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Showing posts from June, 2012

Disciplemaking: You can't be what you can't see

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Disciplemaking is about imitation… not just information. (If video doesn't appear, click here .) For more about a living Jesus-like disciplemaking way of life, go here .

Why I still love camp ministry...

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Just back from a fantastic week of summer camp with a camp full of junior high students at Timber-lee in East Troy, WI.  This ain't your grandma's camp… see ridiculously fun interpretive dance video below: (If video doesn't appear, go here. ) Every morning and evening I had the honor of bringing God's word at chapel. The students and staff of Timber-lee threw themselves into worshiping Jesus.  The different cabins and groups made up fun themes for each day. Here's Mustache Monday. Nice. An fun and encouraging note one of the students about how our family had impacted. The theme of our camp this year was Transform (based on Romans 12:2). Since I don't have any magic ways to transform students, I invited them to study the Bible for themselves and talk directly to God. Guess what? Students testified that God had indeed begun to transform them. Funny what happens when we get out of God's way. Ivy enjoyed the lake at Timber-lee… es

Yodeling with my friend Jesus

A disciplemaking way of life means you do everything with Jesus... even yodeling. (If video doesn't appear, go here .)

A prayer that will change your life...

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"Honestly, I think T he Disciplemaker's Prayer is one of the easiest, most tangible, momentum gathering resources for disciplemaking that I have seen. It prompts people to begin praying for disciplemaking to happen even if they don't yet fully understand all the shifts that a disciplemaking-centered ministry calls for.  When I share this prayer with others, I see their eyes open as they get for the first time what I mean when I say we need to be more intentional in disciplemaking (and even in evangelism). The prayer lived out is giving us clarity and missional shift. I especially like The Disciplemaker’s Living Guide , page 1 as it invites a conversation on the prayer through the lens of Scripture." —Pastor  Justin For the next 21 days, I challenge you to pray The Disciplemaker's Prayer every day… and see what God does in your life. (Click the image to enlarge for reading… and praying.) Here's something that's way better than prayin

Monday Funday: My camp survival kit

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I'm speaking at Timber-Lee Camp  this week. This is my camp survival kit: My Cuisinart coffee maker, Eysals Coffee , and yes… we bring our own water for coffee when we're at camp. Gotta control all the variables if you want to make coffee at the level I have grown to love. Can you say "coffee snob"? I would deeply appreciate your prayers for us this week as I speak to about 400-500 junior high students. Some of these students don't have a relationship with Jesus but need to! Many of these students have a relationship with Jesus… but they need to re-engage it. So please pray for us all. I will be speaking every morning and evening. I ask you to pray what Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him: "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.... Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." —Colossians 4:2-3 THANK YOU for saying a quick prayer for us… RIGHT NOW!

The Disciplemaking Dad

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by Bill Allison This morning I read 1 Chronicles 27. For the most part, it's a pretty boring list of names of dead guys. (Just keeping it real people.) However, near the end of the chapter, I read something that really piqued my interest. (Or perhaps that's just when my coffee kicked in?) In a list of people who worked for King David, I read this little tidbit:  "Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king's sons."   —1 Chronicles 27:32b Hmmm. So David farmed out his responsibilities of fathering his sons to another guy? Frankly, I don’t know to what extent David abdicated his fatherly responsibilities to Jehiel instead of being with his children himself—but David's fatherly neglect seems to be significant in the Bible (1 Kings 1:6). This certainly helps explain some of the reasons for the crazy family life David had (see 2 Samuel 13-19 for specific Davidic family train wrecks).  In spite of all his success as a king, it seems David wasn'

Monday Funday: On love, marriage, and clueless men

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This year (2018), Stacy and I celebrated 30 years of marriage! (And they said it would never last! But enough about my in-laws. Just kidding… they might be reading this.) I think Stacy deserves some sort of marriage metal of honor for being married to me all these years. Let's face it people. I mean well, but, as a man, I'm fairly clueless. Sometimes I even want to "get it" but just can't. (Oh the stories Stacy could tell :  ) For example, when I first read the Song of Solomon, God's handbook on love and marriage, I wasn't picking up what Solomon was laying down. Know what I mean? Based on the poetic descriptions given by the Lover… here's how I pictured the woman: "How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. ... Your hair is like a flock of goats... Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes... Your lips are like a scarlet thread, Your temples are like a slice of pomegra

The place where all real leadership must begin...

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If you're not trying to become a good leader at home, you're not a leader. You're an actor. And if you think leadership at home is you doing all the talking and decision-making while your wife and kids mindlessly submit, you're not a leader. You're a dictator. And if you think that a top-down type of "leadership" is going to actually work effectively anywhere besides the military, you're not a leader. You're a comedian. So what does leadership in the home really look like? Here's a thought . You, Me, and Coffee Monday...   Let me encourage you and make you think ONE 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.  Check  your email to confirm . You can unsubscribe at any time.

I'm not babysitting, I'm fathering

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Often when I'm in public with my kids and my wife isn't there , people take a look at all of us and then smile and politely say to me, "You're baby sitting today." Excuse me?  Babysitting?  Really? I know they're trying to be nice, but let's think about this for a moment. The only way I'd be babysitting in this scenario is IF I were with someone else's kids. When I'm with my kids, I'm not a babysitter. I'm a father. So, let's call it what it really is: fathering. And let's call fathering what it really is... disciplemaking . Let me encourage you most Mondays ! Track with me on social media!      Instagram            Facebook            Twitter       

Monday Funday: Jesus' Church Growth Chart

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