STORIES FROM THE FIELD
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Maintain
Paul’s call in Ephesians 4:3 includes a powerful word: “maintain.” Unity in the body of Christ is not something we manufacture—it is something we receive from the Spirit, who calls us to preserve it.
At Cadence International, we recognize that unity is both a gift and a stewardship. In our unique ministry context, where cultures, backgrounds, and deployments converge, our missionaries work daily to maintain the bond of peace that the Spirit has already forged.
From the Field
The InCadence Podcast:
Stories of God’s work in and through the military.
Kingdom Connections
American military personnel are accustomed to packing up and going wherever the military sends them, whether it is a six-month unaccompanied deployment or a three-year duty assignment in the U.S. or overseas. Accordingly, Cadence staff may have only a few months to invest in those who attend their ministry and usually no more than three years.
This Present Moment
“Really, God?”
Am I the only one who asks that question from time to time? Over and over, I have found myself in new environments. Military moves, different ministry locations, and changing seasons of life bring new relationships and variables, and it can be so easy in those moments to feel the weight of change.
Love Freely Given
“I remember going to the Vilseck Hospitality House for the first time. Initially, I was scared that my past would mean that I was too broken of a person to fit in amongst everyone there. I assumed that everyone around me was perfect Christians who had their lives together and that I was a disaster. I was so wrong.”
Happy Birthday Cadence!
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.
Kingdom Connections
American military personnel are accustomed to packing up and going wherever the military sends them, whether it is a six-month unaccompanied deployment or a three-year duty assignment in the U.S. or overseas. Accordingly, Cadence staff may have only a few months to invest in those who attend their ministry and usually no more than three years.
This Present Moment
“Really, God?”
Am I the only one who asks that question from time to time? Over and over, I have found myself in new environments. Military moves, different ministry locations, and changing seasons of life bring new relationships and variables, and it can be so easy in those moments to feel the weight of change.
Love Freely Given
“I remember going to the Vilseck Hospitality House for the first time. Initially, I was scared that my past would mean that I was too broken of a person to fit in amongst everyone there. I assumed that everyone around me was perfect Christians who had their lives together and that I was a disaster. I was so wrong.”
Happy Birthday Cadence!
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.
Ohana Night
We are delighted for you to hear from one of our full-time Cadence missionaries, Melissa Rafferty, who is serving in Okinawa, Japan. Melissa joined Cadence in 2011 with a desire to share the gospel and her life with young men and women in the military.
Partnership in Ministry
Every year in March, the leaders of various military ministries gather at the FCMM (Fellowship of Military Ministries) conference. Cadence recently brought a team of leaders (photo above) to San Antonio, Texas to connect, collaborate, and coordinate with other ministry leaders.
Support in the Midst of Uncertainty
“There is so much uncertainty for military families right now. This is a very turbulent and strange place. The families feel this and are looking for connection and support. The Cadence model provides this really well.”
Hospitality
“I’ve become a better leader and teacher because Ben trusted me with opportunities for both.”
A young soldier said this to me recently as we were visiting the Fort Hood Soldiers Hospitality House. Ben and Melody Bloker have directed this ministry for over six years and have seen countless lives, including this soldier, transformed by Christ.
Filling Our Rooms
“She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.” Luke 2:7 NLT
The very entry of the Son of God into this world was a moment of unwelcomed displacement because there was “no lodging available for them.” In fact, this little family was on the road in flight to Egypt when Jesus was still very young.
Transformed Lives
Joyce and I really enjoyed our recent trip to visit our Cadence staff in Europe. We participated in their field-wide retreat as well as visited all our ministries and staff in Germany. What joy we experienced as we engaged in their gatherings, heard their stories and challenges, and had wonderful conversations with military people.
Leadership and Influence
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on my favorite leadership passage in Scripture.
Speaking of King David, the psalmist Asaph says, “He chose his servant David, and took him from the sheepfold; from tending the nursing ewes he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel, his inheritance. With upright heart he tended them, and guided them with skillful hand.” Psalm 78:71–72 NRSV
40 Years of Student Ministry
Cadence Student Ministries is celebrating 40 years of ministry to the military!
In the summer of 1981, four students from Multnomah School of the Bible (now Multnomah University) formed a quartet called Malachi Singers.
The Gardener’s Legacy
Dick was a pioneer and started many new ministries, conferences, retreats, and other events and resources for the military. He and Margaret excelled in hospitality, eternally impacting many hundreds of people a few at a time in the warmth and love of their home.