Cup O' Joe with Bill

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Pastor Appreciation: Why? What? How? Who?

Click image to enlarge for viewing.

A mother went to wake her son for church one morning. When she knocked on his door, he said, "I'm not going to church this morning."

The mother asked, "Why not?"

"I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me. Two, I don't like them."

His mother replied, "I'll give you two good reasons why you should go to church today. One, you're 47 years old. Two, you're the pastor."

Don't ever doubt this:
Your pastor(s) need your encouragement.

Why?

Because THIS.

What?
It's THIS.

How?
Like THIS.

Who?
Include THESE.

Bonus!
* Free Audio HERE.
* How to Pray for Pastors.

If you share this post via email, text, and social media—only God will know exactly how much encouragement you generate for pastors everywhere.

I dare you to do it.

BONUS VIDEO: A Day in the Life of a Pastor—which is exactly why you should put into practice what the Bible says about encouraging your pastor.

You, Me, and Coffee Monday...
Let me encourage you and and make you think 1 stinking time a week (usually Monday morning) with a virtual Cup O' Joe with Bill in your email inbox. Two Simple Steps...

1. Go here and submit your email.
2. Go to your email and click the Feedburner confirmation link.
You can unsubscribe at any time with no questions asked simply by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email you receive from Cup O' Joe with Bill. Honest. You got nothing to lose. Try it.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

The Intersection of Micah 6:8 and More Cowbell

He hath shown thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. —Micah 6:8

Video: And more cowbell?

Bonus Video: If cowbells aren't your thing, maybe you'd like a little more triangle...

Why this nonsense?

Because sometimes you just need a smile from your Cup O' Joe with Bill.

Love ya.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

I can't say it better than the Bible...

“Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers…. 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 5-8

Click any image to enlarge for viewing and reading or click here.

We can't do this without YOU. Details here.

We need your prayers. Details here.

To partner with the Cadre and the Allisons right now safely online,
go here.

We thank God for you!

Sunday, September 03, 2017

Video: Helping People Find and Follow Jesus...

If video doesn't appear, go here.

When you help Cadre missionaries, God multiplies your investment many times over.

Here's how we need your help right now.

Thank you—and to God be all the glory!

"Not to us, O'Lord, not to us. But to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness." —Psalms 115:1

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Seldom Resist the Urge to Be Generous. It's Probably Not the Devil.

When I was about 20-years-old and in Bible college, I took a rare weekend to head home to visit family and friends. Most weekends for me at this time were given over to my job. I paid my own way through Bible college by working every hour I could. And when I wasn't working, I was studying. Unlike my high school years, I was determined to put forth my best academic effort.

Being home that weekend with my mom and my friends from church was a joy and a much-needed encouragement to my soul.

On Sunday at church, as the offering plate was being passed around the congregation, I got a clear prompting from God to give. As a poor college kid, I often let myself off the hook on giving. But this time—in response to the nudging—I looked into my wallet.

I saw one very lonely $5 bill.

And I was well aware of the fact that I needed that $5 for gas to get back to school.

What to do?

As the offering plate made its way around the congregation toward me, my struggle intensified. I tried to logic my way out of God's nudging. (You ever do that?) And just when I assured myself that God would want me to keep that $5—the offering plate passed by and I did something crazy: I tossed that $5 into the plate.

I was filled with exhilaration... and fear.

Sure, I did what I sensed God wanted me to do. But now I had another problem. And that was all I could actually think about during the rest of the church service.

When the church serviced ended, I was approached by a gentle giant of a man with short pure white hair and a warm smile on his bright wrinkled face. He was at least 50 years my senior. It was my friend, Alfred Huggins. He put out his huge hand to shake mine. When I shook his hand, he stealthily put something into my hand without anyone else noticing. Al winked at me.

I looked down into my hand, and there was a $5 bill.

This true story is a perfect picture of what our lives have been like for the last 15 years as disciplemaking missionaries with Cadre.

This September 2017 marks the 15th birthday/anniversary of Cadre Missionaries!

For 15 years, God and YOU have made it possible for us, as Cadre missionaries, to multiply Jesus-like disciplemaking here and around the world.

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.

In honor of our 15th birthday, would you please prayerfully consider donating a special gift of $15?

Those of you who know us know that we don't often ask for financial support like this. However, on our 15th anniversary as a ministry, we need your $ help, so we're asking God's people—like you—to join us in this disciplemaking adventure. Each gift 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.

BONUS: The first 100 people to give $15 (or more) will have their gift matched AND receive a special edition Cadre Missionaries Prayer Coaster (see picture at the very top).

