Missions Rising July-September by Renovate Resources

July - Sept 2019 Volume 4 Issue 3

Dealing with Retirement and Annuity Plans for Your Pastor

Questions to Consider in Planning for Pastoral Retirement By Tom Cheyney Executive Director of Missions

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GOBA is an association of autonomous Southern Baptist churches, that exists to more effectively fulfill the Great Commission as described in Matthew 28:18-20. MISSION: GOBA is Southern Baptist member churches working together to impact Central Florida and the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. VISION: GOBA is a family of healthy growing churches loving, serving and reaching Central Florida and the world by developing and multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches.

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April - June 2019 | Volume 4 Issue 2

Dealing with Retirement and Annuity Plans for Your Pastor

Questions to Consider in Planning for Pastoral Retirement

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By Tom Cheyney

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Welcome to the Missions Rising Magazine:

The Bi-monthly Resource Magazine from Central Florida for Pastors, Staff, and Church Leaders!

Volume 4, No. 3

Missions Rising is published bi-monthly by the Greater Orlando Baptist Association 1906 West Lee Road Orlando, FL 32810 Email: goba@goba.org

Publisher Dr. Tom Cheyney Associate Publisher Mark Weible Associate Publisher Circulation & Marketing Ashleigh Cheyney Executive Editor & Brand Manager Tom Cheyney Magazine Designer & Format Editor Gerald Brown & Ashleigh Cheyney

The Missions Rising Magazine for the Greater Orlando Baptist Association is going quite well and I could not be more excited! Ever since I arrived some seven and a half years ago, I wanted to replace the newsletter with a more resource focused magazine. In the beginning stages, we created what we called the Re-Source Magazine which was a document not a magazine. It has taken time for our staff to stretch to the level of expertise to afford us the opportunity to develop such a premier magazine for an association. This magazine is free to anyone and is launched with the intent of providing Just-In-Time Resourcing for pastors, staff and church leaders. Our goal every other month is to provide you with a large resource on a specific subject, that is usable for pastors and deacons to equip the staff and laity. Additionally, there will be an accompanying article about half the size of the main issue that will focus on a tool for the local church. We encourage you to spread the word to your staff and church leaders about subscribing to this magazine. Simply go to: goba.org and look for the Missions Rising icon on the top header. As your mission partner and GOBA family, it is a great blessing to be able to provide you with such a cutting edge resource on a regular bases. Stay connected, more is coming... This issue is focused around:

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Dealing with Retirement and Annuity Plans for Your Pastor

Dr. Tom Cheyney is the Executive Director of Missions for the Greater Orlando Baptist Association and serves as the Executive Editor for the Missions Rising Magazine.

BOOKS, STUDY COURSES, RESOURCES, & E-BOOKS! Did you know that GOBA and Missions Rising offers pastors and church leaders an array of resources through our GOBA Bookstore? You can order books online, download free eBooks, find helpful tools for leading the local church, and discover just-in-time resources to help you as a pastor or lay leader.

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Dealing with Retirement and Annuity Plans for Your Pastor

