Summer: 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 my friend, Sir Randy Tuthill.

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!

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.