) Statistics
* Global Mapping Int'l (719-531-3594) <DN@XC.org> Mission Agency Database
I think all of these people are faith-supported, but will help for free; consider supporting them if you regularly use their services. Another place to look for people-group-related questions is the <Brigada-peoples@XC.org> email conference. Some reference manuals with statistics would include the World Christian Encyclopedia, the front of the MARC Mission handbook, or the Statistics file from the Brigada missionmobilizers database. From: 4 Caleb Project staff
INDIA MISSIONS ASSOCIATION
Source: <ima@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in> INDIA MAIL 15 Sep 97
MISSION HANDBOOK: 1998-2000
$38.96 Available from WorldChristian News, P.O. Box 26479, Colorado Springs, CO 80936 USA. Tel: 1 (719) 442-6409; Fax 1 (719) 380-0936; Email: wcn@xc.org All prices payable in U.S. Dollar cheques, visa or MasterCard. For shipping in the U.S., add $3 first item; .50 each additional, contact WCN for International shipping prices.
PASADENA PEOPLE CLUSTER CONSULTATION
The Revised edition of the Pasedena People Cluster Consultation is finally ready for distribution. This excellent collection of articles covers everything from security to partnerships, from adoption ceremonies to non-residential missionaries. If you, your church or organization is involved in ministry in unreached areas, you want this material handy! This 150-page book contains most of the material which will be included in the upcoming advocate training conference pre-reading as well as a number of papers written specifically for or about the Pasadena event. The book is USD$15 plus $3.00 shipping in the US, Canada or Mexico. International postage is $3.50 for surface or $11.50 for air. (Air to Mexico is $6.50.) Orders by pre-payment (Visa, Mastercard, or US check) only. No orders for the compendium after December 15, 1997, please. If you'd like to look over the revised table of contents, send the following message to <hub@xc.org>: get gpcc-discuss compendium.toc From: JHanna@XC.Org
SOUTH AFRICAN CHRISTIAN HANDBOOK 1996-97
Marjorie Froise, editor. 333 pp. World Mission Centre, P.O. Box 36147, Menlo Park 0120, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa. Source: January 1997 Evangelical Missions Quarterly
DENOMINATION DIRECTORY
QUESTION From: Harold Britton <HBritton@cproject.com>
Is there a good up-to-date book/resource on Christian denominations, their distinctives, perspectives on mission, links and posture for cooperation, etc. MARC does a good job with North American Mission Handbook for agencies, but what about denominations?
ANSWER From: Keith Hersch <eeyore@vol.com>
Regarding the question on book on denominations, Abingdon Press puts out an annual directory. Not that specific, but a good starting point if you want to know how to get a hold of denoms. that are out there. Abingdon, in fact puts out a number of good Christian reference books.
MISSION AGENCY INFORMATION: ETERNITY'S EDGE
We are a gathering of advocates, missionaries and missions agencies who labor specifically on bringing the Gospel to the frontiers of mission--to the peoples of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (not to the exclusion of other missionary endeavors; however, with an emphasis here).
DO YOU NEED TO * Know which agencies are working in a particular country? * Know how to get involved in a particular project (short term, long term, or support)? *Be in tune with the missions community? Eternity's Edge can help. www.frontiermissions.org lists over 1,700 agencies, and the countries which they work. It also provides hot links to a majority of these sites, as well as addresses and phone numbers. There is space available for current project listings and information on how you can become involved. Weekly polls and surveys on the site keeps you in tune with the prevailing thought and strategy of those who shape World Missions today--YOU! ALL OF THESE SERVICES ARE FREE. Our cost is underwritten by discrete ads on our web site. All it takes to check the site out is to type http://www.frontiermissions.org on your Internet search engine. e-mail <JustinLong@xc.org>.
THE UNREACHED PEOPLES BOOK $6.29
Available from WorldChristian News, P.O. Box 26479, Colorado Springs, CO 80936 USA. Tel: 1 (719) 442-6409; Fax 1 (719) 380-0936; Email: wcn@xc.org All prices payable in U.S. Dollar cheques, visa or MasterCard. For shipping in the U.S., add $3 first item; .50 each additional, contact WCN for International shipping prices.