By Tom Cheyney If I have heard it once, I have heard it a hundred times. I have seen the tears at least fifty times of a spouse that admits that her preacher husband can’t retire because the church they have pastored for thirty years refused to provide any form of retirement. I have heard it spoken perhaps ten times by either the pastor or his spouse that they knew they needed to do something about it but were too busy helping others to worry about themselves. Now the day of retirement is fast approaching and there is a gloom out on the horizon as the minister and spouse are left with a sense of foreboding because no one took the time to worry about these issues when they were young. When it comes to retirement, many pastors are ill-prepared. This edition of the Missions Rising magazine is focused on the need for churches and ministers to deal with their retirement and annuity plans. In 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul writes, “The elders who are good leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” That verse carries not only a personal obligation but also a financial one. Followers of Christ are to be generous toward all people—and especially towards our pastors and their spouses. Early in my ministry I was a church planter working with a mission’s agency that wanted to plant a large number of churches. My wife and I were excited and welcomed the opportunity to plant churches after seminary. We hit the ground running and never looked back. After some time, I began to discover that the church plant had little or no desire to see that their pastor church planter was provided with the beginnings of a retirement program. We were struggling to keep milk in the house and diapers on our son at the time. There was little money available to begin to participate in a retirement plan. Besides, most of us think we are invincible when we are just starting out. My Director of Missions came down to meet with me and told me that I needed to get started sooner rather than later. It was about another year before I got started. Most ministers wait too long to have the discussion with their church about providing a retirement plan for the ministers. Unfortunately, not planning well for retirement is one of the biggest money mistakes pastors can make. Churches that have pastoral staff, and do not seek to provide such a retirement plan, are only hurting the family’s God has called to lead their church. Many pastors find themselves in a financial dilemma as they approach or reach retirement, squeezed by challenges that sometimes exceed those of other professionals. Some are struggling to get by and others are staying on the job longer. They have no pension or retirement fund – because the church didn’t offer it, and/or they didn’t start their own savings plan (or didn’t start it soon enough). Continued on Page 12

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The Facts are Startling

According to the National Association of Evangelicals, one in five pastors do not save for retirement. This study of more than 4,000 pastors nationwide also revealed that they are also not saving enough of their own income for retirement. Asked about the amounts saved thus far for retirement, whether through individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 403(b) or 401(k) plans, pension funds, or other options, 21% said, “Nothing.” The median amount for those who have set aside something was a meager $30,000. Perhaps most troubling is that a Barna study showed the median age for a US pastor in 2017 was 54 years old, a sign that many who are heading toward the home stretches of their careers may have little sources of income to live off of after those careers. Even with 80 percent of respondents from the NAE survey indicating they contribute to Social Security, and expect to draw from it in their retirement years, the outlook isn’t rosy either. In a report from the board overseeing Social Security and other entitlement programs, the funds needed for these programs will be depleted by 2034 (based on October 2016 projections) unless major reform occurs soon. That puts even more pressure on retired pastors to draw income from other sources, such as retirement plans—and that pressure further intensifies for those pastors who opted out of Social Security. Considering that most ministers and their spouses will live for 15-30 years after they retire, the time to do something about your retirement is now. Many of our retired pastors served smaller churches during their active years. Salaries were modest with few, if any, benefits. Some did not participate in Social Security and often lived in a church parsonage with no equity built up. Today these ministers balance low retirement incomes with high costs of living. Some face daily choices between food and medications.

Assessing the Scene

Consider if you will a senior minister at a small to medium-sized U.S. church receives average pay of $70,300, according to a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration. About 13% of respondents reported not receiving any retirement benefits at all, while churches are making very small contributions to the retirement plans of many others, according to the inter-denominational Christian organization. What begins to happen is as ministers start approaching retirement, they all of a sudden are startled to realize that they have allowed for this to go on far too long. Their fear is now in hyperdrive that they have waited too long and are unrevivably behind the eight ball in their retirement planning. This often happens in smaller churches which will say to the pastoral candidate, “We will work towards a retirement plan if you come as our pastor,” but they never do. That is when the pastor finds himself in real distress.

An Aging Pastor Pool

Today, half of American pastors are older than 55. In 1992, less than a quarter of pastors in the U.S. (24%) were that old. Pastors 65 and older have almost tripled in the last 25 years, from 6% to 17%. Meanwhile, pastors 40 and younger have fallen from 33% in 1992 to 15% today. In 1992, the median age for a Protestant pastor in America was 44. In 2017, it has climbed 10 years to 54. The graying of the American pastorate did not start in the 1990’s, however. More than half of all Protestant clergy (55%) were younger than 45 in 1968. This year, only 22% of pastors are under 45. The church has gone from a time when a majority of leaders were in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s to a time when most are in their late 50s and beyond. “There are now more full-time senior pastors who are over the age of 65 than under the age of 40,” said David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group.1 I think it is critically important for pastors to plan for their individual retirement. If your church does not provide a retirement plan for you, you need to take matters into your own hands.

