Working cross-culturally: the Laotian experience

Across the street and on the other side of the roundabout is the central market for the City of Pakse in Southern Laos. 10 years ago, the local heavy hitter in the coffee and real estate market built the rectangle of buildings that encircle the market. Small shops on the street side of the market extend through the building to the huge open spaces inside the rectangle.

Red roofs and two story white buildings create an offset to the jumble of other buildings that face the cross streets, main streets, and side streets all around.

Pots, pans, children, supplies, flowers, foods of all kinds, and fighting cocks are all available. Anything you can imagine and much that you cannot is on display and for sale.

During the 10 years I’ve been coming to Pakse, often staying in this very hotel, I’ve watched the town develop and the market fill with every imaginable alternative to buy, wear, or consume. I can trace the development of the town and the economy just by observing the new roofs that enclose the square to protect the growing number of vendors from the heat, rain, and maybe even each other.

Pakse is the regional capital of Southern Laos. It is both remote from the capital of Vientiane and serves as the entryway to the economy supported by the Bolaven Plateau. The Plateau rises from the banks of the Mekong River and it takes about 55 kilometers of perilous driving to ascend the 1250 meters of elevation change and arrive at the coffee capital of Laos, Paksong.

Now don’t get the wrong idea, this coffee capital is simply a larger version of the hundreds of small villages that dot the road to get there. No one knows for sure how many people live on the plateau. Somewhat in excess of 50,000 people is my guess. The horribly rutted roads crisscross the largest plateau in South East Asia and extend from the heights above Pakse to include the northern tip of Cambodia and the Western edge of central Vietnam. And for you history buffs, yes the Ho Chi Minh trail cuts across the Eastern edge of the plateau.

The area has a long and varied history. Below is a map that all by itself tells much of the story of Laos.

You can see that the country is landlocked with crossroads of people going in each and every direction. With a little over 7 million residents consisting of 64 different tribal groups, it is a society working cross culturally within itself.

The Lao tribe represents about 50% of the population with the balance made up of small, medium, and somewhat larger people groups. As might be expected, the largest tribe is dominant with the balance of power swinging in their favor. Many of the people groups have no written language which means the children must then learn Lao when they go to school. Their heart language helps bind them to their history, Lao introduces them to the larger culture, and now English is the preferred market place language.

On the Bolaven Plateau, coffee is the primary cash crop. Thousands of small farmers have either Arabica coffee bushes or those living at slightly lower elevations have Robusta trees. For those of you that do not know coffee, the Arabica is the favored crop with Robusta being used as filler and the portion of a coffee blend that provides the “bite” favored by many, including Starbucks devotees.

Laos is the poorest of the SE Asian countries and is struggling to keep up with the mandates imposed on them as a part of the ASEAN member states.

Below is a map of those members:

The countries include:

Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Indonesia Philippines, Malaysia

The area in general loves to use impressive labels to describe relationships. The phrase: One vision, one identity, one community sounds promising but there is a long way to go for it to become reality, if ever.

The differences between Singapore and Laos are striking, to say the least.

When you complicate the relationships by adding the China behemoth into any dialogue, it is indeed complex. 

During my years of coming to Laos, the positive changes are striking. The distance the country and the areas around Pakse have yet to obtain in order to be within economic striking distance of the surrounding countries is stunning.

With that perspective, they are working hard to move forward. As a society that is not only Communist, but also hierarchical based on age, it takes generations to see significant political or social change. When a signed contract becomes the beginning of negotiations, and the rule of law is not well recognized, it is difficult to do business, create economic relationships, attract investment capital, and improve the lives of the people. 

The economic engine that can propel a country or region forward is hindered when the gears are greased with sand rather than oil. The sand that grinds the gears to a full stop, is the pervasiveness of bribery as the preferred way of moving any project forward. In all societies, there has to be a grease that allows progress to occur. In capitalistic countries, you expect it to be profit based on market supply and demand along with efficient communication and delivery systems and effective business methods. Perhaps that will be the case here, sometime.

It is challenging to learn what it means to work in an event-based society.

It sounded easy to me when we started. But that is not the case. It is also hard to lead in new cultural directions when the idea of “cause and effect” is nonexistent. So much of what we think is “normal” or common sense is based on this premise: If you do x, y will happen. Or, if you do not do x, y will be the reward.

It is hard to imagine how difficult it is for someone from the West to operate without these standard operating conventions. This operational void impacts everything from learning, preventative maintenance, and strategic planning.

My partner and I have been in business here in Southern Laos for just over 10 years. The reality is that we have been productive and building a sustainable coffee farm and production facility for five of those years. The other five were consumed by the inefficiencies of the business and legal system and dealing with significant corruption of local partners, associates, and government.

There are many necessary lessons to be learned in order to work cross-culturally and to do so effectively. We have met many wonderful people and learned a lot about what it means to have huge helpings of patience coupled with massive amounts of persistence.

As recently as yesterday, we received new and updated paperwork allowing us to move forward towards the vision we saw 10 years ago. That vision should have been realized, or at least started to be realized, five years ago. Because of those painful experiences, we can connect now much better with the historical people and people groups forced to delay dreams and set aside visions for an extended time. The biblical characters of Joseph and Jacob come to mind.

I always seem to go back and reflect on the historical Jacob of the Bible. He worked for the father of the woman he wanted to marry for 7 years. His time and effort were based on a promise and a dream about the future with his bride to be. When the wedding was to take place, he was tricked and the father-in-law substituted the older sister in place of the promised bride. As a result, Jacob had to agree to another 7 years of labor in order to marry the woman of his dreams. A great love story but a truly painful experience.

During those last 7 years, he was blessed by God with wisdom, knowledge, and significantly increased wealth. Although we have not experienced the final benefit, we have certainly grown in wisdom and knowledge during these last five years. Perhaps increased wealth will come during the next two.

There are so many wonderful and helpful projects for the people in the region that are badly needed. Our desire is to help fill the void that exists because of government, society, culture, and history.

I’ve written at length in this blog about the culture and cross-cultural issues impacting Laos. Laos is one example of difficult cross-cultural challenges and there are thousands of others stretching across regions, continents, countries, and cities. There is no part of the world that is exempt, some are just different from others.

There is both a challenge and an opportunity associated with this conundrum.

The challenge is to understand and see the opportunity through to viability and sustainability as well as understanding and workability. A result of the process for me is that I have become a better person. I have become more resilient and more understanding with enhanced perseverance and greater wisdom. And, I’m 10 years older.

Would I do it again?  Well, I’m not sure Jacob would have gone for a third round either. Now, moving to the next stage of business development, I’m excited to embrace the future built on the challenges of the past. Stay tuned and you can journey with me to the next stage of the 4th Quarter.

Bruce

What is God's purpose for your life?

At key times in our lives, during the year and especially at the end of the year (as we celebrate this key event in God’s master plan that makes possible our salvation), our thoughts turn to serious subjects.

One of the subjects  I’ve been reflecting on is:

What is God’s preferred purpose for my life?

From the perspective of someone in their 7th decade, I may think about it a little differently than someone in their third or fourth.

We have a mutual understanding that ministry means changed lives.

So whose life am I yet called to impact during the balance of my 7th and 8th decade?

Each of us who claim the name of Jesus as Savior and Lord, are called to make a difference. To make a difference by reflecting the nature of our God, demonstrated by His son Jesus, in the work that we do and the life that we lead. Our life direction and demonstration is communicated to us through the Bible and we are empowered by the active work of the Holy Spirit. 

This what we often refer to as our “daily walk with Jesus."

Recently I listened to a speaker describe the Holy Spirit as “Jesus without a body." I found that unique description encouraging as it gave me a way to think of Jesus being with me every step of the way during the balance of my life’s journey and ministry. Having Him with me helps to drive out fear, encourage my actions, and find His creative solutions to the problems I’m confronted with regularly. It also brings me comfort and joy.

How about you? 

Are you dedicated to making a difference? 

Dedicated challenging those around you to walk confidently into God’s abundant plan for their lives in the future?

What is God’s preferred plan for your future?

Here are some thought starters:

• Go to the world and preach the gospel
• Love one another
• Care for the widows, orphans and the needy
• Reach out to the homeless
• Use your talents to make a difference
• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul
• Listen to Jesus as he speaks to you through the Holy Spirit

Each of us is a unique creation of God. Each of us are part of God’s redemptive plan for the world. 

Be blessed and be a blessing. 
Bruce

Why Don’t We Plan for Retirement?

“Now what are you going to do?”

“I have no idea. Nothing for a while and then I’ll figure it out."

This is the typical dialogue that takes place between a person about to retire and someone attending the retirement luncheon. They have no idea? Seriously? 

Yes, seriously. Preparation for this new stage of life starts in your teens and extends for 50 or maybe 60 years. With all that time and experience in the rear-view mirror, you'd expect a different answer.

At the other end of the age spectrum, usually upon graduation from high school, a similar question is asked: “Now what are going to do?" Inherent in that question is another one, “What are you going to be?” When the reply sounds like, I don’t know," we are quick to either verbalize or make a silent observation, “Well, you better figure it out!”

Why do we think a young person needs to figure out their life’s path and those over the age of 65 don’t?

The younger person may get a pass for a couple of years as they go to college but then those questions rise up again. If the same answer is given, there is a greater concern. The concern is based on the societal need to support yourself or your family financially and to make a meaningful contribution to society. What would you think if the answer, or the reality of checking back in with that person a few years later, truly was nothing? “Nothing, you are doing nothing?” Again, you silently evaluate the response and conclude that there is something wrong.

