Bruce Bruinsma on The Retirement Reformation

A Synopsis of The Retirement Reformation Presentation

In this video, Bruce Bruinsma shares with us a topic near and dear to his heart—The Retirement Reformation. The reformation focuses on shifting the traditional perspective of the ideal of Retirement. The popular way to view retirement is essentially as a 30 year vacation period. Instead, Bruce proposes that we take that opportunity to focus on lifelong ministry.

Bruce often refers to the retirement period in life as a Future Funded Ministry. Instead of stopping life at the age of retirement, you can use the opportunity to pursue ministry life. He says “God calls us to love, serve, and help others for a lifetime. In fact, He has been preparing us for this last season literally our entire lives. Sadly, countless Christians enter a state of spiritual dormancy not realizing or knowing how they can continue to have an impact for God’s Kingdom.”

In response to this mission to reform our ideas around retirement, Bruce and a handful of his colleagues put together this Retirement Reformation Manifesto. The manifesto lays out some of the key elements surrounding the reformation. It’s focus is in making it clear how we aught to view retirement. For many of us, our idea of retirement is formed by the American dream. Instead, if we take queues from scripture, we can see that retirement might look quite a bit different.

So what does Bruce’s coffee plantation story have to do with the Retirement Reformation?

While in and of itself his story is very interesting to hear, it showcases a very interesting point. God’s calling on our life often extends beyond what we determine to be “normal” for us. Before the plantation, Bruce knew nothing about coffee, nor Laos, nor what might be involved. On this side of the story, Bruce is more clearly able to see how this work impacts those surround it. It provides jobs, it provides opportunity to share scripture, it might even help provide funds for kingdom opportunities.

Obviously, this example is grander than we often see. However, the principle remains the same no matter the scale. There are ministries, kingdom opportunities, or even entrepreneurial opportunities for us to pursue during our retirement. The perspective should not be “we’re saving for retirement.” Instead, it should be “we’re saving for a future funded ministry.” It’s not a thirty year period of nothing, it’s a thirty year period of continuing to serve the kingdom.

Final Notes

This presentation was hosted by Anna Dujan and her team during her September 2020 Client Event. She helps provide Financial Planning and Investment Advice to all her clients in the Indianapolis area. If you need her financial services, you can reach her by email at ADujan@HarvestInvestmentServices.com or by her office number: (317) 520-8294.