|
Meet the
Staff
Here is the
Finishers Staff based in Gilbert,
AZ.
L to R : Tom Adelsman,
Colleen Erdmann, Paul Erdmann, Renee Ladd, and Don
Parrott |
|
Coming Events
Click on
these links to find more information about each
event.
Chicago, IL -
Apr 24-26
Dallas, TX - May 29-31
Philadelphia, PA - Jun
26-28
Atlanta, GA - Oct
16-18
|
Affiliate
Organizations
|
 www.GOCASA.org  www.SignificantLiving.org | |
The Bridge serves to keep you
connected with the amazing ministry and impact of
Finishers Project. We welcome your feedback, so
please call or write.
|
Challenges, Obstacles or
Benefits?
Most
of us tend to be time-oriented and linear in our
thinking. We easily see things laid out on a
timetable, moving from left to right. The left end
is where we are currently and the right is where we want
to be...our goal...the target. We also like to see
the line as free from obstacles as possible. A
clean, straight line means we will have an easier,
faster time getting to our desired goal. Bumps,
curves and barriers along the line are things to be
removed and avoided in order to hit the target.
The most important part is the goal at the end.
This is what we desire and anything getting in the way
is not desirable. This is common sense and easy to
understand. We all accept it. We all endorse
it. It's the way we were taught to look at our
future and achieve our goals.
There
is another way. It tends to see the journey as
just as important as the end. What might be seen
as obstacles can be seen as benefits. They are
actually helping to fulfill the goal, but because we are
focused on our particular target, we do not see the
connection between overcoming the obstacle and the goal
it is trying to achieve. Sometimes we refer to
this perspective as a "kingdom perspective." It is
seeing God's goals for what he wants us to "be", not
what we want to "do."
God
is always about the journey. Yes, the journey is
going somewhere, but the getting there is what he uses
to develop in us the character qualities he desires for
us. The life-qualities he knows we need come from
dealing with what we commonly see as challenges and
obstacles. We focus on the end, the goal, the
target. We think in terms of time, in timelines,
in achieving a goal. God seems to think another
way. He is more concerned in who we are not in
what we might accomplish. He knows that deep
fulfillment, personal satisfaction, self-worth, these
inner strengths and qualities, come from trusting him as
we embrace life's challenges. Achieving goals is
worthy and satisfying, but the satisfaction tends to
fade and we need another goal achievement to find that
feeling again. What develops inwardly as we trust
God through challenges is deeper, long-lasting and
brings personal satisfaction because of who we are
becoming, not because of what we are doing.
Six "Challenges"
Quite
often in Finishers events we speak of the most common
challenges Boomers face as they consider moving from the
marketplace into new ministry positions. Over the next
few editions of The Bridge I would like to identify
these seeming "challenges" and shed some light on how we
might see them as "benefits" for us along our
journey. The six are: Faith, Finances, Family, Fit,
Future and Fight. (Clever
alliteration don't you think?!) The purpose of
examining these benefits is to help us see that God is
really carefully managing our journey, and not getting
in the way of a desired goal with all these obstacles.
|
We've
Updated! So Should You!
If
you have submitted a profile on the Finishers web site
in the past, we encourage you to log in to your account
and review your information. We have added a new section
to your profile titled Training/Experience, which you
will want to complete. Updating your profile will
generate a new list of organizations matching
your service and ministry selections.
Begin with the Contact Information and then continue
with Service Preferences, Training/Experience, and
Ministry Preferences. If, on the Confirmation page, you
see "No answer"
in any field, you will need to go BACK and complete that
information. Forgot your username or password? Call
864-578-8622 or email headquarters@finishers.org
|
Retreats
for Prospective
Missionaries
"The Journey Deepens" is
a weekend retreat to help prospects explore what it is
like to be a missionary, discover whether a missionary
or sender role is God's fit, and connect with mission
agencies. This is for high school seniors, college
students, young adults, mid-lifers, baby boomers --
anyone willing to explore becoming a missionary. Each
retreat of 50 participants and 10 missionary coaches
from multiple agencies is highly relational with
extended worship, small group discussions, personal
reflection and much prayer. Discussions include
guidance, finances, singles/families, etc.
The four 2009 retreats are
Chicago - Apr 24-26, Dallas - May 29-31, Philadelphia -
Jun 26-28, Atlanta - Oct16-18.
Presented by Finishers/MissionNext and co-sponsored by
ACMC, Caleb Resources, Perspectives and the U.S. Center
for World Mission. For more info and online intro video
visit www.thejourneydeepens.com
|
Another
Successful Connection
"I've
been listed on Finishers for a couple of years now.
Through your agency I've been contacted by many overseas
agencies and am now finishing up 1-1/2 years serving as
guidance counselor and middle school teacher with an
international school in a middle eastern country. I have
found the experience very rewarding and, once again
through Finishers, have connected with a different
agency with whom I'm going to begin serving after
participating in their candidate orientation."
"R"
| |
|
|
Don
Parrott
CEO,The Finishers Project
| | |