It is interesting to observe that the 65+ year old when asked about what they are doing, responds with “nothing” and we accept the answer as being appropriate and perhaps even reasonable. The acceptance of nothing being a reasonable alternative is because our perception of retirement is quite different than our perception of the transition from child to youth and then onto adulthood. The need to create additional societal and Kingdom value is a given for the young. It is not even recognized as an option for the old, those in the 4th Quarter. Strange, isn’t it?

Earlier today I heard a story of a 65-year-old woman whose husband died shortly before both of them retired. After a reasonable time of grieving for her loss, she prayed for new direction in her life. Her new course was launched by going on a short-term missions trip to Laos. There she encountered a couple struggling to make a difference in a difficult country. The couple noticed that pre-school age children did not have the opportunities that 2 to 5-year-olds had in the US. So, they wanted to start a pre-school.

the 65-year-old arrived on the scene and pitched in helping them to get started. She was flexible and open to new things. Jumping ahead 10 years, we find this same woman who looked for a new direction in life, actively involved in the lives of the six young teachers impacting the lives of 150 pre-school children. She bought the house where the young teachers stay and she encourages them by living life with them. Yes, she moved from the USA to Southern Laos. She is also the “Grandmother” to the 150 pre-school kids. Her new life is fulfilled, meaningful, and yes, difficult.

If her solution at 65 had been to affirm “nothing” as a viable option and “don’t know” as a reasonable response to the question about “what’s next”, literally thousands of lives would not be impacted for The Kingdom. Is she unusual? I don’t think so or if so, only because she chose to do something rather than settle for nothing.

Our societal view that assigns significant value to leisure is off kilter. When I look up the word leisure in the dictionary it says: spare time, idle hours, and nothing to do. We then look for ways to fill up the leisure hours - the spare time, the idle hours, the periods of nothingness - with activities that satisfy our personal desires. Our proclivities expand to fill the nothingness with more leisure activities. Where is the value in that?

We fill our time with either bucket list activities, entertainment options, or busy work with little lasting impact. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of those things. They are great as interludes to meaningful activities impacting other’s lives. But, they are disappointing and tiring when they are pretended to be meaningful priorities and significant activities.

How then do we measure significance? We identify significance by measuring the impact our lives have on others. Meaning is introduced when our interactions with others change, enhance, or encourage them. When we try to create meaning out of nothing, we end up with sum zero.

We don’t plan for retirement. The closest most get to it is to address the financial side of the retirement equation. Certainly, being financially prepared is important. However, it is not the whole story. Many try to make it the whole story rationalizing that with enough money in retirement they can, in fact, do nothing. My goodness, what a trap that is. On the other hand, it makes no sense to, therefore, conclude that saving for retirement is irrelevant. It’s not. The role of money in retirement is to provide a flexible platform upon which the critical and meaningful issues of life can play out.

Because our 65-year-old friend was financially prepared for her next life stage, and the subsequent ones after that, she was able to purchase the home that houses the teachers of 150 kids and to be an active participant in their lives and the lives of those Laotian children. Yes, being financially prepared is important and way too few are, but even more are unprepared spiritually, emotionally, educationally, and relationally.

We don’t plan for retirement because we do not understand the length of time that makes up retirement – roughly 30 years. That is the same length of time between the ages of 10 to 40, 20 to 50, or 30 to 60. It is indeed a long time!

How sad it is to see a life wasted during any of those 30 year periods. Whether the wasting is due to opioid use, laziness, or even misfortune, we know more value is possible.

It is time to change the rhetoric about the 4th Quarter, those last 30 years. Let’s change our thinking resulting in changed actions and impact on others.

When the Bible talks about experiencing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, it is talking about what happens when we reflect Jesus in our lives and listen to his lifestyle promptings and reflecting on what he has written in the Bible, and putting all of it into action.

It’s time we embrace the promise of the Retirement Reformation. We are each called, prepared, and empowered to do more than nothing. And to do it for a lifetime.

Stay on the journey with us as we learn and experience the Retirement Reformation.

And by the way, pass it on!

Bruce

Unique insights and time-saving decisions

My grandfather once asked me, “Bruce, why is experience the best teacher?” When I look befuddled and said, “I have no idea," he responded, “Because it is the most expensive!”  Wow, what a clear insight into reality, how things really work.

If experience is the best teacher, and the most expensive, are there any shortcuts that can take us to “a better place” more efficiently and effectively? Let’s explore a sampling of the options.

Learning from others

The alternative to learning from our own painful and expensive experiences is learning from others.

Some of the ways we learn from others include:

1. Professional journals
2. Conferences and webinars
3. Classes and courses of professional study
4. The experience of others

One of the important ways we learn from others is digesting the aggregated information collected from peers about any given subject.

One useful way information is gathered and digested is through surveys.

Most of us are deluged with survey questions. It is important that we set some criteria for which survey we will answer, and which ones we won’t.

Here is a list of criteria for you to consider: 

1. Is it timely?  We are all busy and sometimes we can prioritize, make the time available, the time, and sometimes we can’t. Simply acknowledging that reality is helpful.
2. Is it relevant?  Does the topic and content of the survey fit into a subject category that ties in with either my responsibilities and/or my priorities?
3. Are the results important?  Will the results of the survey inform me in a way that will be helpful either professionally or personally?

If the answers to all three questions are “yes," then participate. If not, “pass."

Applying the 3 criteria to the example

1. Is it timely? If you are either a retirement plan administrator or have some oversight responsibility for your plan, or a member of an organization that thinks you need a plan, you will make time to answer a 12-minute survey on these topics. If not, you won’t.
2. Is it relevant? Clearly, if your ministry responsibility includes benefits or the finances associated with them, you will answer yes. This includes the key members of an executive team, down to the pastor or administrator of a very small ministry. It is relevant. You will participate in the survey and look forward to learning the results.
3. Are the results important? Knowing what others are doing provides a benchmark to evaluate and help define best practices as you consider implementin a new retirement plan. It also provides a gauge to measure what you are currently doing.

Keep in mind the three criteria the next time you are asked to take a survey:

Is it timely?

Is it relevant?

And are the results important?

You can get helpful, time-saving information from surveys. You can also waste time if they don’t fit the criteria. The unique insights are an important way to leapfrog the pain of your personal experience. Applying the criteria is a way to save time.

So, happy learning from the experiences of others.

- Bruce Bruinsma

What do I do about my leadership flaws?

I came face to face with one of my leadership and interpersonal flaws this week.

When I find myself faced with an issue I’d rather duck, the issue suddenly becomes, “What will I do?” As I reflect a bit further, it becomes clear that the “What will I do about it?” becomes the next really big issue.

I suppose fear and flight are the first very human responses.

After fear and flight: deny, delay, obfuscate, and just plain duck come up as likely candidates for inclusion in an action plan. I’m far enough along in my emotional journey to realize that “no decision” is actually a decision. That realization leads to the stark realization that I am called to actually make a decision - in fact, to change.

During the exchange with a friend that brought the issue to light, we did agree fairly quickly about one thing: If you are too old to learn and change you are already dead - you just have not found your way to “the box” yet. Pretty harsh realization yet foundational to living a life with meaning. As I am on the upper end of the age spectrum, this way to approach life has daily application and significant ongoing impact.

As leaders, we each have flaws for sure. After Googling “leadership flaws”, I found an article in a 2009 issue of The Harvard Business Review. They said the worst leaders:

• Lack energy and enthusiasm
• Accept their own mediocre performance
• Lack clear vision and direction
• Have poor judgment
• Don’t collaborate
• Don’t walk the talk
• Resist new ideas
• Don’t learn from mistakes
• Lack interpersonal skills
• Fail to develop others.

OUCH. Which of those hit home for you?

If I focus on “lack interpersonal skills," I remember a recent conversation with Judy and how she directed me to an issue of Fortune magazine where the sub-headline read: “The Three Skills You Need to Survive in the New Workplace." The article asked the somewhat new and challenging question: “How will we humans add value?” (Because technology will, is, replacing so much of the repetitive, clerical and somewhat administrative tasks). The bottom line to a number of articles identified the skill of creating and maintaining relationships and being empathetic as the keys to keeping humans relevant.

From one perspective that connects totally with my Christian values and the ongoing commitment to “Live like Jesus." From a more introspective perspective, I am challenged to examine those flaws listed above and, in my case, the specific issue facing me now. Again, each of us will be helped by choosing to go through this introspective, very personal dialogue, even with ourselves.

So, you have been wondering what the issue I’m facing and whether or not I’m going to put it out front. One of the questions asked as part of a survey in that same Fortune issue is this: “How comfortable are you in talking publicly about yourself and your experiences?” Frankly, by writing this blog, I’m exploring that question for myself.

Well here goes:

When I am faced with a discussion that is either not going anywhere or is entering the “round and round” phase, an internal tension quickly shows up. My internal tension is evidenced by the characteristics and actions that can be described as “impatient." That impatience often evidences itself in ways that are neither empathetic or relationship building. Sometimes it borders on rude and sometimes even more off-putting.

Pretty sobering realization.

When I go to my spiritual, Biblical, resources and look for guidance, a couple of items show up:

Proverbs 19:11: A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Ecclesiastes 7:8: The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Romans 15:5: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other as Jesus did.

