Loving God, Loving People, Making Disciplemakers

Everyday my desire is to love God, love people, and make disciplemakers. 

And to help others love God, love people, and make disciplemakers. 

And to help those people to help other people love God, love people, and make disciplemakers.

True confession: I'm totally ripping off this way of life from Jesus.

And I think Jesus likes it (see Luke 10:1-24… especially verse 21). 

In fact, I think this is the life God has always wanted his followers to have.

While I still have LOTS to learn on this disciplemaking adventure (just ask my wife and kids), below are some pictures and stories as to what some of this Jesus-like disciplemaking way of life looks like in our family, community, and ministry these days. 

Click any image below to enlarge for viewing and reading… and thanks for reading… and praying… and giving! We couldn't do Cadre without friends and partners like YOU!

Here's a fact: We couldn't take any of part of this Jesus-like disciplemaking adventure without people like you who love us, pray for us, and give to Cadre. We need you. You make our ministry powerful and possible. Every expression of partnership breathes life into our souls… so we can do the same for others! For more information about how you can partner with God, the Allisons, and Cadre Ministries, go here. To make a secure online tax-deductible donation, go here.  Cadre Ministries is a recognized 501(c)3 ministry.

Monday Funday: Beware the me monster

The Disciplemaker's Journal now on iBooks

Breaking news: The electronic version of The Disciplemaker's Journal is now available to download from iBooks.  Get it now here. Now get those iPads out and haver at it! This electronic version includes a disciplemaking glossary with in-depth explanations, videos, and other fun goodies we couldn't include in the regular hard copy journal.

It's not just an iBook… it's a training experience looking for a place to happen.

Check out this video that highlights some of the fun digital features...

Monday Funday: Why I'm going to live forever...

Would you like to live longer?

If yes, then you need to start drinking coffee.

And if you already drink a cup of coffee each day, then you need to drink more coffee if you want to live longer.

This breaking news is from the latest research which tracked the health and coffee drinking habits of over 400,000 older adults over a 14-year period.
The study found:

• Java drinkers were less likely to die than their non-coffee drinking counterparts. 
• Men and women who had at least five cups of coffee a day had the lowest risk of death.
• The original thought that coffee had ill effects on one's health stemed from research that did not factor in that many coffee drinkers also smoke—this study separated the nonsmoking coffee drinkers from the coffee drinkers who smoke.
• Coffee's health-giving effects were in play regardless of whether it was regular or decaf.

All I have to say is… Cup O' Joe with Bill indeed!

So I invite you to long life by joining me in drinking a lot of the best coffee known to mankind: Eysals Coffee.


I propose a toast.  (Are you holding up your coffee cup?) Here's to great coffee and long life!

While you finish your Cup O' Joe, check out the full article from the LA Times here.

And if you want to live forever in the next life where I'm going, check this out.

The Life God Has Always Wanted You to Have—Pt 1

by Bill Allison

Why settle for the life you’ve always wanted when you can have the life God has always wanted you to have?

If you’ve been tracking with Cadre Connection, you know I’ve been trying like crazy for a number of months now to paint a clear picture of The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus. (If you haven’t read The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus series or listened to this audio, then I encourage you to do so—preferably with a friend or two). In short, I believe the disciplemaking genius of Jesus was his disciplemaking learning community—his DLC.  It was in Jesus’ DLC that his followers learned--not just the teachings of Jesus—but also his way of life. Jesus’ followers then lived and replicated Jesus’ disciplemaking way of life.

And the world has never been the same since.

Make no mistake about it. If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, the life that God has always wanted you to have is a Jesus-like disciplemaking way of life.

But where should you begin?

To continue reading… and to explore The 21 Day Challenge, go here.

Youth Ministry 911 or 101? A training lab experience

Here's special invitation for those who lead youth ministries and for volunteers who serve in youth ministry.

On Tuesday, May 22nd, at 10:30 AM at Eysals Coffee, I'm gathering with a few youth leaders to do a two hour training lab called, Youth Ministry 911 or 101?

This is a great training lab for you to take back to the volunteers who serve with you in ministry... especially volunteer small group leaders. Let's face it. Youth ministry gets relationally messy fast. This training lab will give you some nuts and bolts to help you train the volunteers in your ministry to deal with both 911 situations and 101 situations in a healthy and productive manner.

