Do something remarkable for others overseas in your retirement – using these 4 key steps. Posted on October 12, 2018October 12, 2018 by Peter Meadows Travel may well be among your plans during your years of active retirement. But what about combining it with doing something amazing – for others and for you? Indeed, there are more opportunities to make a ‘hands-on’ difference overseas than ever before. So if you envy the many young adults doing mission trips, now’s the time for yours. Interested? Then here’s your 4 key steps to getting it right and probably the adventure of a lifetime. 1.Asses what you have to offer Making a short-term impact overseas is not all about having the stamina to build a school. Far from it. During your working life you’ll have gathered skills and experience that, almost certainly, match what is in need – either by doing it yourself or sharing what you know. To help you identify what you have that would fit, there’s a wide range of assessment tools here. 2.Decide how much time you want to commit Opportunities overseas often split into – Short-term – less than 3 months: This might be visits with a team, a short placement at a project or alongside a mission worker Medium term – 3-12 months: This includes gap-year type placements or opportunities that fit within a year, like teaching in an international school Long term -1 year +: term: This tends to be for open-ended opportunities. This doesn’t mean staying for a long time but that the commitment isn’t limited and may include a return to the UK every year for a break. 3.Find the best fit for you Want to serve in a Christian context? Then your first stop would be OSCAR. It’s a specialist clearing house and advice centre with everything you need. Use their website to – Search for opportunities that match your criteria. To comply with discrimination laws they can’t specify an age range. So assume they are all open to receiving enquiries from someone actively retired. Compile a list of possibilities. Even if not everything matches, if there’s something that interests you about the organisation/opportunity, include them too. Contact those on your list. Tell them about you. They will be able to see if they have something matching what you’re after. Be open to discovery. You may be surprised to find organisations catching your interest due to something they do or where they work. Keep them in your picture too. Find something you believe in. If you are investing your time and talents you need to fully believe in what it does and how it does it. Apply. Eventually you’ll decide which ones to apply to. This process is also a time for helping you select the right one. This isn’t like a normal job application, you are both trying to assess what God may have in mind. Tap into help. Once you’ve nailed this down, use OSCAR for everything else you need to sort out like travel, insurance, and health checks. There are also opportunities through non-church sources such as – VSO – with opportunities for those up to 75 and including short-term assignments. HelpX – an online listing of opportunities for short-term work in exchange for food and accommodation. In a typical arrangement a helper works an average of 4 hours per day in exchange for free accommodation and meals. 4.Go as a servant Don’t go as a rescuer – the hero or heroine ready to end the plight of ‘the poor native’. Rather, go to server those who are the true heroes and heroines– bravely battling against the odds to make life better for themselves and others. Poor communities need the dignity of deciding and managing their own future – a future in which God is already at work. Joining in is a privilege that calls for humility and a servant attitude. But what an opportunity and privilege. It could beat a cruise hands down every time. And to explore in more depth see our webpages on serving internationally. Peter Meadows Peter is AfterWorkNet’s Programme Director. He uses his retirement to help churches, resource inter-church initiatives, enjoy his eight grandchildren, escape to Spain and to spend his kids’ inheritance. Do you have any experience – good or bad – about volunteering overseas? Or some wisdom to share? Then do please comment here or on our Facebook.
Since when did the end of paid work mean the end of being salt and light? Posted on July 19, 2018July 19, 2018 by Dave Fenton Please forgive me for being blunt. But I’ve seen it far too often. Paid work comes to an end and people put their discipleship feet up as well. In which case, please let me ask you a simple question. Now you are in your ‘after-work’ days, how are you doing in response to Jesus’ expectation for you to be the ‘salt and light’ this world desperately needs? Because that’s what Jesus told his followers they were to be – ‘salt and light’. And he did not add ‘until you get your P45’. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how salty are you being in your new era? And how bright is your light shining? Come on, honestly! These next years are a precious gift from God to you. How are you going to invest them – especially in view of what Jesus said to his first followers? One Bible translation expresses his words like this: ‘You are to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. It shines out with hope’. The Message. This is not a suggestion, but a firm and clear expectation. Of course it’s ok to enjoy well-earned relaxation and new experiences after a lifetime of work. But it’s not ok to also lose our flavour or hide our lamp in the process. In fact, with full-time work behind us, there are even more opportunities to flavour the lives of others and hold up a light that shows the way. And so to make a Christian difference in our family, our church and our community. What being ‘salt and light’ looks like Salt: This little white stuff not only adds flavour to food but has great properties of healing and preserving. In the same way, Jesus says, our lives should enrich those around us and makes life better and more wholesome. Light: We take light for granted – it’s always there when we need it. But in Jesus’ day powered by oil lamps rather than electricity they depended on a cluster of lights from houses on a hill to point travellers to where they could find shelter, safety and hospitality. This is what God calls us to be – at every stage of life. It means taking the salt out of the packet and putting the light where it is needed. But how? Here are three simple ways to intentionally be salt and light. 