Ephesians 4:2: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

These guidelines certainly talk to the issue as I struggle to come to grips with what is true. It is not hard to see the rightness of those truths. That having been said, the question still remains:

How will I choose to respond, change and create some new neural pathways, and find new ways of responding?

I don’t yet have all the answers. Maybe you have already been down this path and can share the solutions of your journey.

I saw the following affirmation from a man who God took on an amazing life journey: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as your trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. His name was Paul.

Be blessed as you journey through this coming week.

With Trusted Advice Along The Way,

Bruce

Defining a problem and developing a consensus

Have you ever noticed that sometimes there is a solution looking for a problem to solve?  Usually, it is the other way around and there are lots of problems looking for solutions.

The problem with problems is that they are “squishy." They are hard to grab, challenging to get your arms around, and definitely slippery rascals. Just when you think you’ve “got it” they slip away, morph into something different, or disappear entirely.

At least one wise person must have said, “If you can’t define your problem, you don’t have one.” That may be correct in a strict sense. However, instead of not having one, you may have a host of them masquerading under the cover of darkness.

A reasonable question to ask when a problem arrives on your plate is, “What problem are you trying to solve?” I’ve noticed that when asked that way, the problem messenger often stutters and spends considerable time and effort trying to describe it. They feel the pain of an issue but cannot detail its cause. They are convinced that a major challenge exists but do not understand it well enough to then proffer a solution.

A long time ago, an individual - I can’t remember who to give the credit to - opined that most problems are just symptoms. Symptoms that are masking the real issues creating conflict, pain, suffering or just confusion.

I remember deciding to live for a week using that perspective in virtually all conversations and interrelationships. Any action, activity, or observation I experienced, I mentally conformed it into a symptom and looked, probed, or investigated the issue searching for the real problem. What an amazing experience. I learned so much about myself, others, and the world we live in.

When you assume that everything has a root cause, the world explodes exponentially.

When told that someone could not make an appointment, it prompted the question, “Is there anything I can do to help?” Typically, the actual reason for the cancellation emerged.

When a staff member asked me to speak with a client, I asked, “Give me the background that leads to your request." Often there was an unstated problem that needed solving or a lack of knowledge that our training programs had not addressed.

Try it. Assume that the next issue facing you is a symptom and dig for the real issues before you even begin to address the surface symptom. I’d love to hear your stories.

Here is the bottom line on problems: If you can’t state them accurately or clearly, the proposed solution won’t solve the problem.

There is an interesting reverse issue. You develop a way to do something, a solution to a problem without knowing exactly what the problem is. Then you start casting around for the issue you can solve, and you find there is no clear problem available. Confusing and disconcerting, isn’t it?

Here is an example: 12 plus years ago I figured out a way to set up a retirement plan for workers outside the United States. Quite simple in some respects because all you have to do is set up an off-shore investment account and then record-keep the information according to a pre-agreed upon plan or formula. Easy, right?

Here was the problem: first of all, I could not find anyone to do the recordkeeping. Even more frustrating was that I could not find a consensus among any groups that desired or indicated they needed such a service.

Twelve years pass and I remember the solution conceived so many years before. Interestingly, I now have the answer to the record keeping part of the issue. Has anything changed about the issue of need?

On a recent speaking engagement in Greece, a mission organization leader asked, almost out of the blue, “Could you put together a retirement plan for the Foreign Nationals affiliated with our Mission?” Voila! The need surfaced and I already had the outline of a great answer. The problem slid into the solution, rather than the solution surrounding the problem.

Now the challenge is to determine if any other mission organizations have a similar need. In preparation for another missions conference, I contacted a number of mission leaders and posed the question. I then asked them to gather at the conference for a quick review of the topic and input from many into the subject.

Initially, the response was that there was very little need for such a program although it would be nice for the few people that would use it. What happened next was interesting. The group grasped the solution and began to dig into the pieces that made up the problem.

Should US mission organizations be responsible for funding the retirement plan for Foreign Nationals? Quite a spirited debate took place and out of it came the consensus that no, they were not responsible but that they would still be held accountable for the moral liability.

The dialogue then morphed into an understanding that there was the obligation to make sure the issue of long-term funding was understood and addressed by the non-US entities and their leadership. Along with that understanding came the realization that bringing an issue to the forefront of conversations creates the responsibility to provide, at the very least, a workable solution. Problem identification without solution leads to blame for the problem identifier.

We are in the process of now building a consensus around a newly recognized and understood problem using an operational solution 12 years in the making.

I thought you’d enjoy this somewhat unusual perspective about problems, their solutions, and building consensus together.

If you have input or further insight into this issue or anything related, please do not keep your light under a barrel. Comment below.

Bruce

Our future is a matter of heart.

As Envoy continues to grow, serving more churches and ministries across the country and the world, we know planning for a future of service is not easy. It is made even harder when the financial services' industry insists on using green lines and toppling walls to encourage the masses to change the way they look at retirement.

Here is the bottom line: “How to" never motivated anyone to change behavior or revamp priorities.

The only time I've noticed effervescent joy from following a “how-to” is when the assembly instruction is finally deciphered for a child's toy and the toy actually works. Upon reflection, maybe the joy is just the release of adrenaline, or relief, or the amazement of our spouse and in- laws. It is worth noting that such a task takes both heart and perseverance to conquer. It may also be so embarrassing to fail, that literally fighting through to victory is the only legitimate option.

After the discovery, pain, fear, and prayers of the last month because of Judy's calcified heart valves, I feel so much closer to issues of the heart now than I did before the discovery. This heart-rending event almost crushed my heart, while binding our hearts closer together at the same time.

Isn't it strange how pain leads to strength and how matters of the heart changes course our lives?

Change Your Heart. Change Your Retirement.

Can we agree that when our heart, our emotional core, is impacted we chart new courses and learn lessons? At Envoy, we noticed over the years that most people, faith-based or otherwise, don't save for retirement consistently. As leaders of our respective organizations, we do know that not only is this bad for the individual and related family members, it negatively impacts our organization and hurts our ministries. So is there something we can do? Can we change their future and our organizations too? Sure we can!

1. Watch this video of Dan, a lifelong missionary, and hear how Future-Funded Ministry has impacted his life. Leadership suggests forward movement with wisdom and energy! To accelerate this movement it requires an understanding of Future Funded Ministry and then challenging our staff to understand and embrace it too.

2. Download the eBook, Live with Meaning: Understanding the Power of Future-Funded Ministry. Read it yourself, then recommend it to your senior leadership and staff.

Making this heartening and faith-based perspective part of your organization's DNA will impact lives. And isn't that what leaders are called to do?

Have matters of the heart changed your perspective on life? People? Retirement? Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.

We continue our journey with Trusted Advice Along The Way.
Bruce

Common Assumptions about Retirement

Retirement is the dream of many men. When I retire, they say, I’ll have a place on the 14th hole, and every morning my buddies will meet me for breakfast and we’ll decide whether to play eighteen or drop a line in the water.

Retirement is the dream of many women. When I retire, they say, I’m going to get myself a cozy little place by the beach and watch the sun disappear into the ocean, jog along the shoreline, and sip a Mai Tai every night.

For others, of course, there is the belief that they will work until the day they die. And even as they get closer and their body slows down, they can’t image a day when they aren’t working.

Perhaps these are words you’ve heard yourself say?

Reality or Fantasy?

These fantastic interludes of the mind, these forays into what, as young people, middle-aged and even older think retirement should be are all truly just that – forays into fantasy.

As we near retirement age we realize our ideas of golf, beaches, and traveling may not be realistic and, more importantly, not what we really want to do.

A Wake-Up Call

In 1980 I read a book by futurist, John Naisbitt entitled Megatrends, 10 new Directions Transforming our Lives. In it, the author talked about the coming wave of baby boomers and what that was going to mean to the retirement system in the country. He was wrong about a number of his prognostications and missed the technology revolution completely. However, he spoke clearly to me on how the baby boomers would affect retirement as we know it. Coincidentally, the enabling legislation for 401ks was passed in 1979.

Two key changes in my life occurred:

1. The germ of the idea for what is now Envoy Financial was planted.
2. I realized I was going to have to start acting on that reality too…sometime I would want to “retire."

Needless to say, I had no Biblical perspective on the issue at that time.

So how can we begin to reshape our ideas of retirement? How can we move forward to achieve a goal much different than what most of us have in mind?

We begin by asking these questions:

Is there a purpose, a greater meaning beyond these retirement fantasies?

What will I be able to do?

How can I/we realistically plan?

Does God still have a purpose for us to fulfill and do we know what it is?

Now, I’m going to jump ahead and tell you that yes, there is more, it can have a purpose, and God has prepared our lives to minister for a lifetime.

I invite you to head over to www.futurefundedministry.com to learn more.

Discovering our Future Together,

Bruce

Life's next junction

I was standing on the platform of the Northern Railway station in Whitefish, Montana.

My memory is sometimes challenged but it looked the same as it had 50 years before. With all the air travel I do, being at a train station is amazing. 50 years before my wife and I had taken the family on the Northern route from Seattle to Chicago. The scenery was stunning and I got off at Whitefish to absorb the beauty of the station and the mountains beyond. If you have not been to Glacier Park and its vicinity, it needs to go on your bucket list.

