RETIRE OR REFIRE! (on Retirement)
A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier
When I turned 65 I retired from full time ministry. Ministry can be an exacting calling requiring long hours and an unending commitment to fulfill it. (Remember, our “Boss” neither slumbers nor does He sleep).
At first I tried activity and hobbies using interaction with people to justify continuing ministry through life style outreach. It just wasn’t me. Also, my husband and I wanted to travel and see some of God’s great creation like the Grand Canyon for example.
However, when there is a call on your life and you know it is to minister to children, there doesn’t seem to be that much opportunity to reach that demographic when you are over 70. I asked God if He would show me how to use my gifting so I could be just as fruitful as when I worked full time for him. This is what He told me to do. I went to our home church (the first one we had NOT pastored) and asked if they could use some help in Children’s Ministry. They were starting two services on Sunday morning and it was the right time. When they found out I had my own curriculum they were even happier. This worked really well for me as my curriculum was embedded in my heart and I did not have to study to present it – just pray.
Because we now spend several months in Florida yearly we asked our home church there if they could use some help in Children’s Ministry. They also were delighted and I could reuse the teaching from my home church in Niagara Falls. I had enough room in my fifth wheel trailer to bring a few puppets and props that I needed. Then my husband asked if he could help me teach using my methods (not just sermonizing as he did over the years) and he developed a strong call to help me.
Then Patti asked me to participate in this blog so I could continue to teach children’s teachers by using my own ministry experience. So now I haven’t retired – just refired and I feel just as fulfilled as I did with full time ministry. God is so faithful!
Click here for Children’s Ministry Resources.