1.By being: In the same way salt imparts seasoning, we are to enrich those around us by the way we live. By ‘being there’ and living Jesus’ way, we can humbly help people to see a better way to live. 2.By speaking: There will be occasions when living right is not enough and words are needed. Ideally in answer to questions provoked by the quality of the life we are trying to lead. At other times, our voice will be one of wisdom, or love, or compassion. 3.By serving: Jesus’ words could not be clearer –being salt and light involves action so that our ‘deeds shine out for all to see, so everyone will praise your heavenly Father’. This offers those of us who are retired and active an inexhaustible set of opportunities. Some will be in our day-to-day lives. Others will mean taking decisive action. This might be through – Your church – from being a Street Pastor to helping at a food bank. From offering debt counselling to assisting with a night shelter during the winter. For lots of ideas see our web page Your Church. Your community – from volunteering in a local charity shop to being a local counsellor. From visiting those who are lonely to buddying with an adult with learning disabilities. For lots of ideas see our web page Your Community. Overseas – from short-term volunteering to raising funds for those in need. From praying for a missionary, to sending out home comforts to enjoy. And more. For lots of ideas see our web page Internationally. Far from it being ‘game over’ when retirement comes, it should be ‘game on’. The opportunities to live as Jesus had in mind are endless – and far too good to miss. Dave Fenton Dave is a retired clergyman spending his after-work time lecturing at Moorlands College, building relationships and sharing his faith at his local golf club, and escaping to a cliff-top caravan in Cornwall where his seven grandchildren enjoy the local surfing beach. Do you have something to say about Salt and Light? Then do please add your comment. We’d love to hear from you. Please share this blog. It’s so easy.
The 6 keys to a longer and healthier life Posted on May 9, 2018May 10, 2018 by Peter Meadows Why may some of us live longer and heathier than others? Once we could have put it down to our genes. And, to some extent, it still is. But it‘s also about the life-style choices we make, according to Dr Roger Landry, author of Live Long, Die Short. The differences between older adults who are healthier in later years and those not, says Dr Landry, are physical and intellectual. With it boiling down to 6 key issues that determine how well and how long we will live. Here they come. The headings and medical info are Dr Landry’s and the application and examples are mine –. Having a purpose: This is about choosing to do things that matter rather than vegetating or drifting. For many this means volunteering – something that’s associated with reducing risk of blood pressure and heart disease, improving memory and brain function, and slowing down physical disability.To explore your options, see our website on Being socially connected: Although mainly an issue for later years, the lack of interaction with others can impact even in the early after-work years. Loneliness can lead to depression, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more. Taking steps to stay connected with family and friends, and finding new social connections is good for your health.For more on the issue see our website on Loneliness. Keeping the brain healthy: There’s evidence that maintaining a healthy brain contributes to overall good health. And this is not just about doing a daily crossword. Contributors to brain health include eating healthily, managing stress and regular exercise. But it also means keeping the brain active and challenged – perhaps through volunteering or taking up a new hobby or skill.For some brain-activity ideas see our website on New Challenges. Staying active: Being physically activity, even for less than an hour a day, has great health benefits – fighting off heart disease, strokes, Type 2 diabetes and more. Those who live longest often have daily lifestyles that include gardening, walking, swimming, hiking and biking. Feeding the spirit: This can be about more than having an active faith in God – though this is certainly part of it. It is also about feeding and nurturing our ‘inner-life’. Activities such as art, woodwork, gardening, journaling, listening to great music, and more can all nourish the spirit. This eases stress and the physical impact it can have on your health. Eating healthily: The right kind of food and good eating habits have a significant role to play at every stage of life. But even more so as the years advance. A poor diet can weaken the immune system – leading to a greater risk of illness and infection. In contrast, the right diet can fight off the impact of aging.For wise eating advice see The Stay Young Diet. If these 6 keys are the way you are living then you are likely to live more healthily and for longer. And, if they are not? It’s never too late to make changes. Peter Meadows Peter is AfterWorkNet’s Programme Director. He uses his retirement to help churches, resource inter-church initiatives, enjoy his eight grandchildren, escape to Spain and spend his kids’ inheritance. For more wisdom, ideas, and resources for your ‘after-work life go to afterwork.com
