Staying Alive: Why I’m Not Retiring

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A couple of years ago, with the option of retirement looming ever larger, I sat down and asked myself if I really wanted to do that. I had never thought I would want to retire. I love to work and I love my work. But I thought I should at least give the leisure life some serious consideration. So sit down I did, and five minutes later I had my answer. Nope, the last thing I want to do is retire. I had three reasons not to: money, joy, and calling.

As you may have already deduced, there’s not a lot of money in men’s ministry. Never has been. Never will be. I joke about how my non-profit is very successful at not making a profit. We’re a Fortune Five Million Corporation. The low salary with no benefits means I would be a direct beneficiary if some of the suggested minimum wage laws I hear about were passed in my state.

I’m not complaining at all. I’m just stating the facts. But these facts mean that, if I’m going to help make my wife’s retirement secure and enjoyable – and she definitely deserves a great retirement after forty years in a highly demanding job – then it would be advantageous for me to work as long as I can.

The second reason I’m not retiring is just the pure joy of what I’m doing. No one else in the entire world gets to do what I do – help churches use teams of men to serve the widowed and single parents. I can’t wait to go to bed at night so I can get up early and work. I normally start writing at 5:00 am. My work is challenging, rewarding, and requires imagination and creativity. Who wouldn’t want to do this? I would be crazy to quit and just sit at home watching reruns of House Hunters on HGTV (“I think they’ll choose the second house.”)

The third reason I’m not retiring is the most important. Helping churches start men’s team ministries is my calling. The need is great and and I’m not even close to reaching my goal of every church in America with a men’s team ministry. Lord willing, I figure I can minister for another fifteen to twenty years. During this time I plan to continue to train men online to do men’s team ministry in their churches. My hope is to develop the website (NewCommandment.org) to the point where it will perpetually train thousands and thousands of men to serve their widowed and single parents long after I die.

And how cool would that be?

This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.

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Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom

and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.

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