volunteers – The Cadre Blog

Cadre’s Twelve Days of Christmas for Disciplemaker’s like YOU!

December 25, 2017December 28, 2017Dave & Rennie Garda

Celebrate Twelve Days with Cadre Missionaries.Day One: Christmas Day. Cadre Digital Living Guides from the iBookstore for iPads, Computers and iPhones for only .99 cents. NEW. These tools just hit the iBookstore in their enhanced made for iBooks formats. You’ll be able to carry with you on your phone, iPad or computer these effective Disciplemaker’s Tools: The Disciplemaker’s Living Guide and the One Another Living Guide.

Day Two: Free Digital PDF edition of Volunteer Dialogue 2. What’s the difference between Speaking, Teaching, Preach and Training?

Day Three: Save $6 on your digital iBookstore edition of Recruiting, Motivating and Retaining Volunteers. Grab your copy for only $6.99

Day Four: Fuel your prayerfulness while you save $1.50 plus get free shipping on your set of 10 Disciplemaker’s Prayer Cards for study plus 10 wallet sized cards.

Day Five: Save $4 and pick up your copy of Encourage Your Pastor for only .99 cents. This made for iBooks digital resource works with your iPhone, iPad or computer.

Day Six: Free Digital copy of Big God, small problems: A disciplemaker’s walk with Nehemiah. This made for iBooks digital resource works with your iPhone, iPad or computer and comes with bonus audio segments to prompt your havering.

Day Seven: Save $6 on your digital iBookstore edition of the Disciplemaker’s Guide to Grow, Minister & Lead (Helping Volunteers and Teams to Live & Support Disciplemaking). Grab your copy for only $6.99. This digital edition includes four bonus equipping audios with Bill Allison.

Day Eight: Save $13 and Getaway like Jesus for only $1.99. This digital PDF edition works with Kindle, iBooks, PDF screen readers.

Day Nine: Get your free copy of Volunteer Training Dialogue #1: Training Like-Jesus Makes all the Difference. This digital PDF edition works with Kindle, iBooks, PDF screen readers.

Day Ten: Free Email From Hell Episode: IDENTITY THEFT. Enjoy this dramatic audio and study sheet pdf to help you understand Satan’s strategy to steal your Spiritual Identity. Save $4.99.

Day Eleven: Free digital audio: How Personal Growth Can Move You from Ordinary to Extraordinary. Save $4.99.

Day Twelve: Free PDF training article from the Disciplemaker’s Guide Chapter 1: Why Volunteers Can Change the World. Save $1.99.

Be watching Cadre’s Facebook Page for daily updates and links.

The high cost of NOT training volunteers

August 1, 2017August 23, 2017Bill Allison

I finish preaching at a church and I am invited to attend a Sunday school class. Since one of the great passions of my life is to see Jesus-like transformational teaching happen in Sunday schools and small groups, I say, “Are you kidding? I’d LOVE to.”

I’m escorted to a very nice classroom where about 20 energetic adults are milling around engaged in what seems like good conversation to me. I hear lots of laughter and see lots of smiles. Many of these folks seem to know and love each other. I’m able to meet the volunteer teacher and several other sharp, articulate and fun-loving people before the class starts. I sense energy in the room.

I grab my cup of coffee and donut and find a seat. The subject today: God’s Word on marriage. I think to myself: This is going to be good. I can’t wait to see how this group tackles this.

A missed opportunity

Ten minutes into the class, the energy, engagement, and enthusiasm that once was, is no more. It feels like someone pulled the plug in a bathtub full of fun, relationships, and learning. The longer the class continues, the stronger the vortex of disengagement becomes. I watch one very sincere and well-studied volunteer teacher stand at the front of the room… and continue to talk. He doesn’t seem to notice that the smiles, energy, and, worst of all, the learning—like Elvis—have left the building. Not once in 50 long minutes does he ask anyone to respond or participate. I look around the room to study the glazed-over faces. Just minutes ago, these eyes lit up as they conversed with each other about God and life.

Not now.

