Author: Bill Allison

Why your New Year's resolutions were a bust, and what you can do about it.

Why your New Year's resolutions were a bust, and what you can do about it.

Bill Allison

Are you sick and tired of making New Year’s resolutions you can’t keep? Here are seven we bet you can:

1.  To gain weight-at least 15 pounds.
2.  To stop exercising
3.  To read less.
4.  To watch more TV.
5.  To procrastinate more…starting tomorrow.
6.  To get further into debt.
7.  To spread out priorities beyond your ability to keep track of them.

On second thought, you may want to read the rest of this article before you make any more New Year’s resolutions…even easy ones!

A Prayer for the end of January

For the overwhelming majority of us who will make yet one more New Year’s resolution that starts on January 1st, I offer you the following prayer for the end of January:

Dear God,
I want to thank you for being close to me so far this year.  With your help, I haven’t been impatient, lost my temper, been grumpy, judgmental or envious of anyone.  But I will really need your help soon because I’m about to get out of bed.
Amen

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Resolve Doesn’t Mean Results

We make resolutions on New Year’s Day to become better people. Our hearts are often in the right place, but somehow, our resolve doesn’t quite translate into results. Research on New Year’s resolutions indicates that:

Within the first two months of the new year, 25 % of us will break our promises.

By six months, nearly 40% will have failed.

By the end of the year, approximately 82 % will be unsuccessful.

Think about your own life. Haven’t you ever made a New Year’s resolution to diet…only to gain weight? Okay, I might be projecting my issues onto you with that example, but haven’t you ever done something similar? We all start out so well, but most of us don’t finish well. As the great poet/philosopher Homer Simpson once said: “I used to rock and roll all night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I’m lucky if I can find a half an hour a week in which to get funky.”

Resolve Not to Make Any New Year’s Resolutions!  

While there is something in the human psyche that gravitates to new beginnings, if you really want to start this new year right, forget about making New Year’s resolutions. Don’t waste your breath huffing and puffing about how YOU are going to change yourself.  

Instead, here are 5 things that can genuinely help you make a change:

  1. Read the Bible with Cadre friends this year. You can join the community here.
  2. Get ministry leadership coaching with us.
  3. Watch this short but super helpful 3-part video series from Box of Crayons about creating rock-solid habits.
  4. Use Bill Allison’s article on Growing your SMART Plan to help you create life-changing goals.
  5. Use a podcast like Encounter to help you slow down, be still, and listen to God.
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Cadre Missionaries: NO Small Potatoes

Cadre Missionaries: NO Small Potatoes

Bill Allison

[Bill] Very early in our marriage, my wife went grocery shopping. Though I was employed in a full-time job, our income at that time was considered poverty level. Yes, we lived on love and a very tight budget—like lots of young couples.
When Stacy came home from the grocery store, she said, “I was able to buy everything we planned except potatoes. I wanted to stick to our budget.” 
I said, “Thanks for sticking to the budget. We can do without potatoes. We’ll be fine.”
Those words were barely out of my mouth when someone knocked at our door. It was a dear friend from our church who lived across the back alley. Holding a large bag in her arms she said, “I bought too many potatoes at the store today. Would you like some?” 
That true story is a microcosm of how God has provided—and continues to provide—for us, our larger-than-normal family, and our ministry with Cadre Missionaries to this day.

Make no mistake. We need your help.

September 2019 marks the 17th birthday/anniversary of Cadre Missionaries!

For 17 years, God and YOU have made it possible for us, as Cadre Missionaries, to multiply Jesus-like disciplemaking friendships here and around the world.

“Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.” – 3 John 1:5-8

From our hearts to yours, thank you for doing your part of 3 John 1:5-8!  And make no mistake: We still need your help.

> In honor of our 17th birthday, would you please prayerfully consider donating a special gift of $17 or more?

Those of you who know us know that we don’t often ask for financial support like this. However, on our 17th anniversary as a ministry, we need your $ help, so we’re asking God’s people—like you—to join us in this disciplemaking adventure.

We’d love to see 300 of our friends respond with a special gift of $17. That would bless Cadre with $5,100 much needed dollars for our disciplemaking mission.

> Will YOU be one of our 300 friends?

* To donate $17 securely and immediately online, go here.

* Mail a check: Cadre Missionaries, PO Box 278, Sycamore, IL 60178

Other giving options…

* To give more than $17 securely and immediately online, go here.

* To support a Cadre missionary on a monthly basis, go here.

