Happy Birthday Cadence!

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I wonder what birthdays were like in Bible times. Did the Apostle Paul’s mother throw a celebration for him each year as he grew up? I also wonder what birthdays were like for the OCSC/Cadence missionary families who served overseas in the 1950’s. My Burundian friend Isaiah was in Colorado last year on his birthday, and we had a celebration for him. He had never been given a birthday cake and treating him to this American tradition was fun.

In this day and age in our Western culture, birthdays are often given a lot of attention. I celebrated my 48th birthday earlier this year while on a trip to Ukraine, which meant it was quite a bit different than normal. Of course, my family threw me a birthday party when I returned home, for which I was grateful. (Read more about the visit to Ukraine at Cadence.org/Ukraine2024.)

This year, Cadence is celebrating its 70th birthday as a mission organization! We don’t want this significant occasion to slip by without taking time to remember what God has done over the years in the lives of Cadence staff and the military communities they serve.

Gift-giving, an important aspect of birthday celebrations in the U.S., is something we read about in the Bible. We have many examples of people offering their gifts at the altar, which were acts of love and sacrifice. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the idea of gift-giving to illustrate God’s goodness revealed through answered prayer (Matthew 7:7–11). Paul wrote to the church in Rome that salvation through Jesus is a free gift of grace (Romans 5:12–21).

Your gifts to Cadence are acts of faith and reflect the goodness and generosity of Jesus. So, on behalf of our staff and the whole of Cadence, as we celebrate our significant birthday, I say, “Thank you!” Your gifts are a strong source of encouragement to all of us.

We are grateful for your faithful partnership in 70 years of sharing the gospel and our lives with the military.

With gratitude,
Brian Kleager
VP for Strategic Partnerships and Public Relations

We invite you to celebrate our 70th birthday with us!

Reminisce with stories and photos on our History page.

Get involved with the Cadence Alumni.

Support the ongoing mission of Cadence with a birthday gift through The ’54 Fund.