We'd love to see 500 of our closest friends respond with a special gift. That would bless Cadre with $9,000 much-needed dollars ($7,500 plus $1,500 matching gift).

Will YOU be one of our 500 friends?

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 $15 this month.

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. Thank you for celebrating 15 years of Jesus-like disciplemaking with us and to God be the glory!

Bill Allison
Executive Director
Cadre Missionaries

* To donate $15 securely online now, go here.
* Mail a check: Cadre Missionaries, PO Box 278, Sycamore, IL 60178

Other giving options...
* To give more than $15 securely online now, go here.
* To support a Cadre missionary on a monthly basis, go here.
* For questions and more info, please call Rennie at 815.501.3132.

Cadre Missionaries is a recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry and all gifts are tax deductible.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

If it is new and cool and about the Bible, I'm suspicious

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... eh?

Don't get me wrong here.

I'm all for the study required for sound hermeneutics and exegesis.

I'm simply questioning the current way some popular teachers can come across as if to say, "You don't know this because you only read the English Bible, but [insert some "new" and unsubstantiated idea here]."

I think it's easy to get caught up in the spirit of the times and try to study the Bible to find something "new" and cool.

And therein lies the problem.

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.

Maybe a mark of a really good preacher/teacher isn't explaining all the minute nuances of a particular passage or word.

Maybe a mark of a really good preacher/teacher is creating a hunger in others to read/study the Bible for themselves... and then living it out together.

If someone's take on a passage of Scripture is new and cool, I'm suspicious.

You should be too.

Related Posts...
* Reading the Bible and missing God
* Don't believe the title page
* Road rage in the Bible
* A Bible verse no one ever celebrates
* Helpful, short videos on the Bible
* Holy Bible Batman

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Jesus Is Enough...

I wouldn't share this video unless I thought it was worth your time.

If video doesn't appear, go here.

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.

Instead,
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

—The Apostle Paul, Romans 12:17-21

Sunday, August 06, 2017

From Disciples to DiscipleMAKERS

When Jesus said, "Come and see," he wasn't inviting people to a program. He was inviting potential disciples to a relationship with him.

We think of these relationships as Disciplemaking Friendships.

It turns out that Disciplemaking Friendships aren't simply an ingredient for disciplemaking—but actually how Jesus makes disciples into disciplemakers.

That's exactly what we're going to explore in our next gathering of the Peoria Area Leadership Community Ongoing (PALCO)!

What?
We'll wrestle three nonnegotiables for helping disciples become disciplemakers.

When?

Thursday, September 7th

Time?

Coffee and goodies at 8:30 AM

Training from 9 AM to 12 Noon

Lunch?

Let's pick a place and get lunch together. (Each person pays for himself.)

Where?
The Christian Center
4100 N. Brandywine Dr
Peoria, IL 61602

Who?

Peoria Area Leadership Community (PALC) alumni only.

RSVP
Please email Bill ASAP if you plan to be a part of this time of training and community.

Tuition?

$25 per person and includes the training experience and training materials you'll be able to use in your life and ministry immediately.

* To pay tuition online now, go here.

* To pay tuition via regular mail, send a check to: Cadre Ministries, PO Box 264, Mossville, IL 61552 and include a note that the check is for PALCO.
* Even if you plan to pay tuition on the day of our gathering via a credit card, please register with Bill via email ASAP.

(If money is truly an issue for you, let me know and I'll take care of it for you. Not joking. I love you.)

Bring?
Be sure to bring your Bible, pen, and money for lunch. FYI: I'll have a few other disciplemaking resources for those so inclined to purchase these.

Training Presentations?
If after experiencing this training, YOU would like to do the training in your ministry, simply let Bill know and he'll explain how to make that can happen.

Can You Help?

We need someone to bring...
* healthy snacks
* donuts and goodies for the rest of us who don't care if we die young
* coffee
Please let Bill know ASAP if you can you help with one of these!

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Summer 2017 Life and Ministry in Pictures

Click any image below to enlarge for viewing.

Why is the kitchen perhaps the most important room of a house? Food, family, fun, and faith! At our table with some of our neighbors celebrating God, friendship, and taking a disciplemaking adventure together as families.

What do you get when you blindfold a pastor and shout confusing messages at him? This. Ministry Is Relationships training experience at CrossPoint Church in Eureka, IL. This training would be perfect for your ministry/church.

How can you carve out even a few minutes together as a family? We call it "Deck Time with Dad." In the cool of the day toward the end of the day we'll sit on the deck together enjoying God and each other... until the mosquitos carry one of us off into the neighbors evergreen trees. Ivy is my favorite youngest daughter.