My heart deflates—for both the teacher and those being taught. I ponder the tragedy unfolding before me: an untapped gold mine of biblical understanding and life experience sitting in the room… wasting away… right under the teacher’s nose. I sit and wonder. (I know, I should have been listening to the teacher.) I wonder how any of them may have enriched the learning with a personal story of God at work in their marriage. I wonder if anyone might have a related passage of Scripture to share. I wonder what could have happened-what God might do in our lives if we could stop the lecture long enough to break into groups of 4-6 people and study what the Bible has to say about marriage for ourselves first…before the teacher tells us.

And I suspect that a number of those in the class would have something biblical, fun, and pertinent to offer… something life-changing to share…. if only they had a chance.

But they never got a chance.

The class is over. Now I walk out of the room and, at my next thought, I feel a slight chill run down my spine: I wonder who will come back next week… and, more importantly, who won’t?

Here’s a wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee moment for you: The fate of your ministry is in the hands of volunteers. And it’s utterly foolish not to train them well.

ACTION STEP: Contact us to schedule a Cadre training experience or to explore how we can train you to take training back to volunteers in your ministry.

When you gonna be a REAL pastor? On empowering volunteers

May 18, 2017July 28, 2017Laura Slezak

This week I had the privilege of hanging out with Zach Hummer and Ryan Baker of the When you gonna be a real Pastor? podcast, along with my friend Betty, to chat about empowering volunteers in your ministry.

You can listen to our conversation here!

While you’re at it, subscribe to keep up with their weekly podcasts covering all kinds of youth ministry-related topics, with lots of great guests, like this one.

Are you a victim of identity theft?

November 10, 2016November 2, 2016Bill Allison

A well-dressed businessman was standing in line at the airport check-in counter. He, along with the others in line ahead of him, became quite concerned as they watched the door to the jetway close. When he realized what was happening and that the gate agent was going to have to rebook some of the people on a different flight, the businessman jumped out of line to take matters into his own hands. “Excuse me, Miss, but I need to get on this flight!” he said with more than a little urgency.

The woman replied, “Yes, sir, so do the rest of these people who are in line in front of you. Now kindly take your place back in line and we’ll help you when it’s your turn.”

Well, he didn’t like this at all, so he thought being a little more forceful might help his cause. He said, “You see, if I don’t get on that flight, I’m going to miss my meeting. And if I miss my meeting, I’m going to be very angry with you.”

The agent calmly replied, “Sir, we’ll help you when it’s your turn.”

The man, a prominent, wealthy and well-known businessman, had enough. He glared at the woman and growled, “Do you know who I am?!?”

Also having had enough, the agent picked up the microphone and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. This gentleman at the desk does not seem to know who he is. If anyone can identify him, we would all greatly appreciate your assistance.”

Mr. Highfalutin Businessman huffed and puffed his way to his place in the back of the line.

Do you know who you really are?

I constantly see evidence that the average Christian is a victim of spiritual identity theft. That is, the average Christian has no biblical and meaningful understanding of who they really are in Christ. As Cadre missionaries, we’re out much of the year training volunteers to love and serve God effectively. (It’s our Ephesians 4:11-12 obsession.) During our training, we’ll often ask a room full of volunteers, “How many of you are full-time ministers?” Usually one or two volunteers raise their hands. Think about it. The overwhelming majority of volunteers have embraced a very unbiblical view of themselves, and honestly see themselves as “just volunteers.”

Let me clarify: I understand that most of us will never make our living as full-time ministers, but don’t miss my point: According to the Bible, if you’re a Christian, you really are a full-time minister, regardless of where you work or what you do for a living.

This “full-time-minister” identity is true for ALL followers of Jesus Christ: stay-at-home moms, students, factory laborers, entrepreneurs, educators, administrators, CEOs, sanitation workers, retirees, etc. Yes, I’m talking to YOU. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, YOU are a full-time minister.

I know what you’re thinking. When you hear someone say that a “regular” person like you is a full-time minister, you immediately start listing all the objections why that can’t possibly be true. That’s precisely why I want to take the ax of God’s Word and chop as hard as I can at the most common objections that keep volunteers like you from stepping into their biblical identity as full-time ministers. After all, the Christian life is the process of becoming who God says we are already.