50 years ago, I was at a key juncture in my life. The train trip, and even the stop in Whitefish, were times of prayer and reflection about my future. I’d worked hard, had my MBA, and a resume that included Ford Motor Company and Boise Cascade, Corporation. At Boise, I’d moved through two product management positions, a brief stint as National Accounts sales manager, and was now the Assistant to the Divisional VP. From an outsider’s perspective, the world was my oyster and moving up in the organization was a virtual certainty.

Yet, I was unsure. Are you familiar with this feeling?

Often, we move or change jobs because we have to. This was somehow different. I was not yet a mature enough Christian to have developed the listening ear to what the Holy Spirit was saying. At the same time, I knew there was something more, or maybe just different that I was supposed to be doing. It was a major juncture in my life.

Perhaps the fact that railroads have junctions is what prompted my connection with that particular time in Whitefish and the issues of life transitions. Those times come up often enough so we know they are important, yet seldom enough to remember how important they are.

It is the decisions we make at the junctions of life that are so important.

They direct, or re-direct, our life’s journey. Often, they are the points in time when we change direction. But they can also be times of affirmation for our current course. I like to think of our life’s journey being represented by a river - the river of life.

Rivers continuously flow but the speed of the flow is not always constant. On the train from Durango, Colorado to Silverton you shadow a river most of the time. While it is all beautiful, you can’t help but notice how the river changes. It becomes narrower at points and speeds up dramatically. The fast flow opens up to a wide spot where it slows down and becomes peaceful. The color of the water also changes depending on the color of the rock, the sand, and the sun.

Our lives are similar to that river.

It is at the points of transition, the junctions with the streams that feed it fall into the depths, that symbolize the action of life. There are key points of beginning and ending, coupled with the junctions of change.

Was I going to leave the “safety” and certainty of the big corporation or not? There was a restlessness inside of me as I paced the Whitefish train station so many years ago. It is amazing that I can remember the event, the feelings, and the emotions from that brief moment nearly 5 decades in the past.

Standing there now many of those same feelings came back. I’m at another junction, another point of transition. While there are junctions that seem to pop up every 10 years or so, this one seems like another important one. Another Whitefish moment. Fortunately, I’m much further along in the experiences of life and my spiritual walk. I’m both more patient and both able and willing to listen to the promptings of God’s whisper in my ear. Another junction in life for me. And in many ways similar to the one of 50 years ago, and yet so much more satisfying.

Understanding that listening to God’s call, allowing me the privilege of deciding that His will is mine, certainly makes this junction easier and less stressful. But no less important.

The call this time will not uproot my family nor even require a move. It just requires obedience and taking each indicated step one at a time.

I speak with so many that are in their late 50s and 60s who are looking forward to that time of transition called retirement by some. Some are nervous, some are oblivious, and some are excited about the journey ahead. For most, the realization that the journey ahead may encompass 30 years is a bit of a shock. “30 years is a long time!” is the normal response to that realization. The most common observation made is, “I haven’t figured it out yet”, or, “I really don’t know.”

We can easily understand and highlight life’s junction that occurs during the 60s. It is helpful to realize that there will most likely be at least two more major points of transition still ahead, not just the one that occurs in our 60s. Coupled with the anxiety of transition, we’d like to get our lives figured out and then just get on with it. It just does not work that way.

It makes sense then to develop some skills at navigating those intersections.

Of knowing how to recognize which track to take and what it’s going to require of you when you take it.

God uses these changes to help direct our lives. Being in tune with his plan for your life, at each stage and during each transition is important. When we are in tune it gets easier. When we are not, it gets harder.

This reminds me again of the seat mate on a recent flight. When asked what he had done during the prior 6 years of retirement, his answer was “Nothing with meaning!”

Think about your life’s next junction. Hopefully you too will have a Whitefish train station where you can pause, reflect, listen and decide.

Oh yes, my junction: God is calling me to reduce the number of things I am doing, and to focus on just three: serving Envoy Financial as CEO and expanding the number of lives touched by the ministry, bringing the message of the Retirement Reformation, changing the way we think and act during the last 30 years of life, and encouraging the growth of Business for Ministry, a key to the future funding of many ministries.

When I write it down, it still seems like a lot. So, I’ll keep listening. I may even take another trip back to Whitefish. Want to join me?

Bruce

Retirement Plans do not have to be complicated

When reference is made to a ministry’s or non-profit’s retirement plan, most of the eyes in the room glaze over.

For some, there is fear of not knowing, for others it is the fact of not caring, and for most, it is confusion over terms, investments, compliance and other rules.

The admin staff of most 501c3 organizations have one thing in common - they are overwhelmed, overworked, and often underpaid. There are certain conditions that preclude so many organizations from reviewing the retirement plan they have or even contemplating starting one.

I remember asking an individual client one time if he thought it would be a good idea to save some taxes?  His answer was confusing because he replied, “No, I don’t want any of that!” When you see it on paper you immediately recognize the absurdity of the answer. At a minimum, the answer should be, “tell me some more.” It is amazing to find great ideas ignored! The client probably thought I was asking him to buy something and whatever it was he did not want it. If I had not persisted, his bank account would have been much lower.

It is hard to get people’s attention, no matter what you are presenting.

Whenever I read about Paul’s time of ministry in Athens, I’m always a bit jealous because the Athenians were so open to hearing about something new. The fact, however, that they were not compelled by Paul’s message of Jesus was certainly their loss. But at least it seems that listening was part of their culture.

The elements

A Retirement plan is really pretty simple. There are four key elements of a defined benefit 401k, 403b, or 403b9 Church plans. I know, I just put three sets of IRS code references out there for your viewing pleasure. Don’t give up, read on.

Here are those elements:

1.     Investments

2.     Third Party Administration (compliance)

3.     Recordkeeping (tracking all money in and out and reporting on what happened and the status)

4.     Education

What may be a little confusing is that most vendors don’t do all four of those tasks. They often only do one or two of them. Consequently, when you interact with them, their focus is on their part of the puzzle and often minimizes the other parts.

Another barrier to understanding retirement plans is the preconception by many that the only important element in the plan is the investment menu. It is certainly important although no more than the 25% of the entire equation it represents.

Investment Policy Statement

One document I love is the Investment Policy Statement. Unfortunately, most plans do not have one and are at the mercy of the financial representatives to provide the investment options. With a clear and well thought out investment policy statement in place, assuming you have access to the total range of investment options, your investment menu stands a good chance of being a successful one. Especially if your vendor reviews the investments quarterly and matches their performance with the criteria set up in the Investment Policy Statement. If one investment fails you can then replace it with a new and better option. “Open Architecture” is what the industry calls having 100% of all the investment options available to a plan.

Costs

Following up on that thought, it is admittedly hard to get a handle on the true cost of those investments. And while we are talking about costs, often it is hard to know what the rest of the plan costs beyond the investments. I won’t belabor the point, but if the whole cost issue is confusing to you, make sure you work with or consult a vendor who provides all four of them, not just one, two, or three. You know you are getting the whole story because the vendor provides the whole service package and there is no other place to bury the fees.

Doing it right

The IRS is sticky about making sure you have proper plan documents. Along with the plan document which reflects the laws and regulations, it also details the decisions you’ve made about the plan. Who can participate, how old must they be, are there loans available, etc. The Plan Document lays out those items and the Summary Plan Description delivers them in a readable format to give to each participant. Know the truth and it will set you free - or at least give you a better retirement plan!

It is clearly important to work with a full-service vendor who will have your back on compliance issues. Every Board of Directors should be concerned about how the actual working of the plan conforms to law, regulations, and plan design. When the IRS comes to audit the plan, that is the first thing they will look for - are you doing what you are supposed to be doing?

Not much attention or thought is given to the recordkeeping function. It all operates behind the scenes and most assume what they don’t see is operating well. Most of the time you are right. Then there are the exceptions. Retirement Plans have costs and those fee schedules are important. What is even more important is checking to make sure that the fees or expenses being charged to the plan are the right ones. Not too much for sure, and to be fair, not too little.

Education

The next big focus for the Department of Labor is going to be on education. It may be a couple of years off, however, it is coming. What does the mean? You may be familiar with the term outcomes-based budgeting. Using this thought process, you’re concerned about outcomes and less about the path to get you there. Retirement education needs a lot of help.

As a country, we are not well prepared for the last 30 years of life. And preparing for it encompasses more than just money.

What will the Department of Labor be looking for? They will want to see an active education program with high participation and then the changed behavior that goes with it. In other words, real engagement with the issue and their future.

I’m personally excited about this theme coming at us. Envoy is uniquely suited to address the funding part of the retirement challenge with its Future Funded Ministry emphasis. Others, including myself, will be addressing the other elements of retirement preparation and what we need in this area of a Retirement Reformation. I’m looking forward to being a key spokesman in those other areas too.

Review

If you’ve made it this far, you have reason to believe that Retirement Plans have several components. When you think about it, each of the four components plays a role in delivering the financial support needed for a Future Funded Ministry plan:

Investments, Compliance, Recordkeeping, and Education. Put them all together and you have a retirement plan ready for many to participate and prepare for their future.

My hope is that this explanation will wipe away some of the confusion and apathy about the topic. More importantly, please make sure that your ministry or organization first has a plan that is faith-based and delivers on its promises to be both effective and efficient.

Have a great retirement day and stay with us as we journey together with Trusted Advice along The Way.

Bruce

What's in your future?

