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?
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.
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…
You can also mail a check to: Cadre Missionaries, PO Box 278, Sycamore, IL 60178
A Training Tool for Disciplemaking Friends and teams on mission.
by Cadre Missionary Bill Allison
The fact is that there are a lot of mission trip land mines buried just beneath the surface… waiting patiently… for you or someone from your group to make one wrong step. Shouldn’t you know where these land mines are buried so you can avoid stepping on them?
We had just put the finishing touches on what I thought was a great summer mission trip. For a number of people in our group, this was their first time on any sort of mission trip, and since I love watching God use first-hand mission experiences to transform lives, I was pumped up.
As our group was saying goodbye to our newly-made friends overseas, I watched a fifteen-year- old girl from our group walk over to a teenage male, a national and friend of the missionary who hosted us. I was sure she just wanted to say farewell to him. But she didn’t say a word. To my total astonishment, she simply walked up to him, put her hands on his shoulders, tilted her head, leaned into him, and gave him a l o n g, s l o w k i s s… a kiss that, from my perspective, seemed to last for an eternity. The young man looked stunned but delighted. (Let’s just say that he didn’t run away crying to his mommy, nor did he file a sexual harassment complaint. He may, however, still be telling the story to his friends some twenty years later.) I, along with the rest of our group, the hosting missionaries, and the other national believers, didn’t enjoy the kiss nearly as much. I felt my heart jump out of my chest and flop hopelessly on the ground in a mixture of blood-boiling anger and deep discouragement.
Talk about missing the point of a mission trip! How could she even think that was in the realm of the appropriate? How could we ever undo the collateral damage of this little but profoundly inappropriate goodbye kiss?
This young girl had stepped on a mission trip land mine. Our group and God’s work in that area of the world paid the price in damage. Make no mistake about it: On a mission trip, the collateral damage of one small misstep could have a profoundly negative effect on you, your group, and your ministry.
The fact is that there are a lot of mission trip land mines buried just beneath the surface… waiting patiently… for you or someone from your group to make one wrong step. Shouldn’t you know where these land mines are buried so you can avoid stepping on them?
It’s my desire to show you and those in your group where some of the most common mission trip land mines are hiding so that you can avoid stepping on them and, thus, suffering the consequences. The list that follows is not exhaustive or prioritized in order of importance. I simply offer these ten mission trip land mines in the spirit of Proverbs 22:3: “A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”
Since many people who go on short term mission trips are young and single, a further word of caution needs to be said here. Under “normal” circumstances, romance between two single people of the opposite sex and appropriate age can be a wonderful thing. However, mission trips are hardly normal circumstances.
Romance between two unmarried people while on a mission trip tends to disrupt the unity of the team because those romantically involved only want to be around each other, rather than be a part of the team. The impact of the trip for those who become romantically involved is thwarted because they tend not to be concerned about the mission experience and what God is doing in and through them. They’re focused on their love life. This unmarried lovey-dovey couple can send all kinds of potentially inappropriate messages to the people of the country you are in. (In some countries I’ve been in, just taking a walk alone with a person of the opposite sex carried with it immoral connotations.) We would do well to live above reproach and live life well on the safe side, especially while we are on a mission trip. Short term missionaries must be taught to be very careful in this area because one wrong move could set a missionary’s work back for a long time.
Mission trips are not the time or place for romance.
Compounding the problem is the fact that people from other countries watch American movies and/or television. Consequently, they have ill-informed, preconceived ideas about what American men and women are like based on what they have seen. While we know that this would be like doing a study on rabbits based on Bugs Bunny cartoons, it doesn’t change the way American men and women are perceived. You need to know this. To avoid all possible hassles, I recommend that you have everyone sign off on a “no romance with anyone” rule while on the mission trip. The rule should include no-romancing with anyone on the team, anyone from another visiting team, or anyone living in the country in which you will be serving. It would be to your advantage to repeat the “no romancing with anyone” rule regularly at your orientation meetings and while you are on the mission trip whenever necessary.