How to choose your next best curriculum

November 3, 2016November 2, 2016Laura Slezak

People often ask me for curriculum recommendations. Since Cadre writes, publishes and offers a lot of training, people sometimes think we do curriculum.

But…we don’t.

I get why people ask. Choosing what to teach is a pressing, felt need many of us have as we plan to teach week-to-week…to week…to week.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-curriculum. But Cadre doesn’t write it because we believe disciplemaking is a way of life, and that’s our focus—helping you, as our in-real-life friends, follow Jesus with the people in your life, living sent to make disciples who make disciples. Disciplemaking isn’t meant to be a topic for us to teach for 8 weeks every other year as part of our Christian education rotation.

But wait, don’t close out the window yet!

We can still help.

The truth is, there are many great kinds of studies and resources you can use to cultivate disciplemaking values in your ministy. This is the best one. And I’ll share a few more at the bottom.

But let’s back up for a minute.

While I can share a few resources with you, I’d much rather equip you to choose your own curriculum well. In fact, this won’t be my only post on the topic. But today, I simply want to challenge you to think about the big picture.

Instead of picking a curriculum based on how well it’s designed, how easy it is to teach without much prep, or how many of your friends use it…stop and ask:

What does a disciple who makes disciples look like?
What head, hands and heart understanding do we want to help develop in people as we seek to make disciples?
What are our goals as we aim to make disciples who make disciples?

There are plenty of good studies out there. But unless you have clearly defined goals, you’re probably going to fumble around looking for “the next best thing” to teach every 3-6 months.

Here are some sample “exit goals” to show you what I mean.

By the time children finish Kindergarten, they should…

Know the Bible is God’s Word
Be able to pray a simple prayer

By the time kids finish 5th grade, they should…

Know God helps us overcome our fears
Be able to name the books of the Bible in order

By the time students finish high school, they should…

Understand God’s design for us to live in biblical community with one another
Be able to choose personal priorities based on their relationship with Jesus.

Once adults have experienced this class or group, they should…

Know how to lead someone to Christ
Be able to live out the one another verses with family and friends

Note that these are just EXAMPLES—they’re NOT mean to be exhaustive. You can view a more extensive list of goals and find practical help as you teach for disciplemaking in Cadre’s Teaching Genius of Jesus.

If the ministry you’re a part of isn’t ready to come up with goals for all ages, spend some time prayerfully identifying a few simple goals for the group you’re teaching or leading.

Once you know what you’re aiming for, you can find studies that will help people grow as disciples in the areas you’ve identified.

But if you’re still looking for Cadre-style “curriculum,” start here…

This is still the best one.
You can aim our Living Guides for a small group context. Read more about how to do this here.

You can break down our Equip middle school training into weekly bite sizes and plan a lesson around it. There are lots of ideas and creative ways to engage, but there’s no script. You’ll have to be willing to study and share the Scripture together with those you’re teaching.

And finally, since I told you I would, here are a handful of additional resources I’ve found helpful in cultivating a disciplemaking way of life:

Share this:

Like this:

A missed opportunity

Not now.

But they never got a chance.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Do you know who you really are?

Share this:

Like this:

I get why people ask. Choosing what to teach is a pressing, felt need many of us have as we plan to teach week-to-week…to week…to week.

We can still help.

But let’s back up for a minute.

There are plenty of good studies out there. But unless you have clearly defined goals, you’re probably going to fumble around looking for “the next best thing” to teach every 3-6 months.

Here are some sample “exit goals” to show you what I mean.

By the time kids finish 5th grade, they should…

By the time students finish high school, they should…

Once adults have experienced this class or group, they should…

Once you know what you’re aiming for, you can find studies that will help people grow as disciples in the areas you’ve identified.

But if you’re still looking for Cadre-style “curriculum,” start here…

And finally, since I told you I would, here are a handful of additional resources I’ve found helpful in cultivating a disciplemaking way of life:

For kids:

For students:

For adults:

Share this:

Like this: