WHAT TO DO WITH GENERALS?
By: Frank E. Fain, PhD
“What do you do with a General when he quits being a General?”
From “White Christmas”
One of my all time favorite movies is the musical White Christmas. Most of the story takes place in a Vermont Inn owned by a retired Army General. The winter resort business is not going well and the General attempts to reenlist in the Army but is turned down. Upon hearing this news Bing Crosby sings the song “What do you do with a General”.
Generals are trained to be leaders. Leading becomes second nature to them. Yet when they “retire” who do they lead? Many of them find fulfillment and meaning in their lives by using their leadership skills in civilian based businesses and civic projects.
In our churches we have many “retired Generals” or should I say “retired leaders” who would like to lead again. These “generals” are our senior adults of whom many were at the peak of their occupational leadership roles when they retired. These individuals have decades of experience in problem solving, visioning, organizing, motivating, decision making and delegating, the major tasks of a leader. Many of them would find fulfillment and meaning in their lives by using their occupational leadership skills in church based positions.
We often overlook senior adults and their talents when we are trying to fill the leadership void in our congregations. Regretfully we think when a person retires from fulltime work they also want to retire from church work. This is not the case. Research studies found that many senior adults are willing to serve in church leadership position if they would just be asked. Churches need to remember that seniors have a wealth of experience and now have more discretionary time to serve in leadership roles.
On the other side of the issue senior adults have the responsibility to share their desire to serve. Cory and Monroe Hughbanks are retired college professors who are volunteer leaders in the Focus on the Family organization. They tell seniors; “Don’t sit and wait for somebody to come and offer you a position. Go for it. Make contact with the group you are interested in and pursue it. It takes initiative, but once you push the first domino down, the opportunities come like a flood.”
Senior adults remember you may have retired from your occupation but you should never retire from you vocation of being Christ’s Ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20). Many seniors are fulfilling their divine calling by being leaders in traditional church positions such as: bible study/missions/ discipleship teachers, deacons, choir members, committee or ministry team members, Vacation Bible School workers, ushers and sound technicians. Other seniors are serving as leaders in ministries such as: Food Pantry/Clothes Closets, Caregiver Respite, Transportation, Parish Nursing, Homebound/Nursing Home Visitation, after school tutoring and home repair services.
Other seniors are finding ways to serve beyond their community by being leaders in ministries such as: Disaster Relief, Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and North American or International Mission projects.
To answer the Question “What do you do with a General when he/she quits being a General?” Give him/her a division in God’s army to lead.
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