I pulled into the Envoy parking lot and there it was - a 426 HP, bright orange, 2013, Camaro that existed in my friend’s dream. Now a reality! He confided in me a month or so earlier that he’d finally convinced his wife that “they” should have the car of his dreams. How much fun is that?

Interestingly, parked beside it was another Chevrolet...60 years older. A 1953 rebuilt farm truck with 70 HP. Not only were they years apart but they went from functional to fantastic. It took me back to my college years selling new Chevrolets at Mahlon Maxton Chevrolet in Worthington, Ohio. It got me through college and a good part of graduate school. I guess it proves you do not have to be an expert to sell a lot of cars. How thankful we were!

Dreams and reality, function and fun, are all key parts of life.

The Chevy truck was built before most reading this blog were even born. So, think out a decade or more, what will you be driving? What will you be doing? Will you be active in your current ministry or vocation, or called to whole new activity? Will it be more like a 1953 Chevrolet Pick-up or a 2013 high-powered Camaro?

Whatever your future calling, it will certainly cost money. It will have a financial component.

My friend was so excited that he could afford to purchase his dream car. If he, they, could not have afforded it, the dream would exist, but with no reality in sight.

Being able to live a dream creates the foundation for another one. Experiencing the dream, seeing it come into full-throttled fruition is energizing. It also provides the fuel for a powerful future.

When we are open to God’s plan for our future, particularly after retirement, there are two action steps to take:

1. Connect with His vision for your future and the dream he places in you.
2. Prepare for it financially. We call this a Future Funded Ministry.

What would you put in your picture? Think about it…and be glad you’re not buying the gas.

Let me know your thoughts and comments. Our dialogue continues.

Living with Trusted Advice together

Bruce

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

It’s amazing what you can’t see when smoke gets in your eyes.

The name of that song and the reality of dense smoke obscuring your vision is a great metaphor for all the events that shape your life and yet you don’t see them. As we lead our ministries we are responsible for seeing through the smoke and leading with clarity. Fortunately, we can see with the eyes of our heart, not just the two on either side of our nose.

Let me talk about smoke for a minute. Judy and I are returning from Montana and Glacier national park. They are experiencing the worst set of fires in history. When we drove to Logan Pass coming up the West Side of the park, they shut the road behind us because of the approaching fire and accompanying smoke. As we made our way through the mountain roads we were awed by the grandeur and majesty of God’s creation. We were amazed even though we were seeing it through the lens of rapidly deploying smoke.

How often does this experience occur when we look at our staff and wonder about their capacity to meet the ministry challenges ahead? It is important that the snapshot be focused and clear. Do you wonder how clearly you see the issues, opportunities, and the people?

Clarity about the needs and opportunities is important.

Without clarity about mission, we are leading others to the wrong solution. Without clarity about options and opportunities, we are leading others to a potentially wrong conclusion. And without clarity about our staff, we risk not having the right people on the right bus going to the right destination.

“Smoke Get in Your Eyes” was written by Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for their 1933 musical Roberta. More than five groups have recorded the song since. The version by The Platters is the best known. When I hear it, I pause and think about what words can mean.

Have you ever had smoke in your eyes?

Today as we drove through Central Montana, we could look directly at the sun that reminded us more of a big orange circle rather than the fireball obscured by the moon a few weeks ago. It seemed like we could see the sun clearly when the fact of the matter was that it was so obscured by smoke that we could actually look at it directly.

Strange how something can appear so clear when in reality, you’re not seeing it accurately at all. Problems are like that. You think you’re clear about the issue and then you find out it is only a symptom. You do have smoke in your eyes.

There is so much advice available about leadership. There are servant leaders, ministry leaders, political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders and family leaders. Remember the story of the man running frantically through the woods searching for something important? When he came alongside a fellow traveler he asked, “Have you seen a whole lot of people come this way?” “Why?” asked the fellow. The frantic searcher answered, “I need to find them as I am their leader.” Talk about having smoke in your eyes!

One more perspective about eye smoke. You have a couple of options when you are confronted by the smoke. Get away from it, find a mask to shield you from it, or clear the smoke from your eyes. I think it is a little like having cataracts removed. I’ve not had the issue, but many I know have. in every case when I ask about the removal operation, they say, “it is so good to be able to see clearly again.”

We can each work hard to see clearly.

Sometimes it takes patience and sometimes an operation. Whatever it takes it is worth it. Jesus told us that only those who are friends of his will be able to understand and see clearly the Kingdom of God. The promise and reality of this kind of clarity makes going through any amount of smoke worthwhile.

Recognize the smoke and let’s clearly move towards that Kingdom together. And, let’s do it for a lifetime.

Bruce

What does it take to get your attention?

How much pain do we have to endure before we connect with what is true?

I’ve noticed that we have a way of ignoring what is true until something happens. Something happens that really gets our attention. As a matter of fact, that attention-getting is often reflected in a growing sense of apprehension or fear.

After a period of sleepless nights or upset stomachs or nervous tension revealed in many different physical or psychological ways, we are then in a position to come to grips with what is true.

It seems as if it takes trauma to bring us to the point of being open to facing our reality, whatever that may be.

There are many examples of this in the Bible. There are also many examples of this from our own lives, once we reflect on them. It took a huge storm for Jonah to come face to face with the truth about his relationship to God. It took a lifetime for Solomon to move from the affirmations of his rise to power and the realities of what is really important in life. It takes “hitting bottom” for anyone with an addiction to look up and admit to being powerless without help.

In the book of Jonah, there is an insightful phrase that reflects this process and applies to our seeming unending ability to “deny’ the truth about our need to prepare for the future. To establish a financial foundation to support our call to freedom and service in our later years based on the preparation of all that has gone before. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, O Lord.” (Jonah 2:7a)

During my lifetime of trying to understand the basics of preparing for the future, a truth emerges. Most of us don’t even begin to pay serious attention to our financial future until we're close enough to visualize what “my life ebbing away” might actually mean. Then we are hit with the realization that we should, must, do something more to prepare for that future. Some, but not all, become aware of the personal need, the responsibility to begin that preparation.

What I realize is that without the motivation of situational clarification, understanding of what is really going on, we tend to do nothing. The role of a prophet is to tell the truth, not just foretell the future. The truth about a situation often becomes the predictor or what the future will hold.

Saving for the future is important - that is a truth. Pain and frustration will be part of the future if action is not taken. An opportunity for an abundant and joy-filled future is enhanced if you do act wisely based on that truth. 

What does it take to get your attention?

Is there an unmentioned “elephant in the room"? Is it hard to even encourage or focus the attention of your organization on preparing your staff to face the future? There are so many important ramifications of not doing so individually, for your family, and for a ministry organization. What attention getting realities can you share so that we may learn from each other’s experience?

Let me know your thoughts and comments. Our dialogue continues.

Living with Trusted Advice together,
Bruce

Your work: a reflection of the nature of God

John Calvin believed that work is as much a part of worship as giving. 

In the Christian community, we talk about work as worship, work as ministry, and work as stewardship.

We often think of the work that we are required to do in order to earn a living. We then separate that work from our spiritual life and role as one of God’s stewards. Stewards of what? Well, steward of everything is the most inclusive definition. Stewardship requires work, yours and mine.

 So work is so much more than expending the time and energy to "earn a living."

Not only do we work, but our work is a reflection of the nature of God. We are made in God’s image and we know that He worked to create the world and works today in our daily lives.

Let's take an even closer look at "work." It is comforting to know that each of us is both chosen to be a friend of Gods and called to roles in His Kingdom. There are general roles for all and then specific roles for each of us in His kingdom. To put it another way, God is at work in both of those areas, choosing and calling, being chosen and being called.

First, we have to respond to the "choosing" with a step of faith. After that, we  go to work and carry out the "calling." So both God and His creation, you and me, are in fact working together. 

While we are in the process of working at our calling, God is also at work in our circumstances. He prepares us, strengthens and upholds us. This is how He enables us to carry out our stewardship mission.

How comforting is that? We are not alone. We have His wisdom and power to support, strengthen, and uphold us. It sure makes a difference in those tough circumstances and difficult situations….you know, the ones that totally get you down.

Nothing gets done unless someone does something….that something we call "work." Work for which we are either already prepared or tasks we are working on that will, in fact, prepare us for what is next. The next step in carrying out God’s call on our life. By the way, those next steps extend for a lifetime, not just a season. 

So here is the rub given our current culture's perspective of the last quarter of our life....retirement. The rub is that our culture embraces the perspective that at retirement we will stop working. Stop working and focus only on satisfying ourselves. In other words, we will do nothing but focus on our own desires and pleasures. 

On the other end of the spectrum is the supposed Christian mantra that “I’m never going to retire."  "I will never stop working."  The assumption that goes along with this life view is that the work will provide an ongoing income too. The back story is that this mantra presupposes never stopping earning. Work for pay becomes the lifetime annuity. That is unrealistic for sure. I just can’t envision hiking to the office at 90.

So what is a God-honoring perspective of work and of retirement? 

What you do in retirement, your work during retirement, is, in fact, your response to the opportunities God puts right in front of you and has uniquely prepared for you.

Pretty cool. You are prepared for a lifetime of service to carry out a uniquely called mission extending not for a season, but for a lifetime. This also presupposes that you have prepared financially for this strategic time of service. 