And of course you can ship potatoes, coffee beans, or practical missionary hugs to: Cadre Missionaries, 916 Foxpointe Dr, Sycamore, IL 60178

* For questions and more info, please call Rennie at 815.501.3132.

Note: Cadre Missionaries is a recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry and all gifts are tax deductible.

If you’ve never financially supported Cadre Missionaries before, this would be a great first step. If you’re already a $ partner with God and Cadre, then please prayerfully consider an additional $17. In a ministry like ours, every dollar makes a huge difference. Each gift—no matter the size—is a huge encouragement, much needed, and greatly appreciated.

Because Cadre seeks to make disciplemakers, only Heaven will reveal the full impact of your partnership.

We are your Cadre Missionaries. You are God’s wind in our Cadre sails. Thank you for celebrating 17 years of Jesus-like disciplemaking with us and to God be the glory!

Bill Allison, Executive Director, for the Cadre team.
Bill & Stacy Allison, Dave & Rennie Garda, Mark & Rachel O’Brien, Laura & Craig Slezak

What are you doing THIS FALL to encourage and equip volunteers and students in your ministry?

What are you doing THIS FALL to encourage and equip volunteers and students in your ministry?

Bill Allison
What are you doing THIS FALL to encourage and equip volunteers and students in your ministry?Note: I didn’t ask if you are organizing volunteers. I asked what exactly you’re doing to encourage and equip volunteers (including students). 
If you’re like most ministry leaders, you’re probably not doing very much in the encouraging and equipping departments. 

No wonder your church/ministry is having such a difficult time with finding and keeping great volunteers.
* Consider the DANGER of not encouraging & equipping volunteers.
* Consider the HIGH COST of not encouraging & equipping volunteers.
Here’s the good news: We’d love to help you!Right now is the best time to schedule Cadre for a time of encouragement and equipping for the volunteers and students who serve in ministry!We’d love to bring one of Cadre’s disciplemaking training experiences to the volunteer leaders and students who serve in ministry. Carefully consider the following…
The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus 
The Training Experience!
Ministry Is Relationships!
Evangelism Is Relationships!
Disciplemaking Is Relationships!
Your Next Steps…
1. Click each of the links above and carefully read about three of the core disciplemaking training experiences we can bring to those in your ministry.

2. Share this post with those who serve in ministry with you. 

3. For complete details or more information, email us.

So you’re still not sure the volunteers and students at your church or ministry need encouragement and equipping?
Think again!

Copyright © 2019 Cadre Missionaries, All rights reserved. 
What If Disciplemaking IS Leadership?

What If Disciplemaking IS Leadership?

Bill Allison
One of my friends who is a leader in his denomination asked me, “Do you do any leadership training?”
 
I said, “Yes. We call it disciplemaking training,” and then I winked at him. (We’re still good friends.)
 
There is so much talk about “leadership” in ministry these days—and yet, so little disciplemaking.
 
Here’s a crazy thought on leadership: 
What if disciplemaking is leadership? If that’s true, then whoever initiates disciplemaking friendships is a leader—even if he or she doesn’t hold a “leadership” title or position. Real leaders don’t need a title or position. They just live it. It’s a way of life for them, not a job. 
 
While I’m jumping off a cliff, let me say this: 
All disciplemakers are leaders, but not all “leaders” are disciplemakers.
 
There. I said it. But before you reject it, run what I just said through your understanding of Jesus’ life and ministry. Think with me: Jesus doesn’t just make disciples, he makes disciplemakers. Jesus doesn’t simply collect a large group of followers and call that success. No, Jesus seeks to transform every follower into a fisher.
 
Hence, Jesus is the ultimate “leader.” But he lived as a humble servant who made disciplemakers. Pardon me, but I’m a little suspicious of any talk of “leadership” that is not centered on Jesus, humility, servanthood, and disciplemaking.
 
The more I study Jesus the more I question current conventional wisdom on leadership.
 
We really need to pause and rethink what it means to be a ministry leader or church leader in light of the biblical Jesus. I contend that making disciples like Jesus is the fullest and truest expression of what it means to be a spiritual leader. And if that’s true, then whoever initiates, lives, and shares The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus as a way of life with others is a leader. 
 
What if instead of defining leadership as “influence,” we defined it as initiating disciplemaking friendships that multiply? What might happen if every paid and volunteer leader in a church or ministry actually led—not just with their lips—but with their lives like this? 
 
I dare you to try to find out.
 
 
[Note: This post has been excerpted from The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus, (c) 2018 CadreMissionaries.com. Used by permission.]
Have You Ever Been Present at a Birth?