If Lance Romance is unwilling to put his love life on hold for the short time it takes to go on the mission trip, then I wouldn’t bother taking him. The same goes for Lucy Lovesick. Those who get involved in romance while on a mission trip often end up missing the whole point of the trip and cause unnecessary problems for the rest of the team—and the hosting missionaries.
How will you ensure that you and those on your team will avoid stepping on the land mine of romance?
Mission Trip Land Mine #2 An Inflexible Attitude
Often, mission trips take people to places that tend to be a little more politically, socially, and economically volatile. Consequently, any given situation on a mission trip can change quickly. How will your group handle this volatility? Furthermore, what many of us consider to be necessities are not always assessable abroad. (Sorry ladies, that 110 curling iron will get fried when you plug it into a 220 outlet… and thus… no more primping.) How will your group make due with what is available? Flexibility is imperative while on a short term mission trip.
One of your rigid rules must be: “Be flexible!”
Once while we were in a very poverty-stricken part of the world, our team bought thirty bags of cement and headed out to build a church. Much to our dismay, we couldn’t get any water! (Where we were, the water came in trucks and you had to buy barrels of it.) We waited for a couple of hours and still no water. We ended up donating the cement to the church for a different group to use at another time when water would be available, and then we went and did some landscaping and a roofing job at another location. Not exactly what we had set out to do that day, but it was a great lesson in flexibility.
Being flexible tends to drive certain personality types crazy because they desire to have everything planned out ahead of time. The hard truth is that ministry in another culture isn’t that cut and dried. That means you MUST be flexible. It’s a real drag for the hosting missionary or mission agency if you and your team are not flexible.
What will you do to make sure that you and those on your team avoid stepping on the land mine of an inflexible attitude?
Mission Trip Land Mine #3 An Undefined Work Project
Not having a clearly defined work project is a fast track to trouble. Many times we create our own problems because of the lack of a simple plan of action.
Each day there should be at least a basic idea as to what the team will be doing. Even things such as mowing the grass, painting the church, and helping in the kitchen can be great daily work projects and help in keeping the team’s focus on serving. Without a daily work project, the team’s focus tends to move from the idea of serving others to being served, from being a short term missionary to a tourist. Keeping in mind what I just said about being flexible, it wouldn’t hurt you to have a daily Plan A, Plan B, and a Plan C just in case. Do your best to have a clearly defined work project each day.
What do you need to do before you leave on this mission trip to avoid the land mine of an ambiguous work project?
Mission Trip Land Mine #4 Focusing Too Much on the Work Project
Considering what I just said about not having a clearly defined work project on which to focus, it’s also critically important to point out that it is possible to focus too much on a work project. A daily work project is very important, but not more important than interacting with people, especially the nationals!
A mission trip, like all ministry, is about people, not projects.
Think about it. All work projects have their end in serving people. Many short term mission groups expend all their money and energy in a work project without ever really interacting with anyone outside of their group. Then they have the nerve to go back to their church and talk about their great mission trip. What good does it do a group of Americans to go on a mission trip, do a work project and not interact with any of the nationals? (It’s possible to feed the homeless but never interact with them… or even smile at them.) That’s not missions. That’s American. Don’t just build a home. Build a friendship. (It’s amazing how much of a connection one can build even with a language barrier.) While on a mission trip, it’s vitally important to keep in mind that missions is people, not projects. Work projects are important, but not all important.
What do you need to do right now to make sure that you and those in your group don’t step on the land mine of focusing too much on a work project?
Mission Trip Land Mine #5 Withdrawl
When someone is in a strange environment, surrounded by unfamiliar people speaking an unfamiliar language, immersed in a totally different culture, the natural tendency is to shy away from it all. However, withdrawing from these diverse cultural situations will greatly hinder the mission trip’s effectiveness. Experiencing a different culture is an important part of a mission trip. Therefore, it’s very important to have a “go for it” attitude! When you come to a cultural situation that is strange to you, don’t shy away. Go for it!