I take great comfort in knowing that regardless of my age or circumstance, God is at work preparing me for a lifetime of service….service for a lifetime. We will explore the three stages of retirement in another blog. The great comfort comes from knowing that there will always be meaning and purpose in my life fulfilling God’s call which always means “changed lives."

All this is true if you are spiritually prepared and the results of your financial stewardship give you the freedom to respond to God's call. 

Love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Work is a sacred activity and when done to His glory fulfills our mission to the world.

-Bruce

What I learned about leadership

As I sit in my hotel room in Vientiane, Laos and reflect on yesterday's activities, I am impressed with how much I learned about leadership, organization, and management in 24 hours. I learned it in the most unlikely places and from the most unlikely teachers.

It does not seem to matter whether you are the leader of a US-based ministry or organization, the administrator of a 403(b) or 401(k) plan, or a headman of a small tribe of Laotian people, the basic issues and needs for leaders remain the same.

Here are at least some of the basic leadership lessons I learned:

1. The capability to see and cast a vision people will follow
2. The ability to articulate the expected results of that vision in a way that stirs followers minds
3. A team of dedicated supporters
4. The willingness to risk
5. The resources to implement
6. The organizational skills to “see it through”
7. Putting replaceable systems in place to support ongoing growth and achievement of the vision
8. The faith the see it through, even during the hard times

Wow, all that in one day? 

Well no, the essentials have been learned through a lifetime of experiences, but I was clearly reminded of them because of what happened yesterday.

Here is the context:

The country of Laos has a long and storied past being landlocked between 5 surrounding countries: Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Myanmar.

Each time I look at the map and see Laos as a connecting point for South East Asia, I am reminded of the strategic location of Israel throughout recorded time. Both Laos and Israel are a pathway to get to someplace else, and a connecting point between strategic powers. Consequently, a location of strategic importance.

Laos is made up of some 47 tribes, each with their own language or dialect. Lao being the largest tribe, while tribes such as the Hmong and the Cur are spread out not only in Laos, but some in Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Why is this relevant to a discussion about leadership and organization?

Well, when I think of all the different pieces to the organizational puzzle that we deal with regarding 403(b) or 401(k) retirement plans and the associated services, the situation in Laos is not dissimilar. Each and every organization has multiple systems and groups of people that need to be addressed in order to accomplish any organizational or ministry goals.

It is our job as leaders to understand, appreciate, organize and lead these disparate parts to a visionary goal.

The Capability of a Leader to See and Cast a Vision People Will Follow

Because Laos is a “closed”, communist country, I will have to speak in euphemisms.

The vision is to bring “hope” to the people of this region.

The strategy is to raise up leaders and supporters in each ethnic and geographic area united around a single vision of ‘hope.'

In order to accomplish this grand vision, and then assist each area to support the vision, will take a miracle.

This is where faith comes in.

As we know, planting a common vision within a small ethnically or focused group is hard enough. Bringing that vision and having it embraced and then implemented is hard. Under a corporate or spiritually focused umbrella is “humanly” impossible.

Even though it will be difficult, engagement with “hope” for millions of South East Asians, particularly in the 6 countries mentioned before, is the vision.

During discussions about how to implement the vision, we raised the issue of sustainability. If the leaders at every level are not in economically sustainable life situations, the likelihood of the vision being seen through to fruition is nearly zero.

So the term, Sustainable Vision was born.

The Ability of a Leader to Articulate the Expected Results of That Vision In A Way That Stirs Followers Minds

After a day of visitation and dialogue about the vision, concrete steps were being taken to provide support for family. Steps were also being taken to provide sufficient resources to leverage the activities that will bring “hope”. In the midst of all this, I was impressed with the practical similarities between our vision and the circumstances of the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as they left Egypt en masse.

When they left Egypt there was one leader in charge of a million diverse, yet interrelated families. No organization, no structure, perhaps not a clear understanding of the long-term opportunity, vision, and defensive mentality of leaving. There was no clear understanding of goals and objectives. If you are familiar with the story, that observation will make sense.

At the same time, a similarity that because of the amnesty of the vision, and the lack of skills and resources to implement or reach or sustain the vision, the need for a huge amount of faith without “human” resources is palpable. The idea of a journey towards a vision of hope for many different people in physical juxtaposition but miles, or kilometers, apart culturally and economically.

What an opportunity for our “higher power” to demonstrate capacity, wisdom, and capability.

Other Elements Needed

As I sat eating Tilapia grown on a local fish farm, and talking about this vision with 3 local leaders, the main man with the vision, looked me in the eye and said: “You know, that we are a people with little sustainable “business” and economic skills. We need to learn these skills so our vision is sustainable. We need curriculum - what to learn, teachers - to teach us, and coaches - to help us become the best at this. If we do not find these things, we will not succeed. We have faith that they are available and that He will provide them.”

And then he said, “Will you help us”.

"If I Call, Will You Go?"

Here I sit the following morning with a lump in my throat.

The last time I heard such a clear call was almost 30 years ago. That time I ended up in Timbuktu, Mali. Certainly, another remote location that many people had heard of but where most could not find it on the map.

Such is His call.

Items 3 through 8 on the list above are all important. For leaders, however, the vision comes first and the willingness to both lead and be led comes next. The skill sets are then needed to make the Vision a sustainable one.

Is there a role for you in this vision?

As I get on the plane to head back to Colorado Springs I’m thinking about how this vision can be made sustainable, and what my, maybe your role, in it could be.

Certainly, lots more to think about, and to think about deeply.

You know, for some of us this may be the Future-Funded Ministry that we talk about so often. It is certainly in the Future, will change people’s lives, takes prior experience and skill, a willingness to stretch, grow and give back, and certainly takes faith.

I pray you will be encouraged by this current story, use it to reflect on your leadership opportunities, and be blessed with His challenges to bring “hope” to the world.

Come take the journey with us, Trusted Advice along The Way.

Bruce Bruinsma

Ageism, Longevity, Old

The time from retirement to the end of life is getting longer - a lot longer.

There is more time to do nothing if you are into that. There is more time to discover your calling and add new meaning and purpose to the end of your life. The good news is that whenever you are approaching the time when your vocation ends and the pay check stops, there is time to hear your call, discover your purpose, and live out a high impact life.

A key life goal is to be Faithful for a Lifetime.

I just read a quote, “The worst thing in life is to be successful at anything that has no value”. In other words, being successful at nothing is still exactly that, nothing. For so many, the end goal of retirement is in fact to do nothing. Further, developing a high level of skill in a recreational activity is satisfying, but only if you can leverage the lessons to help others.

Figuring out this retirement thing can be confusing. In our society, culture has a distinct way of reacting to the idea of retirement. Because death is frightening to many, other than committed believers, the diseases that kill most of us come to mind first. And a close second is money and the potential pain of not having enough. Heart disease, cancer diagnosis, mental or cognitive developments (dementia and/or Alzheimers), circulatory issues and then respiratory function lead the thought process that is health related. Translating savings and social security into monthly income highlights the money issues. How much will that be and is it going to be enough?

The length of time in front of most of us creates a whole new set of topics and concerns that prior generations did not have to deal with.

They died before the current reality of living longer became an issue. I remember as a boy, learning that most people living in the decades between my grandparents and my parents stopped working at about 65 and then died within 5 years of that date. As I remember, many times it was within a year of when they stopped working. Coincidentally, I also remember wondering if it was retirement that killed them.

We all are too aware of the medical advances that prolong life and life expectancy. Along with medical advances and what we now know about diet and the importance of simply taking care of yourself, it still seems to catch people by surprise when it is suggested that the time between retirement and death is 30 years.

This duration of time can be hard for many people to accept. They are confronted with the blank pages of life ahead and not understanding exactly what is needed to paint those pages with activity, let alone meaning. It is a disconcerting realization and can often be confusing. Some want to continue to duck the opportunity as being too scary while others are just bewildered and anxious to embrace the opportunity.

My personal journey of making sense of this stage and filling those blank pages with meaning and purpose is both challenging and exciting.

The opportunity to embrace the opportunity and to change the outcome of those decades for thousands from “nothing” to something of value is personally energizing. It is a life purpose I can be passionate about and it is a life purpose I am passionate about. The Live with Meaning Foundation and Retirement Reformation Movement will fill those blank pages for me.

An early question about this topic is, “What is the difference between ageism, longevity and old?” When initially considering these three, the tendency is to simply conclude that they are synonyms. We react that way because we think about retirement, the 4th Quarter, as one life stage instead of the three that it is. In addition, we don’t differentiate between ageism, longevity and old.

A brief definition of each will help make the distinctions between them. Without distinctions in mind, we can’t expand our comprehension. Creating a lexicon of longevity is important to understanding it. Here is an example:  Bob Buford’s Halftime definition of Life 1 and Life 2, might be expanded to now include Life 3. Life 1 extends through the 40s while Life 2 is defined as the remainder of life. Let me suggest that Life 2 ends at around the age of 65 and the time after that is Life 3. Life 3 then becomes an addition to the lexicon of longevity.

Defining Ageism: The biological process of ongoing deterioration of life’s support systems. When a key part of any life support system fails, we die. Ageism is sometimes used to describe the way we characterize those over 65.

Defining Longevity: The ongoing chronology of age. Longevity is the expected or usual length of time a group of people will live. Longevity is based on a group while ageism is about the individual.

Defining Old: How old you are is not a function of age or longevity, it is a function of attitude. Attitude is the way you think about something or someone and is reflected in your behavior. Your attitude determines your relational age, not your chronological age or in what longevity group you find yourself.

How we think impacts all aspects of our life. Here is a series of connected thoughts that will change the course of your life:

Principles guide thinking.

Thinking guides acting.

Acting determines character.

Character determines your life, relationships, and future.

  (Robert Bender)

The future referred to above reflects longevity and age. It is how we handle the “old” that is the most important.

It is important because it is here that we find our meaning and purpose, and as Christians, we play our unique and key roles in building the Kingdom of God demonstrated to us by Jesus.

The meaning of old has changed significantly. Visualize a 60-year-old in 1940, 1950, or 1960. Now visualize a 60-year-old in 2017 and later. Yesterday I saw a news story about a woman in her late 60s who is a fashion icon across the western world. She is active, attractive, and amazingly engaging.

In many churches and organizations what we want from the old people is for them not to be "grumpy" or have a bad attitude. Oh, and we want them to keep giving too. The opposite of grumpy is someone filled with the Spirit and demonstrating how Jesus lives in them and then this is reflected to others.

It helps to understand the differences between ageism, longevity, and old. The interaction and points of intersection between those different ideas is a good starting point in understanding what it will mean to live a life of meaning and purpose during Life 3 - the 4th Quarter - the 30 years of your life after retirement.

Life is a journey, longer than we realize and filled with more opportunities to impact others than we acknowledge.

Let’s figure out how to travel together experiencing the love, joy, and peace of a Jesus follower. Let’s be faithful for a lifetime.

Bruce

The role of money in retirement

I just finished a presentation to 75 missionaries. As I looked out the window of the conference room the waves of Corinth Bay were cresting with white foam. It was hot, but it was beautiful.

The subject of retirement is not one that most missionaries, or many others, are clamoring to discuss.

They know they should, but it scares many of them. Unfortunately, retirement means so many different things to different people. Each person seems to have their own perspective or their unique reason for not having a perspective about it. They don’t want to think about it and it is almost like there is this blank page in the future that we have dubbed “retirement."

Money is part of the Retirement Equation

Money is part of the retirement equation. Perhaps it is the most misunderstood piece to the retirement puzzle, particularly for Christians. Because of a misunderstanding about money’s role and the lack of perspective about it, it is interesting that money is often the first thing Christians think about when retirement is brought up. I am acutely aware of this because for years I’ve heard consistent replies when the subject is brought up. The response is as follows: “I’m not going to retire and God is going to take care of me.” Clearly the phrase, “God will take care of me” refers to the physical support issues which in our culture means financial resources, or money. Money is not important and I’ll get it from somewhere. Kind of an oxymoron don’t you think?

The least important part

After dealing with the financial side of retirement for 30 years, I’m now convinced that money is the least important of the issues to be addressed. At the same time, I’m convinced that when the other more important issues are attended to, the money issue will be addressed also. Dealing with the issue and doing something about It flows naturally out of a Godly perspective of our life roles during the last 30 years of life. Yes, that is the length of time we may have after the paid work stops.

So, what then is the role of money in retirement?

After the first one hundred or so discussions about the subject, the consensus by Christians is that the role of money in retirement is to be able to live comfortably and be able to give. Both are admirable priorities. Next, comes the desire, particularly among Baby Boomers and older, to leave something for their children.

Is “Nothing” a Goal?

After those three priorities - to live comfortably, to give generously, and to leave something for the children, the conversation generally stops or simply continues with platitudes designed to fill the air space of the subject but not to actually contribute to further understanding. The underlying theme of our culture about retirement is inherent in the dialogue.

Here it is: The goal for a great retirement is to have enough money so I can do nothing. And anything beyond that should bring pleasure to me. In other words, the goal is to be able to do a whole lot of nothing. Unfortunately, “nothing” does not have any meaning nor purpose attached and is pretty hollow after a couple of years. This quote from a fellow passenger on a flight from SE Asia sums it up: “I’m at the end of doing nothing." Well said.

Here is a quote from the e-book available soon at FutureFundedministry.com,

“ A life without purpose is a life without meaning; a life without meaning is a life without hope; a life without hope further separates you from God; separation from God is no life at all.  ”

Stability and Flexibility

So, then we get back to the role of money in the retirement equation which is to provide stability and flexibility. Another way of thinking about flexibility is choice. The freedom to make choices, especially in response to God’s call on our lives, is a distinct blessing. Stability and choice are two of the characteristics that allow us to minister to others in the most effective manner. The boundaries within which we can work are expanded and the barriers to ministry reduced. Stability allows and enhances our ability to be focused and efficient while flexibility allows us to respond to the call, directions and opportunities to enhance the Kingdom that God puts in front of us. The “in front of us” extends to the end of our lives, not stopping at 65, 70, or even 80.

Money has a key support role allowing for more effective ministry.

Effective and Efficient

Having access to the right tools always brings better results. A number of years ago I was meeting with a missionary leader from India. In the course of the conversation, I asked him what were the two most important tools necessary to expand the work in his part of the country. His answer surprised me: “We need Bibles and bicycles." Bibles surprised me because at that time it never occurred to me that a pastor could even exist without a Bible. Little did I know. Second, he shared that each pastor provided leadership to multiple churches and that the waling time between them was significant. “How much more efficient they would be if they had bicycles!” was his response to my further questioning.

Clearly additional funding spent on Bibles and bicycles would bring stability and flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness to those ministers.

The Freedom to Choose

The freedom to choose is one of the great desires of men’s hearts over the centuries. When you think about it, the inability, either because of capacity or coercion, to make personal choice is the essence of the freedoms we hold dear in our country. So many do not have it.

One of the great restrictors of freedom, is poverty or lack of adequate financial resources. While there are other inhibitors to choices, the lack of capacity to “pay for something” is certainly one of them. The ability to choose to respond to a financial need in a meaningful way in your faith community or family is a great blessing. The ability to go where called without serious consideration to cost is wonderful.

Money can buy time

Thinking about having enough money to buy time is one more insight into the flexibility part of money in retirement. You can buy the time needed to contribute talent and energy in response to God’s call.

Again, stability and flexibility are key benefits that come as a result of having prepared financially for the 4th Quarter. Can God use you in mighty ways if you have not prepared? No doubt. However, as I read my Bible, being prepared is better and closer to God’s heart.

Stay with us as we Journey towards Future Funded Ministry.

Let’s journey with Trusted Advice along The Way.

Bruce

What is your call to ministry?

What truly constitutes our call to ministry?

Four elements come together to produce a valid and obedient call (that counsel of God mentioned in Psalm 32):

A strong personal conviction or motivation felt by an individual to engage in something very specific that impacts the life of others.

It’s important here to realize that this isn’t a single instance, but it’s likely that we will have more than one call during our life.

The second element is something we refer to as effective enablement, which can come through general life experiences, education, or very specific personal events and occurrences.

In some cases, the enablement is obtained during a relatively brief time period, while in others it may take decades. It can involve such things as skills (including healing, art, and speaking), knowledge (foreign languages and biblical knowledge, for example), attitudes (like mercy and courage), and personality traits (such as gentleness and boldness).

The third key element is opportunity to perform the ministry to which we are called.

An opportunity can be spontaneous and short lived, occurring as an encounter on the street, in a store, or in a tragic emergency. It can also be long-term, to the point that a particular life path opens up one situation after another to impact individuals in on-on-one encounters or with large groups. God knows when and where our motivation and enablement come together and puts us in the right place at the right time to serve others’ needs.

We are to surrender to God’s leadership in general and to each specific prompting God delivers. This is the fourth element and it clearly rests on each of our own shoulders.

Specifically, it does no good to have motivation, enablement, and opportunity it we don’t step up and do what’s needed right then, when, and where it’s needed. The surrender might be just a few moments—an interruption to our day to address a person in need. Or it can be a long time—maybe, even an entire lifetime—that willingness to be devoted to a singular cause or type of ministry.

God leverages the unique capacities of each to carry out His redemptive plan for the world. When we examine the parable of the vine and branches from the book of John, the visualization of the branches spreading and growing in support of the vine connects us to the the result of our individual preparation, call, and response.

Shrinking World, Expanding Life

Judy and I rolled out of bed about 5 am. Threw opened the drapes and gaped, one last time, at the beautiful sight of the Bay of Corinth. We could not escape visualizing all that had taken place there and in the vicinity. Paul’s experiences and his messages to the Corinthians changed not only our world but the entire world. Amazing!

A one hour ride to the MarcoPoulos Athens airport - what an appropriate name - and a flight on Aegean Air to Heathrow. A bit of a hectic transition time, but we got two seats in row 50 on a British Air 747 that put us on the next leg directly to Denver.

A 20-minute wandering through the Disneyworld like lines to passport control, a quick verification accompanied by a terrible picture, and then our 35-minute line through the TSA entry process. All said and done complete with the agent’s “welcome home” smile and we were in the country and close to home.

Just one more wait for our two bags, another line, and the bus to the parking spot where we left our car. An hour drive home with Judy gently breathing in the reclined passenger seat and the welcoming shelter of Cathedral Pines.

All very interesting, but here’s the point - we went from Athens, Greece to Colorado Springs, CO in less than a day. I know, I know, the world is shrinking and I’m not the first to tell you. During our time at the missions conference we were attending, we connected with key leaders from 25 countries. Their stories touch the heart of ministry and our ability to help them expand their thinking to include not only the geography of ministry but its duration was truly the most rewarding part of the trip. 

