Finishing Well, What’s Next? – by Tim Olson
Oct 19th, 2009 | By MCC Moderator | Category: Missions Coaching
When it comes to coaching missionaries, a certain picture of a missionary comes into focus for me. Who comes to your mind?
There is one group in particular that we often miss – the retiring Baby Boomer generation. We are currently experiencing the first generation of people who have enough health, time and money to still have a life after retirement. Millions of “Boomers” are asking, “What’s next?”
Thousands of them are Christians, motivated to share their talents, gifts and faith – or are they? Often they don’t think of missions, are frightened by what it might mean, or simply don’t understand how badly they are needed. Others only need some encouragement and challenge.
Do you think mission fields across the world would like to get their hands on this group of highly trained and equipped people, even for a few weeks, months, or possibly a year or two?
As mission coaches, what might be our role in terms of creating awareness, encouragement and accountability? The mindset here is to coach people to think of finishing life well, to be legacy minded, to make a difference for the Kingdom, to use all those acquired abilities for the benefit of future generations, to use the wisdom of years and not let it grow idle as opposed to simply retiring to warmth, travel and golf.
One way to help discover the interests of Boomers is to ask them to answer three simple questions. Then, by grouping the responses, you have an interest platform upon which those people can build and discover together new expressions of ministry in order to make a difference.
1. What do you worry about?
2. What do you wonder about?
3. What do you wish for – your dreams?
These questions come from an organization set up specifically to match the skills and interests of boomers with over 80 mission organizations that are looking for their help. It is aptly named Finishers Project and can be found at www.finishers.org. They are equipped with significant resources for both the coach and retiree wondering about what to do for their “next life.”
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Tim Olson has his own business as a personal life coach after years as a pastor, teacher, school principal, business owner and missionary. He serves as a leadership coach for the National Fathering Ministry staff both in the US and in Ukraine. Tim received his training in the Christian track of Institute for Life Coach Training, is a member of Christian Coaches Network and co-founded Mission Coaches Network. For more, see www.TimOlsonLifeCoach.com
Tim,
Would love to learn more about Mission Coaches Network and you work. I share your burden for the returning missionaries having been there and done that! Look forward to learning from those that have been doing coaching with missionaries.
In HIM,
kmack