Binge Disciplemaking?

Binge Disciplemaking?

Dave & Rennie Garda

Because of the Coronavirus, it looks like we’ll all be a little more sequestered for the time being. And if you’re like most people, you’ll spend much of that time binge-watching Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, etc. (Or, maybe you’re the person who loves watching funny cat videos on YouTube.) When you’re finished binge-watching, consider this: How can you make the most of this situation?

What if I told you that in the middle of this world-wide concern about the Coronavirus, God has given a gift to you—a window of time with your family and closest friends. And right now, none of us know how long this will last. 

Where can you start in making the most of this opportunity? Step #1 of The Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus is Time With (TW) people. Think about it. You can’t make disciples like Jesus if you don’t strategically invest time together with family and friends. Under normal circumstances, we’re all so busy, we don’t have time to be with people. All of a sudden, our various gatherings are being canceled. Many of us now have unexpected time together—at least for the moment. 

As I write this, Stacy and I are at Dave and Rennie Garda’s house for two days enjoying their friendship, sharing Scripture, praying, drinking great coffee, sharing meals, and working together on Cadre stuff. We are having so much fun too. Normally we’re out doing disciplemaking training experiences around the country on weekends. And it’s not just us. We just called home to our three daughters to check in. They are playing a board game. On Saturday morning—what?

How long will this window of opportunity for engaging in disciplemaking friendships with family and friends last? No one really knows. But let’s agree to NOT be like funny man Dustin Nickerson:

All that to ask this: 

How can you seize this window of opportunity for disciplemaking friendships?

To that end, we’d like to do something fun and practical especially for our friends like you who track with Cadre Missionaries. Here’s a FREE four-page PDF download that you can print and share with your family and friends.

Hint: See page 4 of the cadre 2020 corona pdf for your special CV19 discount code.

Who loves you? Jesus and your Cadre Missionaries—that’s who…

Tools to help you make the most of unexpected time together… Click here to get our free 4 page PDF—LINK: cadre 2020 corona

From Sticky-Notes to Friendship

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Sticky Notes

As a custodian, it is never fun to walk into a classroom only to see paper and trash littered everywhere. One classroom had sticky notes all over the floor, on the desks, and in the trash cans. These little pieces of paper with adhesive do not like to be sucked up by a vacuum, so I had to go around and pick up each individual piece of paper – not happy.

Not happy, until I read what was on these pieces of paper and noticed what was written on the board at the front of the room. “That’s Gold Jerry! Gold!” I almost yelled to the empty desks. These students were dividing up their lives into different categories and creating questions they could ask others in order to help them know the beat of each other’s heart. This sounded familiar:

How would you or your students title the slices of their lives? Here are a few categories I noticed these kids were using: 

  • School
  • Friends
  • Personal Identity
  • Pets

What questions would you come up with? What would you ask to better understand the beat of your students’ hearts? What questions would the other volunteer youth leaders come up with? How about the students themselves? 

Here are a few of my favorite questions that these students developed:

  • Do you often feel alone?
  • Do you have a pet at home that you sleep with?
  • Do you feel pressure from your peers to perform well?
  • Does spending time with friends relieve stress?
  • Do you feel that school prepares us for the real world?
  • On a scale of 1-10 (hard to easy) how hard is it to find the motivation to do your homework?
  • Do you feel like there are people you fit in with at school?
  • Do you feel comfortable sharing personal thoughts with at least one parent?
  • How many days do you eat breakfast in an average week?
  • How does social media effect your mental health?

Send me an email: mark@cadremissionaries.com to see the full list. I will also share with you how I’ve used questions like these to create activities to help build community within our youth group.

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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Prince of Shalom

Prince of Shalom

mark

Here at Cadre we anchor ourselves to the simplicity of embracing a disciplemaking way-of-life – a life with Christ and sent by Christ. With Christmas moments away, I have been reminded of the incredible depth of this life.


“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”(Isaiah 9:6)


Prince of Peace – Prince of Shalom… the depth and richness of the Shalom of God is overwhelming. (Needless to say, this is a word study I am now beginning.)Here is a quick insight into the God whose withness brings Shalom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLYORLZOaZE
In 1816 a pastor, a broken church organ, a worship leader and a guitar helped a group of men in 1914 to momentarily experience the Shalom that Christ’s birth brings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=6KHoVBK2EVE&feature=emb_logo

Praying for all of you… that you and your family will know the depth of Shalom that overflows through the incarnation of our God.
mark & rachel
Cadre Disciplemaking Friendship Coaches

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