The ONLY requirement to participate in this training lab experience on May 22nd is that you must purchase this resource online BEFORE you arrive at the training. This and this alone secures your spot... and is your only cost for the day... except for the beverage that you'll purchase at Eysals.

Monday Funday: On texting and driving...

Training for Youth Ministry Leadership Teams

In youth ministry, summer is typically a time of building great relationships.

And where there are great relationships, the potential for disciplemaking is exponential!

What crazy and wonderful things could God do this summer if the volunteers and key students in your youth ministry got caught up in loving God and loving other students? 

Dream about that for a minute… and let that dream put a smile on your face.

Now, where do you begin to make that dream a reality?  Start here:

Saturday morning, June 2nd!

On Saturday morning, June 2nd, Bill Allison of Cadre Ministries will be facilitating an interactive morning of fun, equipping, and encouragement especially targeted for youth leaders (volunteer and paid) and student leaders. This training is intensely biblical and comes right out of the Great Commandment and the disciplemaking heart of Jesus.

What is covered in the training?

* For the outline of the four sessions, go here.

Who should come?

* Youth leaders (volunteer and paid) and student leaders (junior high and older). Note: This is for student ministry leadership TEAMS. No one should come to this training by themselves.

Where is this training going to happen?

* Real Life Church in Central IL.

What time is the training on Saturday, June 2nd?

* 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM with doors opening at 8 AM for registration.

How much does does the training cost?

* Tuition is $20 per person and includes a training manual filled, a take home follow-through living guide, and yummy goodies to eat and beverages. Space is limited. Teams will be accepted in the order they RSVP.

What's the best way to plan this day for your team?

1.  Experience the training as a team in the morning.

2.  Go out together for lunch to a place of your choosing.

3.  After lunch, invest 60-90 minutes working through the group application questions in the training manual to wrestle next steps with your ministry team.

More questions? Contact Bill.

The Biblical Definition of Leadership

"If you hold a leadership position but are not equipping the saints for the work of service, then you are not a leader. You may hold the position; you may have the title; you may be called a leader; but you're not a leader as the Bible defines it, because leadership means equipping."
—Don Cousins


Not sure where to begin when it comes to equipping others? Go here and here.

Wonder about current conventional wisdom on leadership?

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Monday Funday: That awkward moment when you know your parenting isn't working...

Overheard at my house…

Daughter #4 knocks over dominoes being set up by daughter #5.

Argument ensues.

Daughter #3 gets involved defending daughter #5 and says to daughter #4: "What made you do that?"

Daughter #4 sarcastically responds, "The devil."

Daughter #3 sarcastically responds back to Daughter #4, "Did knocking those dominoes over make you feel really good and big and strong?"

Daughter #4 with out cracking a smile responds: "Yes."  (Then she paused for effect.) "Yes it did."

All that to say...

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!

Programming 4 Discipleship

Please pass this on to every youth leader you know—volunteer and paid—who works with students in a ministry setting.

Programing 4 Discipleship is a four-part downloadable audio training. Each training session includes a downloadable ten-page training manual. All four sessions are aimed squarely at helping volunteer youth workers program their youth ministries for discipleship.

Did I mention that it's all FREE?

Your guide on this audio/PDF training journey will be me, Bill Allison, a.k.a. Volunteer Coach Man. It's going to be a fun, fast-moving, and sometimes out-of-control training adventure... so buckle your seat belts!

Along the way, you'll have lots of opportunities to stop the audio and work through the application pages in the downloadable PDF training manual. Warning: Don't just listen to the audio. Your learning will be exponentially higher if you download and print the training manual and then work through the training manual as you listen to the audio. Stop the audio to actually work through the application pages. For best results, use as described above with a small group of other volunteer youth workers and student leaders and take the journey together... and be sure to order some pizza.

Are you ready to start downloading? Here you go... from our hearts to yours... from your biggest fans at Cadre Ministries...

Your FREE downloadable training is right here!

Monday Funday: If you have a twisted sense of humor...

NOTE: This bumper sticker is NOT on my car! (Just in case my mother-in-law reads my blog!)

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