The World is shrinking, has shrunk, and will continue to shrink

The world is shrinking both because of enhanced transportation options and because of the technology that connects us.

Everything seems closer, sooner, faster, and more impactful. I calculated the number of countries I’ve been privileged to visit over the last 30 or more years. If I’ve counted right it was my 62nd or 63rd country. We met a couple on the cruise who during their 25-year role as leaders of a major denominational publishing ministry had visited 150. That even got my attention!

On the ship going from New York to Southampton, we communed daily with the newly retired Anglican Bishop of Malawi. An American from Nashville, he has ministered in in that country for 55 years. When I asked him how often here returns to the States, he said, “Twice a year to visit family and friends.” He then added, “I’m 80 and there are fewer and fewer people left to see, you know.” He continued, “But there seem to be more and more places where I can still be of help.” And to myself added, “Yes, I know!”

So, while the world gets smaller and shrinks, our life expectancy grows.

Have you wondered about either of these dynamics so specific to our times?  If you have, it is likely you have pondered these two new realities separately and not in any joined or coordinated way. I hadn’t either.

How long is retirement

One of the questions I asked the assembled ministry messengers at the conference was, “How long is retirement?” They looked at me with a bit of a blank stare until the intent of the question seemed to dawn on them. While the simplistic answer is, “Until the end of your life," it took some additional prompting for the full comprehension of what that really means to sink in.

While we can, and will in future communication, delve into more of the issues of aging and life expectancy, the bottom line is that we are living longer. Simply put, our life expectancy is 30 years beyond whatever age you choose as the point of “retirement."

Retirement being the key transition point from where and how you are paid for your labor to the subsequent 30 years that will come next.

I always chuckle when I think of our Social Security system here in the United States. When it was established, our life expectancy was roughly 63. Pretty cost effective to set up a retirement funding plan in which the majority of people will be dead before the benefits start. Or to be generous, one that will only have to be funded for a few years. In the near future, 25 percent of Americans will be over 60 and the average age of those individuals will continue to grow almost in a straight line over the next 20 years. A recent analysis reported that today’s 7-year-old has a possible life expectancy of 104. You can see the opportunity, can’t you?

There are few faith-based ministries that would turn down additional, experienced, committed, available, non-paid staff. Amazingly, God does provide. Think about every church and Christian ministry in the US - nearly 500,000 of them total with 20-100 new and active supporters. I’m not talking about money which is another topic but rather about how God has prepared and called available workers to represent Jesus to the nations. How exciting is that?

We will need to make significant changes in the way we think about our Seniors.

While seldom say it, our current expectation and hope for our seniors is that they not be grumpy and continue to give. With that thinking, we miss a huge opportunity to build the kingdom while simultaneously diminishing our Seniors to a role that is “less than.”

An Explosive Vision

An explosive vision for future ministry expansion is possible because the world is shrinking due to transportation and technology.

Added to that fact is the new reality that there are potentially millions of Christian workers becoming available worldwide. There is much more to be said on these topics involving issues to be identified and addressed, infrastructures of the mind to be developed, and support systems to be built. But God has already and is currently preparing the faith-based community of believers for such time as this.

Prayer

My prayer for a Longevity Dividend is twofold:

1.     As a Christian community, we will recognize the extended opportunity afforded us and;

2.     And as individuals, we will listen to God’s call on the rest of our lives and respond to the meaning and purpose available to us.

The Retirement Reformation

The Retirement Reformation is a growing movement of Christians who glimpse the vision and are willing to respond to it.

Those who are energized by God’s plan for their lives and are willing to step into a new arena of their lives with focus, determination, and commitment to build His Kingdom while experiencing a little fun along the way.

Stay with us as we continue our Life Journey together.

Your comments and insights are part of the Journey.

Bruce

The Sea

Do you remember the first painting you ever saw of a big body of water? And do you remember your first glimpse of the sea? Each one of these memories shaped an impression of something bigger and more powerful than ourselves - the one who created the sea.

For those of us who were raised in church and Sunday school, we were impacted by the picture of Jesus walking on the sea and beckoning Peter to join him. Peter in fact did and then his fear caused him to sink. I remember it scared me a lot to think about trusting and then sinking. But it did not sink in that there was a connector of faith between the two acts…..the stepping and the sinking.

The power of God vested in Jesus impressed me when He said, “Peace be still” because He could calm the seas! Now that was real power.

Jonah and his seafaring journey has made its way into my lexicon of the sea as well. The only way the other passengers on the boat were saved was because they followed Jonah’s command and threw him overboard.

Paul was shipwrecked on his way to Rome. Amazing.

Judy, Brent, Bethany and I were standing on the shore of the Pacific on the Oregon Coast. We’d finally learned that going to the shore in Oregon was not the same as arriving at the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan with swimsuit, pail, and shovel. No, the Oregon Coast is much more formidable.

As we stood about 60 feet back from the boiling coast line, a huge wave emerged surrounding a 40-foot limbless tree, bare roots and all. We watched mesmerized as the tree was thrown from the wave and started to roll toward us. Having a 40-foot tree, 5 feet in diameter, hurtling towards you is a scary sight.

We scrambled backward, Judy hauling Bethany and I dragging Brent. We retreated about another 25 feet and stopped to see what would happen. The tree stopped its roll about 10 feet from us. We slumped to the sand and I made the astounding observation, “We could have been killed." So true.

Brent thought it was exciting. Bethany thought it was scary. Judy thought we were crazy for standing so close. And I was relieved.

So here Judy and I are on another sea, 5000 miles from the Oregon Coast. The Atlantic. The captain told us today that it was the second largest sea, about 1/3 the size of the Pacific, which impressed me.

A picture of the Atlantic today can replace 1,000 words. With no good camera, I guess 1,000 words will have to do. Why bother? Just like those images conjured up by the stories of Jesus, Jonah, and Paul, the sea I’m looking at out my stateroom window is almost as impactful.

Yesterday we sailed over the spot where the Titanic sank. Our son Brent is a Titanic aficionado. We have been to about 20 Titanic exhibits and Brent has virtually every book written about it. Bethany even made a special trip with him to Missouri to see the latest tribute to the great sinking. We get the story of the Titanic in all its detail.

This morning I went to the ship's library to do a little research on the Cunard liners Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. Quite amazing stories as both of them were troop ships in WWII. As a matter of fact, my dad was on the Queen Mary as one of those troops. They each carried over 10,000 troops at a time from the US to Europe and back.

After WWII, they were decommissioned and re-fitted as passenger liners.

Dad came back to the US from Germany and France in 1945. The war ended in the spring. It is now just over two years later, September of 1947, and he once again boards Queen Elizabeth, this time going from New York to Southampton, England. The only thing different is that this time, he had his wife Grace and 7-year-old son Bruce along with him.

I can’t prove it, but I strongly suspect that I’m the only person on board who traveled on this ship only once before and the time difference was 70 years. As I said to Ezra and Mary, our dinner mates, “I make this journey every 70 years, whether I need to or not.”

Enough about the history. Now about the sea. There was a strange vibe on the ship this morning. The seas from New York had been relatively calm with 2-3 foot swells being the norm. Today is different. As I look out the window right now, the fog has moved in. Before the fog, I saw the swells of yesterday growing into the waves of today.

Wondering about the height of the waves I turned to channel 23 where all the details are clearly displayed. 20-25 foot waves are what it said. Now as the fog is clearing I can see that they are right! They roll and rise only to sink again before another rise. One amazing fact about this ship, however, is that I can hardly feel the difference between the movement of yesterday and the waves of today.

The Captain just came on over the loudspeaker to give his daily briefing. In addition to confirming our location and the wave height, he added that there were wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour, the water temperature is 14 degrees centigrade and the air temperature is 57 degrees. I’m going to stand on the deck for a few minutes so I can describe what I am seeing.

Gray, roiling turbulent water with whitecaps crowning the surf-able waves. It seems as if they are breaking in multiple directions although I know we are heading northeast at 22 knots. Strangely there are occasional blue patches of water that show up amongst the gray. I have no idea what causes that and must ask the captain. He seems to know what he is doing.

The sea in this state is fascinating. As I’ve walked around the ship from the Commodore Lounge on the 11th level up front (forward to those who demand correct maritime vernacular) to our cabin veranda mid-ship on floor 5, to the art gallery on level 2 aft (that means in the back) there are people sitting and standing mesmerized by the sea. Some are taking pictures, one woman was praying, some are excited and some reflective. The sea strikes different people in different ways.

Including the crew, there are over 3500 people on this ship. A potpourri of people. Large, small, men, women, children and grandparents, experienced traveler and quaking novices, they all are subject to the same dynamics. They all have choices about how they respond to the sea.

Isn’t that true of the large and small issues of life?

We all have joys, fears, and choices to make. I’m so pleased that I’m in an intimate relationship with the creator of the seas. As many others have observed, the God who made the seas is indeed great. The beautiful thing is that He loves me and He loves you. He does have a plan for your life and He does protect and empower you so you can carry it out.

I thought a little reflection about how the sea might be the encouragement and connection with God you need for today. I know it is true for me. We’ll get back to leadership issues and how to navigate His world. For now, just be comforted by the one who controls the sea in all of its might and variety.

Stay with us on Life’s journey. Always remember, we are to be “Faithful for a lifetime.”

Bruce