STATUS OF GLOBAL EVANGELIZATION SBC ANNUAL REPORT
Electronic Version," prepared by John Gilbert, Foreign Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention. Based on Integrated Strategic Planning Database. Seven diskettes, $15. Offered to mission agencies, denominations, and Christian organizations. Requires Windows 3.1 or Windows 95. Screen saver disks $4 more; 10-megabyte Powerpoint file to present information $4 more. Foreign Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA. 23230. Fax (804) 254-8980 E-mail: 753-8054@MCIMAIL.COM Source: January 1997 Evangelical Missions Quarterly
BRIGADA RESOURCES
Brigada is a growing information system focusing on unreached peoples and the strategy for world evangelism. If you are not already receiving the Brigada Friday newsletter, which is public and free, you should. I think you will find it useful not only for yourselves but those you mobilize. Please subscribe yourself (and ask others to do the same) by sending a message to: hub@xc.org the message should read:
subscribe brigada
end
OPERATIONS NETWORK (OpNet)
From: Justin Long <JDavidLong@AOL.COM> OPNET is a growing database of close to 2,000 operations conducted in over 200 countries around the world. It is distributed electronically on disk for users of IBM PC/compatibles. It can be run on any computer with a 286 or better processor, in DOS mode (not Windows). It is updated quarterly; each update is $20 (25% off for those who return their work among survey). Subscribers can post advertisements which will be displayed in the software. A shareware evaluation copy may be obtained for $5 from Kingdom Ventures, 5723-E Kilrush Court, Richmond, Va. 23228. From the author of the original Global Missions Databank and the editors of the MissionWatch Report. For more information, email JDavidLong@AOL.COM.
REALITY CHECK
This is a sample of a new *free* Internet publication from the office of Dr. David Barrett.
The Monday Morning Reality Check, Volume 1, No. 1
World Population (1996): 5,804,121,000
Christians (1996): 1,955,229,000
Unevangelized (1996): 1,121,842,000
Although there have been over 1,100 plans to evangelize the world since Christ's Great Commission was given to the church, progress in the past 25 years represents only a drop in the bucket: from 1.3 billion down by 200 million to 1.1 billion-an average change of just 8 million per year. 19.3%--nearly 1 out of 5-will still be unevangelized as of mid-1996. Unless current trends are reversed, the year 2000 will see a world one-third Christian, where 16% of its people have never heard the name of Jesus. If we do not increase our efforts, closure will still be achieved-but not until sometime in the vicinity of AD 2050. By then, over half a billion people will have died never hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The Monday Morning Reality Check is published weekly by the Global Evangelization Movement (GEM), founded in 1985 by Dr. David B. Barrett, editor of the World Christian Encyclopedia. To subscribe to the Monday Morning Reality Check, send email to hub@xc.org with "subscribe reality-check" (without the quotes) in the body of the message. For information about GEM, send an email message to gem@xc.org with "info GEM" in the body of the text, or visit our home page at http://www.regent.edu/acad /schdiv /gem1.html--Submitted by Justin Long
GLOBAL MISSIONS INFO NETWORK
From: SGrandi@XC.Org (Scott Grandi)
Dear Missions Information Specialist, Librarian and/or Researcher: An Information Specialist Consultation (ISC) will be held for missions information specialists, librarians and researchers in Abilene, Texas, on June 6-7 as a pre-conference to the International Conference on Computing and Missions (ICCM). [Ask Scott for a survey that will help provide data for the conference if you are involved in mission research and wish to fill one out.-NW]
DIRECTORY OF MISSION INFORMATION SOURCES
DMIS serves as a locator service, pointing inquirers to information sources that possess information they need in order to carry out a ministry. This directory does not contain the information itself, only its location and availability.
The Directory acts as a broker between the seeker of information and those who possess it. The information exists in computer files, cabinets, shelves, hearts and minds of men and women, libraries, and organizations everywhere. Our offering to the mission task is to assist in bringing the two together to the end that those who make and those who carry out ministry decisions will have the most accurate and relevant information possible, thereby helping to produce more fruitful and effective ministries..