Your money – 4 top tips for life after work Posted on April 19, 2018April 23, 2018 by Malcolm Lemon Along with the certainty of ‘death and taxes’ comes the other one – that our lives after full-time work are likely to mean having less to spend than in the past. The best way to allay those fears is to take control of our finances, rather than just hope for the best. More than that, we should also remember the words often used in church when the offering is presented, ‘All things come from you O Lord’. And the Bible’s wisdom that, ‘Whoever trusts in his riches will fall’ (Proverbs 11.28). Whatever financial resources we have, they are not primarily ours. With that in mind, here are my four top tips when it comes to your money and your life after work. 1. Maximise your income: Have you had several employers during your working life. Then be sure to track down all your pension entitlements. Also, use the advice of an Independent Financial Adviser about consolidating your pensions – there’s admin costs and fees to save here – and making the most of them. Recent changes allow the flexible drawdown of pensions. However, this is a complex and specialist area that calls for qualified and independent advice. If you have little private pension income, investigate the benefits and help that may be available to you. Citizens Advice is a useful source of information on things like: Council Tax Reduction, and Housing Benefit. Utility companies that may offer special rates to those on a low income. Disability benefit. 2. Think it through: With the help of your spouse or partner, if that is relevant, work through: Where your income and savings should be kept, how they are accessed (sole joint accounts and passwords) and what the survivor’s financial position will be. How long you may stay in your current home. Will it be easy to run as you get older? Will it always offer easy access shops and services? Will there be a time when you need some of the capital from your property? Do you need the car or cars you have at the moment or are there savings to be made? Splashing out or penny pinching – your early after-work years are when you are likely to be fittest and able to get reasonably priced travel insurance. So is now is the time to take adventurous trips or visit distant relatives. 3. Look for savings: Check out the concessions available to all ‘seniors’. Things like: Free bus pass and reduced travel on Network Rail and via Senior Coach cards Entrance to theatres, cinemas, sporting events and other attractions – it never hurts to ask Retailer’s special discounts such as B&Q Diamond and High Street Opticians 4. Pay off debts: Take all possible steps to pay off any high interest rate credit cards, store cards, overdrafts, and personal loans.If your debts become seriously out of hand, seek the help of specialist Christian charities such as Christians Against Poverty , Community Money Advice or the charity I work with Frontline Debt Advice. All offer wise advice and practical help in circumstances like these. Of course there’s more to money issues in your after-work life than these four key issues. To explore more see the AfterWorkNet web pages on money. And if you’ve found a way to be wise with money please join our Facebook community and share. Malcolm Lemon Malcolm worked for 40 years in local and community banking. He has been Treasurer of a large church and for 6 years was Chairman of Trustees for Frontline Debt Advice, where he continues as a trustee and adviser. He enjoys baking cakes with his granddaughter, and eating them even more.
20 Great Quotes About Retirement! Posted on January 29, 2018March 6, 2018 by Peter Meadows For some people, retirement is so wonderful they have no words to describe it. But others have some smart things to say – and here’s some of the best of them: 1. ‘Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time’. – J Lubbock 2. ‘The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does.’ – Anon 3. ‘A retired husband is often a wife’s full-time job’. – Ella Harris 4. ‘Don’t think of retiring from the world until the world will be sorry that you retire. I hate a fellow whom pride or cowardice or laziness drive into a corner, and who does nothing when he is there but sit and growl. Let him come out as I do, and bark’. – Samuel Johnson 5. ‘There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.’ – Sophia Loren 6. ‘Retirement is when you stop living at work and begin working at living’. – Anon 7. ‘A thriving “New Beginning” can be and should be a time for amazing engagement, growth, connections, contributions and increased possibilities’. – Lee M Brower 8. ‘Maybe the word ‘retirement’ makes you think of old age, boredom and laziness, but I’d rather have you try think of it as freedom to do what you want, freedom to be as active as you’d like, and even freedom to work the job that you like – to be in a place where money doesn’t dictate your choices.’ – Rex Dalen 9. ‘Retire the word ‘retirement’ from your vocabulary. Look it up: it means to ‘withdraw’ or ‘retreat.’ Words can shape reality, and it’s time for this one to go. Doesn’t ‘renaissance’ or ‘graduation’ or ‘transition’ better describe your postcareer life?’ – Marika Stone 10. ‘I enjoy waking up and not having to go to work. So I do it three or four times a day.’ – Gene Perret 11. ‘Retire from work, but not from life.’ – M K Soni 12. ‘Retirement only means it is time for a new adventure.’ – Anon 13. ‘For many, retirement is a time for personal growth, which becomes the path to greater personal freedom.’ – Robert Delamontagne 14. Retirement does not mean that you are all through. It means that you have experienced a big break-through to a new freedom, with the time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.’ – Wilfred Peterson 15. ‘Rather than fading into the sunset, we have time to rediscover our personal uniqueness, deepen relationships, and question the mysteries of life.’ – Douglas Fletcher 16. ‘Retirement is wonderful. It’s doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it’. – Gene Perret 17. ‘Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.’ – Harry Emerson Fosdick 18. ‘Retirement: the best job anyone could ever love.’ – Anon 19. ‘I see retirement as just another of these reinventions, another chance to do new things and be a new version of myself.’ – Walt Mossberg 20. ‘Retirement is not a time to sleep, but a time to awaken to the beauty of the world around you and the joy that comes when you cast out all the negative elements that cause confusion and turmoil in your mind and allow serenity to prevail.’ – Howard Salzman Peter Meadows – Peter uses his retirement to help churches, resource inter-church initiatives, enjoy his eight grandchildren, escape to Spain and spend his kids inheritance. Do you know any other great quotes on retirement – or have any of your own? Please share them with our AfterWorkNet Facebook Group.