The food? Go for it!
Eating the food of other cultures seems to be a problem for many Americans. But think this through with me. Why would you want to travel all the way to Mexico and turn down the opportunity to eat authentic Mexican food? You may never pass this way again… and Taco Bell is NOT a legitimate substitute! But people often push back and say, “But Bill, if I eat this food, I’m going to get diarrhea.” I smile, look them in the eyes, and say, “Of course you will. But is it a real mission trip if you don’t get diarrhea? I think not.” I then put my arm around this person, double check to make sure we have our diarrhea medicine, and we go eat real tacos. (They are delicious!)
It’s important to note that, in some cultures, if food is refused even in a polite way, it is nearly equal to a rejection of the people and their culture. A person with a “go for it” attitude will eat whatever the nationals are eating and not complain! (A simple prayer that I have said a few times before a meal goes something like this, “Lord, if I can get this down, you keep it down!”) A “go for it” attitude is a must for a positive missions experience—especially at dinner time. Besides it is not everyday you get to eat a grub worm, a lizard tail, or an ostrich!
It is a shame to pass by experiences you are not likely to ever have again. Don’t withdraw. Go for it! One time when I took a group to Mexico, we worked at an orphanage laying cement for a basketball court. The orphanage director wanted to do something special for us, so he had some of the ladies make us some soup. The main ingredient was cow intestines. We told our group in advance at our orientation meetings that they were to eat whatever was set before them, as much as possible. I was so proud of one young man who ate what he could and then went outside to discretely vomit. The irony of this situation is that when this group sits around reminiscing about the good times, this soup story usually comes up—no pun intended.
The once-in-a-lifetime opportunities? Go for it!
When I went to Brazil, they needed someone to butcher chickens so we could have chicken for dinner. Growing up in a housing project, I didn’t get too many opportunities to butcher chickens, so I volunteered. It was quite an experience —especially since I had to use a knife (they didn’t have a machete). I haven’t been asked to do something like it since (thank God), but I’m glad I did it then.
The language? Go for it!
Even though I am among the worst at learning foreign languages, I always just dive right in and try to use what little I know when I am on a mission trip. I always get laughed at by the nationals because I so badly butcher their language, but they seem to appreciate me trying. I have said some real dumb things on accident, but that’s just part of a good mission experience. (One missionary asked me, “Why do you keep calling that kid ‘dog’?” Oops! I guess there is a difference between “Pedro” and “perro.” My bad. No wonder the kid never responded to me. But boy, the dogs hounded me—pun intended this time.)
Having a “go for it” attitude will help you shed the ugly American image that we have in many places. Also, it gets you out of your comfort zone, where you have to trust God. And anytime you’re trusting God, that’s a good thing. Keep in mind that when you get back to America, it’s too late to take advantage of the diverse cultural experiences you could have had during your mission trip. Withdrawing hinders the impact of the mission trip, so have a “go for it” attitude.
How will you ensure that you and the people in your group avoid the land mine of withdrawal—and not miss the opportunity to trust God in a new way?
Mission Trip Land Mine #6 A Lack of Orientation
If you haven’t picked up on the idea that this article should be used in your orientation BEFORE your team leaves for a mission trip let me underscore that right now. Why wouldn’t you want to warn your team about the mission trip land mines out there as a part of your orientation meetings? Prefield training is often the difference between a good short term mission trip and a bad one. During orientation, the leader must communicate pertinent information about such things as culture, interpersonal relationships, and any rules for the team’s trip. Without a thorough and engaging orientation program, the team doesn’t have a chance to build momentum for the mission trip.
