One of Central IL's Best Kept Secrets

Equip Ministries Christian Worker's Conference
Friday and Saturday, February 25-26, 2011
Peoria Christian School in Peoria, IL.

Here are the eight training labs I have the honor of doing... would love to have you join us for any of these...

Friday, February 25, 2011

Session 1 Caffeinated Volunteers: Twelve Motivational Factors

9:15 AM, Bill Allison

The effectiveness of your ministry—to a large degree—is dependent upon the motivation level of the volunteers.  But what makes a volunteer tick?  That's exactly what we'll explore in this session.

Session 2 Teaching with the End in Mind

10:45 AM, Bill Allison

We're busy teaching, no doubt about it.  But what is our teaching producing?  What is it—exactly—that you want those you teach to know and be able to do?  I dare you to answer that question.  And don't miss this workshop because we'll begin to wrestle down some exit goals for each age group in the church!

Session 3 Telling People Isn't Training Them

2:45 PM, Bill Allison

What is training?  How is it different than speaking, teaching and preaching? Most important, what could a Jesus-like approach to training others look like for you?  We'll explore these questions and more in this highly interactive session.

Session 4 Overcoming Our Spiritual Identity Crisis

4:30 PM, Bill Allison

Understanding and owning the biblical specifics of who we are in Christ is the foundation for what we do for Christ.  The New Testament pattern is this: Being precedes doing.  Yet, many of us are so busy doing that we've never taken the time to learn and own the biblical specifics about who we are in Christ.  Thus, we're suffering from a spiritual identity crisis.  This session seeks to help you embrace your God-given identity so that your doing can overflow from the biblical specifics of who you are in Christ. Bring your Bible.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Session 1 Why Volunteers Quit and What You Can Do About It

8 AM, Bill Allison
Volunteers don't usually quit ministries... they quit leaders.  Yes, I'm talking to you, ministry leader.  In this workshop, we will explore seven biblical ways you can shepherd volunteers... and, ultimately, keep them loving and serving Jesus alongside of you.  This is the workshop the volunteers in your ministry want you to go to.

Session 2 They're Driving Me Nuts! Causes of Bad Behavior
11 AM, Bill Allison

We cause the majority of our own discipline problems in Christian education. Find out why—and more importantly—what you can do about it. Come all ye who are ready to take arsenic... or give it to someone!

Session 3 Train Volunteers—Don't Just Use Them
2:30 PM, Bill Allison
Do you simply use volunteers to fill the holes in your ministry--or do you develop and train volunteers to serve God effectively? If you want to learn how to begin to develop a culture of training in your church or ministry--so that volunteers are encouraged, equipped, and energized to serve God effectively in Ephesians 4:11-12 fashion--then this session is for you! Volunteers are encouraged to attend this workshop.

Session 4 Biblical Secrets of Sexual Purity
4 PM, Bill Allison
While there is a lot of teaching on sexual purity, not much of it actually shows the practicalities of HOW to live a sexually pure life.  The Bible has not left us without help in this area. So bring your Bible with you and let's explore the biblical secrets of sexual purity.  It's not a matter of "if" we'll be tempted.  It's a matter of "when," and what we will do about it. 

For complete details and registration information, go here.

The Disciplemakers Journal is available now

Hot off the press! The Disciplemaker's Journal is 25 studies to help you wrestle the disciplemaking genius of Jesus with your friends. Together you'll explore D3 disciplemaking, mutual community, kavanah, haver learning, disciplemaking learning communities (DLCs), and much more. Below is the front cover and some sample pages. (Click on any image below to enlarge for reading.) For complete details, go here.

Great for families, small groups, Bible studies, etc. For complete details, go here.

The unlikely ones

“I have seen few persons whose minds were spiritually darker when he came into my Sunday school class, or one who seemed more unlikely ever to become a Christian of clear decided views, still less to fill any sphere of extended public usefulness.”

That's what a Sunday school teacher said about D.L. Moody. (Moody pictured above.) History has clearly proven that his first impression of Moody was wrong... way wrong.

Therein lies a very important lesson.

When it comes to spotting people you should invest your life in, first impressions are often wrong.

It's an ironic fact proven throughout history: God often uses the most unlikely people from some of the most ordinary places to make a most extraordinary difference for him.

So, when considering an "unlikely one," don't let the exterior fool you.

Don't be afraid to go after those who have promise but need much work.

Don't despise or overlook an acorn. Instead, dare to see beyond the acorn to envision—with Jesus' touch—the full grown oak tree.

And don't be put off by a lack of what the culture values and claims is necessary for "success."

Instead, be like Jesus—the master disciplemaker.

Look for the raw material of a disciple—then take the time and pains to shape and form it... into a Jesus-like disciplemaker.

It seemed to work pretty well for Jesus.

I guess I'm sort of partial to unlikely ones... because I am one.  And when Jesus touches and transforms an unlikely one, everyone knows it was Jesus—not the unlikely one—and God gets ALL the glory!

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
—1 Corinthians 1:26-29

The above true story about D.L. Moody was taken from the FREE book, Training Makes All the Difference. For your FREE downloadable copy, go here.  For a hard copy, go here.

In Search of the Real Meaning Behind the Word

I know. It's currently cool, trendy, and dare I even say it—sexy—to have a new take on a well-known passage of Scripture.

Hmmm. But maybe the passage simply means what it says.

Not very sexy... is it?

You can become such an expert at reading between the lines that you fail to read the lines.

And here's something that lacks even more luster: Applying the passage to your life.

Here's how you can pray for us

Can you help launch us into a new exciting year of ministry? Click on the image below to enlarge for reading—and details on how you can help us. For complete, printable details, go here. Thanks for reading!

We can't do Cadre without friends and ministry partners like YOU. Your prayers and financial support on any level are much-needed, much-appreciated, and make a HUGE difference in our lives and ministry. Plus, God is really blessing this adventure called Cadre. 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.

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