Why are you always in Wisconsin? God. We had a most enjoyable week speaking to students and youth leaders at Lake Geneva Youth Camp in WI. Some students indicated they trusted Christ as Savior. Others indicated that they wanted to get serious about following Jesus and asked their youth leaders to help them. Still other students ask their youth leaders to help them disciple their friends.

Whose your daddy? This guy. Father's Day with the original Bill Allison.

Where does real life transformation happen? While I deeply appreciate the opportunity to speak and bring God's Word to students and youth leaders in a large group setting, I never underestimate time in smaller groups with students between sessions. I contend that what happens before and after a service is often more transformational than what happens from the stage.

Don't you have a lot of kids? We do. This is our seventh kid. But she's our first real Tballer. This girl is an athlete at an earlier age than any other of our six kids. While other kids on her team were picking dandelions, this girl was in this stance waiting for someone to hit the ball to her.

What are some fun summer training opportunties being offered by Cadre this summer? This three part Cadre training experience is happening in the Central IL area this summer and you can totally join us.

How often are you and the Garda's able to get together? As often as possible. Above is a summer work day with Dave and Rennie Garda. We'd love to bring training to those who serve in ministry with you.

Don't you live out in the farm lands of Central IL? Yes. But sadly I didn't really know much about farming. However, I totally rocked the farmer's life one day this summer with this friend.

How hot was your ministry time in Laredo, TX, this summer? Very. But the ministry time together is always very rich and rewarding. See here, here, and here. For the record, I prefer doing ministry in Laredo during the winter months : )

Why all the talk about disciplemaking friendships? Because disciplemaking friendships isn't simply an ingredient for disciplemaking—it's how Jesus made disciples who make disciples—who make more disciples.

We know you're crazy, but how crazy is your wife? Fair question. She wanted seven kids... that qualifies as crazy for most of us. She's a good sport when it comes to putting up with my hillbilly-ness. This picture is proof. She's a gem. We celebrated 29 years of marriage this June 11th. She deserves a medal of honor.

As disciplemaking missionaries with Cadre Ministries, do you support other missionaries? Of course! This summer we were able to get time with Craig and Cheryl Cassell. We've been disciplemaking friends for over 30 years and God has enabled us to $upport them every month for about 29 years! We couldn't do it without you.

What's the most strategic mission field in America? Making disciplemakers with the next generations and those who work with the next generations. Why? Because when you multiply disciplemakers like Jesus did, God's transformational power not only changes the generation you live in but also the generations that come after you!

What's better than summer and kids? Summer, kids, and snow cones! She'd tell you the blue snow cone was totally worth it!

Is life and ministry really about relationships? We think so. The Stacey family stopped by our house on the tail end of their vacation. We were blessed to have a few days together as families. We treated them to a tour of Central IL. It was a short tour with lots of corn fields. Love being disciplemaking friends... and disciplemaking families together.

How many times have you spoken at Mission Peoria? This the fourth time I had the honor of bringing God's Word to students and youth leaders at Mission Peoria. I have a special place in my soul for this ministry. And it's so much fun! More here on Mission Peoria.

Why are you constantly eating ice cream? Ice cream is how I make disciples. At the Ice Cream Shack with these crazies after speaking at Mission Peoria. Even more fun! I loved this time as much as I loved speaking at Mission Peoria.

What does disciplemaking like Jesus look like in real life today? The simplest understanding of what the Allisons and Cadre Missionaries are about can be summed up in the Disciplemaker's Prayer. What might God be able to do in and through us for His glory if we sought to live everyday like this? I dare you to try it.

Where would we be as a family and ministry without friends like you? There would be no Allison missionaries and no Cadre Ministries. Not joking when we say: We really are your disciplemaking missionaries serving Jesus with Cadre—and we thank God for you!

Sunday, July 16, 2017

We Would Love to Help YOU this Fall...

Please share this post with your pastor(s). Thanks.

Cadre missionaries are scheduling training right now for this fall.

Dates are filling up.

Here are some fun, biblical training experiences we'd love to bring to you and those who serve in ministry with you.

For more information, email us or call 815.501.3132.

The sooner the better.

Sunday, July 09, 2017

God, You, and the Challenge of a Lifetime...

In the following FREE audio, we'll explore...
* Why God requires sexual purity
* Joseph's secrets for sexual purity
* Fifteen little steps to trouble

Listen here.

But wait! There's more...

Go Deeper!
Biblical, practical, and transformational next steps for your purity journey. The transformation goes even deeper when you read and wrestle these PDFs with a friend or two.