Mission trips would be great if it weren’t for the people on the team…
Since I’ve been on mission trips where the interpersonal relationships have gotten ugly (some of our groups put the “FUN” in dysFUNctional), I highly suggest that you strategically invest some time in your prefield orientation training those on the team to love God and each other. You’re going to need this! Cadre Ministries can connect your team with a trainer who can bring Ministry Is Relationships training to your team. At a minimum, you’re going to need a devotional guide that will daily encourage and equip those on your team to love God and people in practical, hands-on ways. For this, we suggest Cadre’s One Another Living Guide. This devotional is a journey through the adventure of living out twenty-five “one another” verses in the Bible. (For example, love one another, pray for one another, and encourage one another.) If your mission trip is a ten- day trip, you can start everyone in the devotional guide fifteen days BEFORE you leave… and walk through the last ten “one anothers” as a team while on the mission trip.
To whom do you need to give this article and how can you use it in your next orientation meeting?
Mission Trip Land Mine #7 Fatigue
Almost every short term mission trip that I have had the privilege to participate in has been physically exhausting. That’s why I always laugh inside when I hear comments like, “They go on a mission trip every year because it’s more or less a vacation.” This comment usually comes from a very uninformed person. The truth is that the schedule starts around 6 AM and runs till around midnight. This is okay for the first two or three days, but then the emotional unravelling begins to show. People get on each other’s nerves. Words are said. Emotions run high to low. Also, work ethic slips and complaints start to surface. Team unity hits a low.
The first couple of nights, the excitement of the trip keeps people up at night. If a group is sleeping in the same room (males with males and females with females), the first couple of nights mean a lot of conversation. About the third day of the trip, you need to make sure everyone gets right to sleep, because if they don’t, you will have problems that you wouldn’t otherwise have had. If you need to, sleep in one day or take one day off. A team that is physically exhausted is not likely to have a positive mission experience. Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Fatigue can turn an otherwise loving person into an angry and emotionally out-of-control idiot—just ask my kids.
Learn to read your group, lest a lack of rest hinders the impact of the trip. What would be the signs that those in your group are leaning on the land mine of fatigue?
Mission Trip Land Mine #8 A Lack of Food
On a mission trip life can get very busy. You might be tempted to skip a meal or eat very little because you don’t have time. Been there, done that, and didn’t like it. (Nor did those in my group.) That’s why I’m telling you: Don’t do it! A wellfed group is a happy group. And a happy group stands to gain much from a mission experience. Your team should have plenty of food to eat. Ideally, water should be available at all times. It may be to your advantage to have light food/ goodies/snacks available too, but not enough to take away appetites for the main meals.
This “feed-the-team” principle especially goes for young men. Young men can eat like horses. I’ve seen the nicest men turn into monsters when their stomachs were empty. But enough about my issues. Save yourself some trouble. Feed the team.
What do you need to do before the mission trip to ensure that you and your team don’t step on the lack of food land mine?
Mission Trip Land Mine #9 A Lack of a Biblical Foundation
It seems that fewer and fewer people who claim to know and love God are intentional about reading, studying, and applying the Bible. Yeah, they go to church and are conversant about God and spirituality. But a mere 9 percent of all people who claim to have a relationship with Jesus Christ actually hold to a biblical worldview. Something is missing in our Christian lives. I think it’s the APPLICATION of the Bible to every nook and cranny of our lives… also known as discipleship (Luke 6:46-49) and spiritual maturity (Hebrews 5:13-14).
A mission trip is an opportunity to reengage Christians with God via The Holy Bible. That’s why I require everyone going on a mission trip to find a verse of Scripture that they can base the trip on and then memorize it. People need to have a foundation in the Word of God for missions involvement. Without a biblical foundation for missions involvement, people will base their trip on emotions. The problem is that our emotions change. When things get tough (and they will), our emotions tell us to quit and complain. The Word of God is stable, and it doesn’t change like our emotions tend to. With a verse or two of Scripture firmly fixed in the mind and heart through memorization, God’s stable Word can override our unstable emotions. As we make our emotions subject to the Word of God, the result is stability in our lives.
Emotional Roller Coaster in Brazil
Let me illustrate what I am saying with an experience that I had when I was on a short term mission trip. Right before I left to go to Brazil for six weeks, my church had a commissioning service for me. One of our spiritual leaders read and expounded on II Timothy 2:3, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (KJV). I decided to make that verse the verse I would base my trip on.
