As someone who was blessed with an opportunity to switch careers in my 50s to devote myself to fulltime church work, I found this piece in the Wall Street Journal interesting:
After decades of pursuing money, titles and ever more stuff, baby boomers are coming to a big realization: Success and security just aren’t enough anymore. They want something more fulfilling out of life, something that feeds their spiritual side and connects them to a bigger purpose.
For many, the answer is embracing faith—and devoting their lives to serving others.
Flocks of people in their 50s and 60s are putting aside thoughts of a comfortable retirement and heading to theological school, where they’ve become the fastest-growing age group in recent years. They’re putting in years of study and field work to become chaplains, spiritual counselors, missionaries, and educators and social workers for nonprofits with religious ties.
Read full story here. Ministry, of course, is not limited to ordained clergy. I have many friends who were downsized into early retirement and are now doing amazing and fulfilling non-profit work, some for pay, some as volunteers. Others opted off the career path at the height of success to become spiritual directors, missionaries or mentors to young people or ex-offenders. And I often meet people who are working hard to figure out how they can take such a leap of faith. If you’ve made such a move, please share how it’s working for you, and how you make it work.