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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The pictures tell the story...

In the last couple of months… here's what we've been up to.  The pictures tell the story.  Click any image below to enlarge for viewing… and thanks for stopping by for a Cup O' Joe with me.

Last month's road trip with Jarrod Briggs. Three days. Three different Wisconsin locations.  Disciplemaking Is Relationships training.

Disciplemaking Is Relationships training with youth leaders from the Forrest Lakes District (WI) of the Evangelical Free Church of America. First stop: Rice Lake, WI.  It's not Canada, but you can see it from there… eh?

Disciplemaking Is Relationships training in Madison, WI.

Here's a picture of young man risking his life. Yes, that's my daughter Josey.

Two words: Milkshake Monday.  An Allison family tradition.

Why do a major mailing when you can do a major mailing par-tay? Thanks to the Whites and the Bartz families for all the fun and help with our Spring ministry update letter!

Exploring the possibilities for a Disciplemaking Learning Community in the Bloomington/Normal IL area. Exciting.

Whenever we do ministry together, we always call each other up the day before to make sure our outfits match. That's my brother from another mother, Shane Stacey, and we're at the Coffee Hound in Bloomington. 

I have a lot of favorite pastors… here are three… because these three are some of my best disciplemaking friends! From left to right: Jess Bartz, Dave Steinbeck, and Deveraux Hubbard.

If video doesn't appear, go here.

Most people think their kids are exceptional. Mine really are. :  ) Watch the last two laps of this race closely. That's our Aubrey coming in first at indoor state in this heat of the 4x400. Overall, the team got 6th in state… cutting off almost 30 seconds from their previous best time!

"We are the champions… we are the champions…."  Okay, 6th in Indoor State isn't quite "champions" but it's a great big deal where we live.  Congrats ladies!  (Aubrey on right.)

Celebrating the birthdays of my best disciplemaking friends and Cadre staffers Dave and Rennie Garda. I like celebrating with them because they are older than me. They are grandparents (see their newest grand baby there on the right) while Stacy and I are still having babies because we're young. LOL.

It was my honor to join these guys on the radio for WBNH's Share 2012. They must be desperate for guests.

Swinging with some of my girls. Ivy looks like she's digging it.

Doing the Mentoring Connection training for the staff and volunteer leaders of Heartland Community Church in Bloomington/Normal, IL.

Easter Sunday celebration with all of my kids… and my mom (next to Emily), Aunt Betty (my kids had never met her until this day) and my uncle Bob and Aunt Jeanine. It was a great day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus together.

Libby is playing volleyball… and she means business.  See the "war paint"?

Some of the guys from the Peoria Area Leadership Community Ongoing (plus a few extras).  It was the best lunch ever… and here's what we did.

Last weekend in Ames, IA. Disciplemaking Is Relationships training.

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. You make our ministry powerful and possible. 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: On canes and baby strollers

Today is my birthday.

I think the words of Homer, that immortal and wise philosopher, are fitting at this time:

"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 half an hour a week in which to get funky."
-- Homer J. Simpson

Let's face it people. I'm getting old.

Here's the good news: I'm not using a cane to walk.

Instead, I'm leaning on my baby's stroller.  Now THAT'S funny!

God has a great sense of humor… and I love Him deeply for it.

I think I'm the richest man in the world… only it's the kind of richness that really counts.

Thank you God.

"Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green."
–Psalms 92:14

Emily Allison, spoken word poet… raw, intense, and fun

"I'm the neurotic first born of two neurotic first borns so I never really had a prayer." —Emily Allison

My daughter Emily is a spoken word poet.

She is graduating from Moody Bible Institute in May 2012 with a degree in philosophical theology.

She'd love to come to your church or ministry and do her spoken word thing for Jesus and you.

Here's a 2 minute and 30 second video of her… talking about God… and my mother.

(If video doesn't appear, watch here.)

Want more information?  Ok.

You can listen to a 20 minute interview with Emily conducted by Mark Burns of WGNN here:

(You can download the interview above as an mp3 for listening on your iPod and sharing with others by clicking here.)

"I've never been able to keep my mouth shut." —Emily Allison

Here's a short article about her spoken word ministry that ran in the Moody student newspaper on 4/18/12. It's raw, intense, and fun.

Monday Funday: Top Ten Worst Small Group Discussion Questions

10. Share the worst sin you’ve ever committed.

9. If you were God, who would you punish first?

8. Which person in this group do you think needs to find Jesus the most?

7. Which people at your church do you wish would find a different church, and why?

6. If you could erase any verse out of the Bible, which one would it be?

5. Share the juiciest piece of gossip you know so we can pray about it.

4. If you could have anything from your neighbor’s house, what would it be?

3. What’s your favorite of The 10 Commandments to break?

2. If you could change anything about your spouse, what would it be?

1. If you could commit any sin and get away with it, what would it be?

* To the best of my knowledge, these came from Eric Metcalf.

Don't miss a single Monday Funday! Get blog posts from Cup O' Joe in your email inbox! You'll hear from me about 1-2x a week. Email addresses are never shared with anyone and you can unsubscribe at anytime. Subscribe to Cup O' Joe with Bill by Email. Thanks for letting us keep in touch with you.