Three weeks later, I was out in the middle of nowhere in a tribe in Brazil, sick and dehydrated from experiencing dysentery for ten days. I remember laying in my hammock when a tremendous fear and doubt came over me. I started to panic. Did I have something internally wrong with me? I was afraid that I’d die and never see my family and friends again. Just about the time my emotions had a good hold on me, my mind flashed back to my commissioning service three weeks earlier. In my mind, I watched one of the elders of our church read, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” I can’t explain the peace that came over me as I understood that God wanted me to endure this little inconvenience I was going through and that He would take care of me. The Word of God stabilized my emotions, and I was able to continue on even though my emotions were telling me to panic.
At some point on every mission trip, the flesh will run out of gas and the emotions will start to take over. At that point, people will need to rely on the Word of God—not their emotions.
What practical steps will you take to equip yourself and the team to avoid the land mine of a lack of a biblical foundation?
Mission Trip Land Mine #10 Culturally Insensitive Dress
It’s very important to know what the appropriate dress is for the country in which you will be working. Here are some clothing issues that could cause problems:
Bright colors scream “look at me.” When you are in another country and culture, the goal is to blend in as much as possible—not to stick out as much as possible. I was reminded of this recently during a trip to Egypt. It was quite easy to identify the tourists from the nationals… and that is not a compliment. Do not wear bright colors unless it’s considered the normal dress for that culture.
Rethink wearing gold and diamond jewelry. If it’s not your wedding band, you may want to leave it at home.
At the risk of sounding like a guy with five daughters (yep… it’s true), women have to be very sensitive about their shirts. The problem is, for obvious reasons, women’s shirts can be too tight, too loose, too high, or too low. (Sorry ladies.) The less revealed the better. Be sure to have this missions appropriate clothing chat with the young women in your group before you leave.
Guys working with shirts off is offensive in some cultures. Find out from the hosting missionary what is culturally acceptable.
Wearing shorts can also be a problem in some cultures. Again, before you leave, find out what is culturally acceptable from the hosting missionary.
Use discretion.
Perhaps the safest bet is to wear modest jeans and a comfortable fitting work shirt to work in. You may want to take something a little nicer for church or special occasions. Do your homework and find out what is proper in the culture in which you will be living. It’s safe to always err on the conservative side.
What homework do you need to do to make sure you and your team don’t step on the land mine of culturally insensitive dress?
What Now?
1. Give this article to each person on your mission team and have them read it— marking it with a pen as they read.
2. Gather the team together to discuss the article.
3. Have each person sign off on the Checklist Covenant on the next page.
4. Guide the team through the Free Mission Trip Training Session included in this article.
5. Contact info@cadreministries.com to bring Cadre’s Ministry Is Relationships training to your team.
A Checklist Covenant to Help You and Your Team Avoid Stepping on a Mission Trip Land Mine…
Please check off and sign.
I have read the article, Ten Mission Trip Land Mines.
I understand and will obey the no romancing with anyone rule.
I understand and will obey the be flexible rule.
I know what work projects we will be doing on the mission trip. Our work projects are:
I clearly understand that missions is about people, not projects.
I will do my best to have a go for it attitude and not withdraw when I encounter culturally different circumstances.
I understand that orientation meetings are critical to the success of our mission trip and will participate in each orientation meeting.
While on the mission trip, I will go to sleep when my leader tells me.
While on the mission trip, I will keep hydrated by drinking water and take time to eat even when
I get incredibly busy.
I have a biblical foundation for my involvement on this mission trip. I have memorized the following passage of Scripture:
I will dress in such a way as to honor Jesus Christ and the culture of the people whom I am serving.
Our Obsession: Equipping Local Churches to Make Volunteers WILDLY Successful!
To be trained to take Cadre training to your church/ministry, contact info@cadreministries.com and ask about Cadre’s certification process.
