Caleb Project
The Caleb Project is the newest addition to our Ministers in Training (MIT) leadership initiative and is an expansion of our Vocational Track.
MiT exists to develop and deploy transformational leaders for the good of the church and the world. But that kind of Kingdom-shaped influence doesn’t stop at a certain age or stage of life. God has purposes for all the days of our lives that He planned before one of them came to be. (Ps. 139:16)
How does The Caleb Project relate to that? The Bible tells us that in his middle age, Caleb joined Joshua and some others to explore God’s Promised land for his people. The two of them saw the God-sized possibilities of it, but others were too afraid to step in. So, God’s people wandered for another 40 years before beginning to move into the land.
As a reward for Caleb’s faith and faithfulness, God reserved a part of the land for him. It was still a tough place. Godless and violent tribes would have to be confronted and driven out of fortified cities. Other challenges awaited.
What did Caleb say? “I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day…. it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.” (Joshua 14:10-12)
In other words. “Yes, it’s true that I’ve got a few years on me, but I still have something to give for God, His people, and His purposes. As long as I’m here, I can make a difference!”
The Caleb Project equips nearly and/or recently retired persons to make a healthy transition into retirement, and to redeploy their time, resources, gifts, and vocational abilities to serve God’s Kingdom purposes.
Participants inThe Caleb Project will be within about 2 years of beginning retirement through those in the first 3-5 years of retirement.
Meetings: In a monthly small-group setting over six months, The Caleb Project participants will look back at their work experience to celebrate their contribution, identify lessons learned, and skills gained; look within at the heart level impact of retirement, to explore who they are apart from their work both as a person and a disciple of Jesus; look around to see the differences in how the world and the Word define retirement; and look ahead to make a plan for meaningful, Christ-honoring, people-impacting, legacy-leaving retirement.
Rhythm: There will be two sessions each year: July-December and January-June. We’ll meet once a month and there will be a day retreat at the end of our time. All materials needed will be provided.
Do you have questions about what retirement will look like?
Do you have a Caleb heart stirring in you?