Let's talk about your big BUT...

By far the single most important thing I did in 2012 that helped my relationship with God was reading through the Bible chronologically—with some friends.

In the words of Nacho Libre, "It's fantastic."

I'd like you join me in creating your own study group (face-to-face and/or online) to read through the Bible chronologically—together—this year.

But first, let's talk about your big BUT.

I know. You've tried to read the Bible in a year before, BUT about the time you got to Leviticus you ran out of gas. (pun intended.) Then you felt guilty about it. (I feel your pain.) You felt like such loser! (I may be projecting my own feelings onto you now.) Well, let me help you get over your big BUT by introducing you to… 

Did you get that? This year is the guilt-free—not the guil-ty—read-through-the-Bible-chronologically-in-a-year.

So what happens when you miss a day? A few days? A week? A month? Three months? Six months? A year? (Again, I might be projecting my own past failed experiences in reading through the Bible in a year onto you… sorry.) If you miss a day, week, or month or whatever, I invite you to simply start reading the Bible—not where you left off—but on whatever day it is that day. No Bible-reading mafia types will show up at your house to confiscate your Bible and break your legs. Seriously. No guilt. Say those words slowly right now out loud: "No. Guilt."

Why this approach? I suspect if you take this no guilt approach, you will actually read the Bible more this year than any other year in your life.  Next year, we can work on reading the WHOLEly Bible :  )

Here's the kicker: Reading through the Bible in a year takes only about 15 minutes a day, but it's 15 minutes a day that will change your life forever.

I'm up in your grill. I'm throwing it down baby. I dirty-double-dog-dare-you to read the Bible for 15 minutes day… and regularly share with some friends how God is changing your lives.

Following Jesus Together...

The best way to take this Bible reading adventure is to invite some friends you see and interact with often to take it with you. It was my wife who got me to do this in back in 2011. So I encourage you to invite your face-to-face friends to join you on this adventure.  You could use the "study and share method" (not to be confused with the Sonny and Cher method): Each person studies the daily readings at home, and then you gather weekly, twice a month, or whatever to share what you're learning with each other. Last year, Jason Schifo's church decided to read through the Bible together in a year—so they actually started a study-and-share Sunday school class. The whole class was simply sharing with each other what God was stirring and teaching in the previous seven days of readings.

BUT Who?
Not sure who you can invite to take this adventure with you? What about your spouse? Your mom or dad? Your kids? Friends from church? Small group? Neighbors? Coworkers? (I hope you're getting the idea that it's the people all around you everyday.)

While I prefer face-to-face gatherings for study and share, I also enjoy the study and share that happens via Facebook. You could start a no-guilt-read-through-the-Bible-together Facebook group right now. Such a group will make it possible for you to leave comments and share what your learning with each other. Most important, it will enable you to share how God is working in our lives as you read and apply his Word. 

Why all this reading the Bible together with friends? Friends don't let friends read the Bible alone. Even small children know that everything is better with a friend.

So, are you in? What is your next step in starting a group right now?

Great news! You don't need to get a new Bible to take this adventure! Here's the one year chronology I will be following this year. (Note: This is a slightly different chronology than in 2012.)

This one year chronological Bible reading plan is also available for FREE online at Youversion.com. You can sign up for the Chronological Reading Plan. Youversion makes it possible to not only read the Bible online in whatever version you choose (I'm bent on the New Living Translation this year again), but you can also listen to the audio of each day's readings for FREE!

Is your big BUT still getting in your way?
If yes, then watch this video.

The best disciplemaking training experience for jr. high/middle school students I've ever seen

We just invested a weekend encouraging and equipping junior high/middle school students to make disciples who make more disciples.

Yes, I said junior high and middle school students and disciplemaking in the same sentence.

I know, right?

For some strange unfortunate reason, junior high/middle school students are often regarded as the ugly step-daughter of youth ministry.

I couldn't disagree more.

When it comes to disciplemaking like Jesus, I think jr. high/middle school students can lead the way... for the high school students and adults. (Yeah... you'll probably need to reread that sentence again.)  I continually see it happen... and I saw it in Minnesota at the Equip Training Experience last month.

About 100 students and youth leaders from 5 different ministries from 3 different states gathered at Ridgewood Church in Minnetonka, MN for the Equip Training Experience. Almost every part of this equipping experience was led by the students (with adults in supporting roles)... including the training and worship times!

The training is fun, biblical, and highly interactive. No long lectures here. Lots of disciplemaking triads (groups of 3) wrestling Scripture for understanding and application... together. Plus, each day there are practical, hands on expressions of overflowing God's love to the world... so Equip isn't simply a seminar that happens at a church. It's an authentic disciplemaking training experience.

Right out of the Equip training manual (click the image to enlarge for reading). "Living as friends who follow Jesus together."AKA: Disciplemaking.

Lots of hands on learning activities... students with students... adults with students... all learning together and having a blast.

Here's another learning activity that included engaging students in God's Word, praying, and community.

Studying Scripture to know and love God... together. By now you might be thinking, "The middle school students in our ministry would never do what I'm seeing students do in these pictures." I say, they could and would... IF you would lead them there. Perhaps you are getting from junior high students what you expect. You don't expect much... and your getting exactly what you expect. Maybe you need to change your expectations.

Yes, students also serve at Equip behind the scenes. Everyone's got to eat during the weekend training experience. These crazy students and adults made some of the meals happen... and they had a ball while working for God and others... together.

Yep. Equip is a crazy fun and life-changing equipping experience designed to "equip" junior high and middle school students to be disciples who make disciples... who make more disciples.

Isn't that what Jesus really wants from all of us who claim to know and follow Him?

Bring your leaders and students to THIS Equip happening this summer in WI! (Click the image below to enlarge for reading.)

Want to learn how to bring the Equip Training Experience to your junior high/middle schoolers? 

Contact Cadre Ministries for complete details.

Don't use volunteers, disciple them!

The updated, revised, and expanded 2012 digital edition of Recruiting, Motivating, and Retaining Volunteers is a handbook for anyone who works with volunteers in a ministry setting. This digital book experience comes with videos and other digital extras that we hope will delight you.

* This book will show you how to get more people off the bench and into the game. 

* You'll explore what makes volunteers tick and why that matters. 

* You'll discover why good volunteers quit and how to keep this from happening.

In short, this is a handbook for finding, developing, and deploying volunteers for ministry (a.k.a. disciplemaking).

We hope you'll tell all your friends!

If the video doesn't appear, go here.

Click here for a FREE 17 page sample.




Get your complete digital copy now...
* Click here for the iBook version.
* Click here for Kindle, Nook, and other e-readers.
* Click here for hard copy printed book.

This updated, revised, and expanded 2012 edition of Cadre's classic handbook is for anyone who works with volunteers in a ministry setting. This digital book experience comes with videos and other digital extras we hope will delight you. Regular printed books will be available soon here.