For information about bringing a certified Cadre trainer to coach and train the volunteer teachers, leaders, and youth workers in your church or ministry, contact info@cadreministries.com.
For Cadre training resources visit http://www.cadreministries.com/store.
Cadre’s fun-loving staff serve as support-based, God-dependent missionaries who can only do this ministry with Cadre because of generous friends like you.
To make an online, tax deductible donation to Cadre Ministries: Go to cadremissionaries.com
Cadre Ministries is a [501(c)(3)] not-for-profit ministry.
All other tax deductible donations can be sent to: Cadre Ministries, PO Box 278, Sycamore, IL 60178
A Free Mission Trip Training Session…
On Your Own:
Create a list of at least three more mission trip land mines not touched on in the article:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
With Your Team:
Gather your team together and have everyone share their lists of mission trip land mines. On a piece of large poster board, create your group’s top ten mission trip land mines. Be sure to discuss these questions:
1. Why are these mission trip land mines?
2. What could happen if a team member steps on each of the land mines on your list?
Recommended Resource for Mission Trips
At a minimum, you’re going to need a devotional guide that will daily encourage and equip those on your team to love God and people in practical, hands-on ways.
We suggest Cadre’s One Another Living Guide. This tool is a journey through the adventure of living out twenty-five “one another” verses in the Bible. (For example, love one another, pray for one another, and encourage one another.) If your mission trip is a ten-day trip, you can start everyone in the devotional guide fifteen days BEFORE you leave… and walk through the last ten “one anothers” as a team while on the mission trip.
Meet my crazy friend, Steve Waggoner. He’s the pastor of Crosswalk Fellowship in Delavan, IL. (Okay, we both might be crazy. Keep reading. You’ll see why.)
I knew Pastor Steve lived and multiplied a Jesus-like disciplemaking way of life long before I actually met him. Why? Because I kept meeting people he’s discipled. So I knew it was a matter of God’s timing before our paths would cross.
Meet my crazy friend, Steve Waggoner. He’s the pastor of Crosswalk Fellowship in Delavan, IL. (Okay, we both might be crazy. Keep reading. You’ll see why.)
Eventually, he showed up at one of Cadre’s disciplemaking training experiences (see above). Some time later, Pastor Steve and I connected over coffee. [It’s no accident that Bill’s personal blog is called cupojoewithbill.]
Then Pastor Steve asked if he could take the disciplemaking training he received from Cadre and pass it on others. I smiled and said, “No way. We can’t have people like you running amuck making disciples who make disciples” who make more disciples.” But I think he knew I was joking.
First let’s help leaders become first-live-ers of disciplemaking as a way of life…
Pastor Steve asked if we could start with the various leaders of the church. So, we did the same Cadre disciplemaking training experience with the ministry leaders of the church.
After training the leaders of the church, Pastor Steve jumped off a cliff.
He did something I’ve never seen a pastor do. He took his entire church through the exact same disciplemaking training experience for the next three months DURING the Sunday morning services. You might want to re-read that previous sentence again. Pastor Steve didn’t do the disciplemaking training experience in Sunday school. He slow-dripped the biblical disciplemaking values of the training for three months as the Sunday morning worship/teaching time with the whole church. Instead of only preaching about disciplemaking, Pastor Steve gathered people around tables and trained and equipped them. For three months as the Sunday morning worship service.
Then let’s multiply by becoming a training center (a gym) for disciplemaking as a way of life.Let’s start with our family, friends and then extend the joy of this life with Jesus to others in our life.
And here’s the really amazing part: He kept his job as pastor (so far). And by the way, he stationed each of the leaders who were previously trained at different tables so they could facilitate the training and wrestling of Scripture for application with the rest of the church. The way they received disciplemaking is the way they gave it to others.
