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Coming Events
Click on
these links to find more information about each
event.
Dallas, TX
May 29-31
Philadelphia, PA
Jun 26-28
Atlanta, GA
Oct 16-18
Cleveland/Akron, OH
September 25-26
Ft. Collins,
CO
October 9-10
November 6-7
Phoenix, AZ
November 20-21
Tyler, TX
January 29-30,
2010
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Affiliate
Organizations
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 www.GOCASA.org  www.SignificantLiving.org  www.TheJourneyDeepens.com | |
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.
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Six
"Challenges" or "Benefits", depending on your
perspective.
This month we are
featuring the fourth of six "challenges" Boomers face
when considering ministry in a missions-related
role. The six are: Faith, Finances, Family,
Fit, Future and Fight. 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.
Fit: the fourth
"challenge", "obstacle", or "opportunity", depending on
your perspective.
If you are a Baby Boomer,
who has spent the majority of your life up to now
working in positions not usually referred to as
"ministry" roles, it could be that the best years of
your life are still ahead of you! That's because
the methods by which we carry the love and testimony of
Jesus are growing more broadly every day.
When we hear the words "missions" or
"missionary" most of us immediately think of definitions
mainly coming from our younger years. These were
people who had Bible training, church ministry
experience and were dedicated to full-time ministry
somewhere overseas. So when someone talks to us
about a "missions" or "ministry" role in our latter
years, we logically wonder how we might "fit." We
don't have the background and training which seem to be
necessary for such a future role. Our education,
training and work experience are nothing like what we
think of for a full-time ministry role. We just
can't see a possible fit.
But that is all
changing! If you are sensing a discontent with how you
are currently investing your life, and wondering if
there might be something more, it may be that God is
about to open the door to a whole new phase of
significance for you. If that is true, you can
rest assured that the training and experience you have
developed to this point has been designed by God to
prepare you for the next phase. Even though you
may not see any direct correlation between the work you
have done in the past and a new ministry role, know
this: What we are doing at any given time always
has two purposes. The obvious first purpose is to
accomplish what we are responsible for right now...our
work tasks, our family responsibilities, relationships,
etc. The second purpose is that we are preparing
for the next phase of our life. We usually do not
know what that next phase will entail, but we can trust
that God is using present circumstances to prepare us
for future needs.
Aligned with this
essential principle are the wonderful new ways God is
opening doors for his gospel to penetrate this
world. The future of the North American
contribution to expand God's kingdom worldwide will look
somewhat similar to the first century church. When
the persecution began in Jerusalem, Christ-followers
left that city and moved to other locations where they
had job possibilities or family. Once there, they
naturally talked about the impact Jesus had made in
their lives. The result was the expanding of God's
kingdom. A similar thing is happening today, and
it may be that God has been preparing you for just such
a time as this.
A future change for you may
not be because of persecution, but the training and work
experience you have developed over the years may be what
will open the door for you to move to another area, and
while there, you can naturally talk about the impact
Jesus has had in your life. So when we think of
"missions", "missionary" and "ministry", we are now
thinking of a new paradigm. We are thinking of
people who will find a "fit" because of their
skills and training, and that new fit will enable them
to make a difference for Jesus! Could that be
you?
If you have not already done so, may I
suggest you fill out your profile on our website at www.finishers.org/index.php?id=5
Doing so will connect you with ministry
opportunities which are in line with the interests you
indicate in your profile. If you have already
submitted a profile, I encourage you to take a fresh
look at it and make any modifications based on your
changing circumstances. Perhaps a new "fit" is
waiting for you!
Some Practical
Suggestions:
One of the most significant
contributions to the changing "missions" world of today
is the unique "matching" software on the Finishers
website. This service provides potential ministry
fits for you by matching your interests with thousands
of positions here in the U.S. and abroad. If you
have not developed your profile on the site at www.finishers.org , under the section
for Individuals, I suggest you do so and pray that God
will use this tool to open doors for you. If you
have done a profile in the past, I suggest you update it
to reflect your current situation and
interests.
Finishers has developed a
high-quality weekend resource called the Finishers
Forum. The content is designed to answer the
questions commonly raised by mid-life adults who are
considering how to invest their lives for greater
impact. Alongside the effective content there are
two significant features: Nearly one-third of the
time is dedicated to allowing participants to interact
face-to-face with leaders of local and global
ministries, talking about possible "fits." And,
for the four large-group sessions, participants are
seated at round tables, allowing for interaction with
others on the same journey.
For anyone
seriously interested in cross-cultural work, but would
like some input from someone with overseas experience,
Finishers holds weekend retreats called The Journey
Deepens. Participants are prayerfully placed in
groups of 6-8 people of similar age and interest,
coached by two experienced cross-cultural workers.
This small-group format allows for a high level of
communication and rich interaction with the participants
and coaches.
Finishers offers these
resources to be of help to you. That's our whole
reason for existence. If you see how any of these
suggestions might be helpful, please take the next
step.
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If You Have Not Attended
A Finishers Forum...
...maybe this Fall is
the right time for you. These quality weekend
conferences are designed to bring together mid-life
adults who are thinking about the same things regarding
their future...how can I make a difference...how do I
really want to invest the time and energy I have in the
coming years...is there really a good fit for me in a
ministry role, right here at home or even abroad?
Below are the dates and locations
and you can register online once you
decide:
Cleveland/Akron Ohio, September
25-26
Ft. Collins, Colorado, October
9-10
Albuquerque, New Mexico, November
6-7
Phoenix, Arizona, November
20-21
Tyler, Texas, January 29-30, 2010
Go to our website, www.finishers.org for more information
- click on the "Events"
tab. |
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Are You wondering if Cross-Cultural Ministry is
for You?
If so, The
Journey Deepens retreat can help you process that
question. The setting and format for these unique
weekends is more like a retreat setting instead of a
conference setting. Each participant is matched up
with a person with cross-cultural ministry experience,
in a small group with others of similar age and ministry
experience. Below are the dates and locations for
upcoming retreats, and you can register online by going
to www.finishers.org Events,
Regional Events, then The Journey Deepens.
May 29-31, Dallas, TX
June
26-28, Philadelphia, PA
October 16-18, Atlanta,
GA | |
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Don
Parrott
CEO,The Finishers Project
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Just Released in
May!