Have You Ever Been Present at a Birth?

Bill Allison
About 17 years ago, I was a happy high school teacher who did speaking, preaching and training on the weekends and all summer long. In those days we partnered often with our dear friends, Scott and Rachel Kramer—who are amazing musical missionaries.

One day while eating pizza at the Kramer’s home, Scott pulled out a large box filled to the brim with envelopes. He said, “Bill, put your hands in here and feel how many envelopes are in this box.” It was sort of weird, but, hey, he just bought my larger-than-normal family pizza. I’ll do anything for a friend like that. I kneeled down by the box and put my hands at the very bottom of all those envelopes. Then I pulled up lots and lots of envelopes.

Then Scott said, “We’ve been raising support as missionaries for a number of years now and every one of those envelopes had a check from a friend or a church.” I thought to myself: That’s a lot of support. While I was glad for them, I wasn’t sure where this was going. Then Scott said, “We’ve been partnering with you for a while now, and I want you to know that if you ever dare to step out by faith to do Cadre full-time, I believe with all my heart God will take care of you.”

I don’t remember saying anything in response because I had six young kids at the time—and every one of them liked to eat regularly. Plus, I must confess, that I was a member of the “I-will-never-raise-support-to-do-ministry” club. (Have you ever said that?) Yet, I still had brief moments when I considered it. But here’s the truth: I was too chicken to trust God to provide. And I loved teaching—and the few benefits that came with it. But in my head, I thought the biggest hurdle would be my wife. I never broached the subject with her, but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t go for the raising support thing.

On the way home from Scott and Rachel’s, I asked Stacy what she thought about Scott’s comments. To my complete surprise she said, “I’ve seen this coming for a few years now. If we don’t take a step of faith and give it try, we’ll never know.”

Not exactly what I was expecting. The rest of the car ride home all I could think about was how I was the one who refused to step out in faith. I was the roadblock. As I drove home, I silently prayed, “Is all this really you, Lord?” There’s a huge difference between a good idea and a God idea.

As we pulled into our driveway, everyone piled out and I walked to the mailbox to get the day’s mail. Once inside, I noticed a personal letter. I opened it. It was from someone I couldn’t readily identify at the time. It said, “Last Sunday you spoke at our church. God kept impressing on my heart to send you this check. I’m not sure why, but I did it anyway.”

Yikes! This was getting a little ridiculous. God was already providing for us and we hadn’t even asked anyone for help. But isn’t that just like God? If we dare to pray, he’ll let us know what to do.

It wasn’t long after that, we reached out to our good friends, Dave and Rennie Garda, to share with them what God was doing in our hearts. Not long after that, God birthed what we know now as Cadre Missionaries. And so far, by God’s daily provision, we’ve never looked back. (Thank you Jesus!)  It has been an amazing adventure.

______________________________________________________________

For 16 years, God and YOU have made it possible for us, as Cadre missionaries, to multiply Jesus-like disciplemaking here and around the world. Let me keep this real: For 16 years we’ve had no buffer financially. Every month is a financial adventure. We’re not sitting on a financial nest egg. We literally live month to month. Please don’t misunderstand. We’re not complaining. We joyfully signed up for this adventure. And for sixteen years, God has provided for us through friends like you. I often think of your financial partnership as manna—just enough for today—and each day it is enough.

From our hearts to yours: Thank you!
If you love Cadre missionaries and our disciplemaking mission, we invite you to be God’s wind in our sails.

Those of you who know us well know that over 90 percent of our communications are not about financial support like this. However, on our 16th anniversary as a ministry, we really do need your $ help, so we’re asking God’s people—like you—to join us in this disciplemaking adventure.

We’d love to see 300 of our friends respond with a special gift of $16. That would bless Cadre with $4,800 much needed dollars.

Will YOU be one of our 300 friends?

______________________________________________________________

To donate $16 go here. (Other giving options below.)

  • If you’ve never financially supported Cadre Missionaries before, this would be a great first step.
  • If you’re already a giving partner with God & Cadre, then please prayerfully consider an additional $16.

In a ministry like ours, every dollar makes a huge difference. Each gift—no matter the size—is a huge encouragement, much needed, and greatly appreciated.

Because Cadre seeks to make disciplemakers, only Heaven will reveal the full impact of your partnership.

We really are your Cadre missionaries. Thank you for celebrating 16 years of Jesus-like disciplemaking with us and to God be the glory!

Bill Allison, Executive Director, for the Cadre team.

Other giving options…
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Cadre Missionaries is a recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry and all gifts are tax deductible.