E-mail is truly an amazing and funny thing. For example, somehow I “accidentally” received this e-mail memo from . . . HELL! It is from a high-ranking general in Satan’s evil army—a demonic warrior named Ichabod—and is written to the demons who have been strategically assigned to Christian students like YOU! I’m not sure how this message ended up on my computer—except for the fact that maybe one of God’s angels intercepted it and somehow sent it my way so I could share it with you in this Bible study booklet! I wouldn’t be surprised if I start getting these e-mail memos on a regular basis! If I do, you can count on the fact that I will inform you of the enemy’s tactics—so that you will not be ignorant of his plans to make you spiritually ineffective (II Corinthians 11:3). When you are finished reading, please share it with EVERY student and disciplemaker you know—so they, too, will be on guard against the attacks of the evil one (Ephesians 6:10).
Your partner in Christ for your generation, Bill Allison
Apathy: Try to Put Their Spiritual Fire Out Slowly!
To: All of my young demons of destruction!
From: Ichabod Ebenezer Beelzebub, General of Sector 666
RE: Our Greatest Threat: Christian Students
As your superior in evil, I must confess that nothing makes me tremble more than THOUSANDS of students praying! I HATE THAT! The thought of the damage done to our side as a result of this makes my scales crawl! It may be months before we recover the lost ground— but recover the lost ground we must!
So, instead of direct attacks on the Enemy from the outside (which has only hurt us and rallied them), I think it is time for a not-so-new, sneakier strategy. I propose a return to the strategy of making student ministries crumble from the inside out! Since each of you has been assigned to tempt, discourage, and frustrate Christian students in youth groups all over the world, I want to encourage you to influence them to do various “innocent” acts of destruction—with the hope that we can actually get Christian students to hurt the work of God for us! For the next several months, I will guide you with specific pieces of advice about how to help Christian students ruin their lives and youth groups.
Lesson #1: Apathy is a Demon’s Best Friend!
One of the most important and effective weapons we have in the battle with Christian students—especially those Christian students who have grown up in Christian homes—is apathy. That is, some Christian students don’t REALLY care about God or building His kingdom! As a lord of Satan himself, I rejoice in EVERY Christian student who is lukewarm! Anything that makes the Enemy vomit must be good for our side (see Revelation 3:16)! However, a growing number of Christian students are becoming radicals! They love God and are actively working to tell other students about God’s love. THIS MUST BE STOPPED! Somehow, we must work to take the edge off these radicals and lead them down the slippery slope of apathy!
This is why the Enemy has so many of His volunteer and full-time workers in what He calls “youth ministry.” He knows youth ministry is the most strategic mission field in America! This 85 percent is a frightening statistic indeed—and frankly, this is something the big boys in Hell have been working on for years—but with very little success! Furthermore, around 44 percent of all people who trust Christ as their Savior do so because of the witness of a close friend or relative! So, if Christian students ever get serious about impacting their non-Christian friends for Christ—we are most certainly doomed! Why? Because non-Christian students are receptive to the gospel—especially when it is presented by a trusted Christian friend! YIKES! This should have you more than a little concerned! At ALL costs, don’t let students catch a vision for reaching other students!
Apathy Generator: Busyness!
How can you stop the radical Christ-following students? Let me offer the following apathy-tactics that we are currently using with some success. Once students reach the junior high/middle school years, encourage them to get overly BUSY doing things that are good—but not necessarily what is BEST! The goal here is to get them busy doing anything except that which is eternally important! You know the old saying, “If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy!” Remember: we work for the Devil—so let’s bury those students in busyness. (It’s working quite well with adults these days!) Get younger students focused on themselves, being popular and cool, and involved in the zillions of good activities that demand all of their time and attention. Good is the worst enemy of best—and if students get so caught up in good things—they will never have time to do that which is eternally best! For older students, focus their attention solely on buying cars, working at McDonalds, and making money for college—all “good” things that can be used to choke their spiritual fruitfulness (see Mark 4:19). Help Christian high school students forget the fact that they only have so many years to be in a youth ministry—lest they make the most of those years!
