COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (ANS) – A bold new movement is seeking to shake up America’s sleepy retirement culture — and help retirees abandon their fears and follow God’s path for their “last quarter” of life.
The Retirement Reformation (www.retirementreformation.org) aims to rally America’s retirees to serve God’s Kingdom and has unveiled a Prayer Walk Guide and new smartphone app devotional to help seniors find their higher purpose during their “golden years.”
“As Christ followers, we need to realize that in God’s eyes we’re never ‘over the hill,'” said 77-year-old Bruce Bruinsma, founder of the Retirement Reformation and author of the soon-to-be-released book of the same name. “We should think less about how we can take it easy during our final quarter, and instead focus on how we can ‘finish well’ for God’s Kingdom.”
For many Christians approaching retirement, financial fears and health worries guide their planning – but the missing ingredient in their plans is often prayer, said Bruinsma, a longtime financial advisor. Prayer, Bruinsma said, is key to living a purposeful life in retirement and knowing what God wants you to do.
The Retirement Reformation’s free Prayer Walk Guide — and the PrayerMate phone app devotional connected with the movement — aims to mobilize an army of gray-haired go-getters. The prayer guide and phone app can be downloaded free from the Retirement Reformation website.
“Walking and talking with God will bring freedom, direction, and wisdom,” Bruinsma said. “Most Christians tend to follow the world’s pattern of rest and self-pampering during retirement. However, our last quarter could be our best season if we take advantage of a life’s worth of knowledge and experience.”
The Prayer Walk Guide provides inspiration and tips to help seniors pray with purpose — covering their neighborhood, church, local government, and others in prayer. The PrayerMate app — a third-party service — helps retirees seek guidance in making decisions, renew their spirit and find peace, not fear, in the future.
Religious retirees represent a huge untapped missions force, with an estimated 50 million American Christ followers approaching or in retirement. By 2022, one-in-three U.S. workers will be 50 or older, according to seniors advocacy group AARP.
“When the world says it’s time to stop, you could begin to have your greatest impact,” Bruinsma said.
Retirement Reformation (www.retirementreformation.org) was founded to help Christians approach retirement as an opportunity to worship and serve God in new ways, sharing their wisdom, experience and resources. It also assists churches and organizations in maximizing the gifts of a largely untapped constituency by equipping older members and supporters for active involvement in ministry.