The Directory's ultimate scope is any information which impacts the performance of Christian mission anywhere in the world, serving mission executives, practitioners, researchers, missions faculty and students, churches, etc. We are, however, better prepared to respond to some inquiries than to others. We do strive to successfully respond to every inquiry regardless of its subject.
This service is available to the Christian church and mission community via email, fax, postal mail, telephone, and walk-in. There is no cost for this service until an affordable and workable pricing system can be established. Electronic on-line access in some form may be available at some time in the future. Access on the World Wide Web is planned and anticipated by the end of 1996, or earlier, if possible.
There is no physical product which can be sent to anyone nor are there plans to create one. A CD-ROM is now available for sale which contains DMIS information and organization contact listings, as well as many other databases, bibliographies, and data collections. This information will be updated as circumstances allow. A DMIS information base is in process of development which will be available on the World Wide Web as soon as possible.
It is obviously essential to the success of DMIS that those who possess information make it available--to the maximum extent possible--to those who have legitimate needs for it for ministry purposes.
..We sincerely ask for prayers and assistance to enable seekers, brokers, and sources to work together to make the DIRECTORY OF MISSION INFORMATION SOURCES a success based on God's measure of success. It is our hope and prayer that God will use it for His glory and the advance of His mission and purpose in the world.
From: David Nesmith, Global Mapping International, 7899 Lexington Drive, Suite 200-A, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 USA Phone: 719-531-3594 Fax: 719-548-7459 Email: dmis@gmi.org
20:21 LIBRARY OF MISSION AND EVANGELISM RESOURCES ON CD-ROM
CD-ROM ON REFUGEES
"RefWorld: Information on Refugees Worldwide" on CD-ROM. For information or a free demo version, contact UNHCR Centre for Documentation and Research, Case Postale 2500, CH-1211 Geneva Depot 2, Switzerland. Fax: Ol1-41-22-739-7367. E-mail: <CDR@UNHCR.CH>
COST OF LIVING COMPARISONS
QUESTION From: Ed Snyder <eesnyder@teleport.com>
..I have been asked to look into the area of how to figure out how the economy is doing in general and specifically what the cost(s) of living is(are) in the cities/countries where our missionaries are serving...
ANSWER From: SeniorAmbassadors@xc.org (Art McCleary)
Try SIM Int'l. at personnel@simusa.sim.org.
ANSWER From: "Christopher L. Hart" <clhart@indiana.net>
http://www.msimobility.com/resguide.htm#col gopher://gopher.state.gov/00ftp:DOSFan:Gopher:08 Consular and Travel Info:03 Foreign Per Diem Rates:1997 Foreign Per Diem Rates:9701 Foreign Per Diem Rates
ANSWER From: John Rogers <joyjohn@erinet.com>
The CIA has a World Fact Book on line at: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html It is pretty general, but you might be able to use it for some of your questions. If not, it is a good quick-reference for all(?) countries with ethnic, geographic, political, economic and other information.
ANSWER From: "Jerry Cooper" <jcooper@connext.net>
...a cost of living formula, whether you end up getting it from OC or the UN statistics, will be of very limited help in determining missionary support levels. Instead, you may want to ask each missionary (as we do) to give you their annual budget, broken down into categories that are more easily compared and comprehended by your missions committee. When you have questions, you can probe on an individual basis the needs of the missionaries and how that relates to their support needs...
MISSION RESOURCE DATABASE (International Teams)
From: brian@itusa.org (Brian Wasson) The Church Resource Database was developed by International Teams to help catalog the variety of resources available to assist churches with their missions program. It contains over 2,600 listings of many types of resources--videos, books, magazines, supplies and services for every age group and on numerous topics. International Teams does not provide or sell these resources, but has indexed them as a service to churches interested in world missions. This information is available at your fingertips on the International Teams Web site at www.ITeams.org, and is searchable by age, author, category, topic and area. [This database has not been kept up, so some of the information is outdated--N.W.]
EOF