Note: Getting older students over-involved in work is only effective if they work on Wednesday nights and/or Sundays so they will have to miss Bible studies and youth group meetings! BIG CAUTION: IF students prioritize their involvement in youth ministry activities, the whole busyness approach could backfire on us! Think about it. Students stay connected to a strong, healthy youth ministry—never missing a Bible study. Then they start telling other students they know from all the activities they are involved in outside of the youth ministry about their “AWESOME” youth group. This makes me sick to think of the damage that could be done! So if you choose to lure Christian students into the busyness trap, make sure they get so busy that they cut themselves off from their church’s youth ministry!
When All Else Fails: Romantic Diversions
If busyness doesn’t make Christian students apathetic about God and their church youth ministries, pull out the big guns and hit them where it really hurts— romantic relationships! When trying to pull radical Christian students out of the life of a vibrant youth ministry, I have found only a few tactics more successful than sending non-Christian girlfriends or boyfriends into their lives! Get a spiritual dynamo guy interested in an open-minded non-Christian knockout of a babe! How many Christian guys can resist this? HA! I love this job! Get that missionary wanna-be of a young woman to date the beer-drinking star of the football team—even just one time! Sometimes it only takes one date—and you’ve got them! HA! I REALLY love this job! Pull them from the fire of other Christians SLOWLY so they cool off just a little bit. Don’t try to take them from hot to cold in one day! Just try to SLOWLY cool them down degree by degree and before they know it—they are spiritual popsicles! This starts by taking them out of the influence of youth ministry—and away from adult youth workers and other radical Christ-following students who really love them. Before long, they stop reading the Bible, praying, and sharing their faith. From there, it is a fast moving ski-ride down to spiritual Iceland.
I have so much more to teach you, my little demons of SLOW destruction, but these suggestions will get you started in the art of creating apathy in Christian students! Slowly and steadily take the spiritual fire of Christian students down—one little degree at a time. Remember: spiritual destruction via apathy is a slow steady leak—not a one time blow out!
Don’t Just Sit There—Do Something About It!
It is my hope that the articles in these lessons stimulate you to serious thinking and action! The best way to use this booklet is in a group discussion situation. So each chapter will be accompanied by thought provoking Bible study questions you can use for self or group studies.
1. It is important to note that we can’t blame the Devil for the bad choices we make! Think about someone you know who was once a radical Christ-follower but is now apathetic about spiritual things. Perhaps this person is YOU! What are some choices that Christian students make that SLOWLY take away their passion for Christ? How does the slippery slope away from Jesus get started?
2. What can Christian students do to keep their passion for Christ stoked hot and burning bright? Be specific.
3. What do the following verses teach us about how our enemy will try to keep us from living passionately for Jesus?
II Corinthians 11:3 Ephesians 6:10-18
4. What do the above verses teach us about how to fight our enemy?
5. Why might Christian students be more of a threat to Satan’s kingdom?
6. “If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll try to make you busy.” Is this statement in any way true in your life? Be specific.
7. In YOUR life, how might GOOD be the worst enemy of BEST?
8. Read Mark 4:1-20. What is choking your spiritual fruitfulness?
9. What “big guns” does the enemy tempt you with? What temptations do you struggle with the most? What is the area of your greatest weakness? Who can you talk to about this?
10. If you were the enemy, how would you plan to attack YOU?
If you’re wanting to prevail against apathy we invite you to enjoy the dramatic audio and share this experience with friends, family time or in your small groups.
Want to learn more ways to fight the enemy? We offer two printed volumes (Email from Hell, More Email from Hell) or 10 stand-alone Dramatic Audio editions with companion PDF Training.
We suggest Cadre’s One Another Living Guide. This tool is a journey through the adventure of living out twenty-five “one another” verses in the Bible. (For example, love one another, pray for one another, and encourage one another.) If your mission trip is a ten-day trip, you can start everyone in the devotional guide fifteen days BEFORE you leave… and walk through the last ten “one anothers” as a team while on the mission trip.