How to Start Planning for Retirement

Here are some tips for pastors on how to start planning for your retirement: 1. Do some research and ask other pastors in your community what their church offers in the way of retirement benefits. Get as much information as you can. 2. Schedule a time to discuss the issue with your board. You might start by talking with your board’s lay leader or treasurer first. Then when you have the meeting, share your concerns about your retirement, the research you’ve gathered, and your thoughts on what you’d like to see happen. Then ask if the board can take a step toward it this year. 3. A great first step for your church is to start a 403(b)-retirement plan so that you can begin to contribute pre-tax dollars to it. Ask the church if they will match what you contribute. Several years ago, my denomination, the Wesleyan Church, set a benchmark that all churches should provide at least a 12% match for their pastors, when the pastors save at least 5% of their income in the 403(b). When that benchmark was set, my local church board felt they could not meet it right away, but they planned to work toward it over the next several years. 4. If your church can’t offer a 403(b)-retirement plan, you can still save for retirement with an Individual Retirement Account, or IRA. And even if your church does have a 403(b) and you’ve made the maximum contributions, you can still open an IRA to supplement your 403(b). There are two types of IRAs: traditional IRA, which offers tax-deferred earnings, and Roth IRA, which offers tax-free 1 https://factsandtrends.net/2017/03/09/how-old-are-americas-pastors/

growth. You can open an IRA through any bank, credit union, or brokerage. 5. If you’re living in a parsonage, do some research to see if it might be more advantageous for you if you owned your own home and were able to build up equity to use later in life. The key ingredient, when it comes to retirement savings, is time. The earlier you start to save for retirement, the more money you’ll have to live on in your later years. If you’re not as prepared as you want to be for your retirement, what’s one step you can take today?

The Worst Thing You Can Do

The worst thing a pastor can do when preparing for retirement is nothing. Retirement needs thought and intentional preparation. In Proverbs 6:6-8, we are exhorted to be wise like the ant because it gathers food during the harvest (your productive years) and stores it up for the difficult times after the harvest (after your productive years). As a pastor about five years out from retirement, I can say from experience that it is vital to save resources and be prepared for the retirement years. Some of the areas of preparation are as follows: 1. Prepare yourself spiritually. Most of us identify too much with what we do instead of who we are. This is why some pastors lack a good self-image in retirement. It is therefore important to develop new areas of interest for the retirement years. My recommendations are as follows:

• Continue to study the Bible and relevant materials. Never stop learning. • Continue your early morning prayer life, or at other times if you prefer. The first objective in prayer is to maintain your close relationship with God instead of just getting help for your ministry. • Pray for the active pastors and assist them whenever possible. • Continue to minister in public and private whenever there is a need. • Continue formal studies through the programs of your Church Association/Fellowship or online or at a local College or University. 2. Prepare yourself financially. Retirement income can lead to a lower lifestyle and disappointment. Social Security income is only a supplement to your retirement income and is inadequate for your full support. I recommend the following: • Be faithful in giving the Lord’s tithes all of your life. Tithing is a pre-requisite to financial blessings. • While you are still pastoring, arrange for your local Church to appropriate a housing allowance so that you can own your own home by retirement. Also, set up an expense account for the senior pastor for church related car expense, travel, church-related meals, etc. • If your Church Association/Fellowship has a group retirement plan (like a 403(b) or Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA)), arrange for your church to make regular contributions on your behalf.

Continued on Page 16

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• Make annual contributions to a tax-deferred IRA; there are a few types to choose from. A trusted, qualified financial advisor can assist you in finding the instrument that is best for you. • Pay off all debts before retirement. Example – You can save thousands of dollars in interest on the mortgage of your home by making extra principal payments each month. The principal payments, especially at the beginning of a home loan, are usually surprisingly low. Much of the payment is interest. Avoid credit card debt because the interest is extremely high and if you do have credit card debt, pay it off first. • It is imperative to start early in saving for retirement and do not spend all you make in the productive years. A wealthy man told me his philosophy – “You can have it now or you can have it later.” There are many practical ways to save and make some of your income available for retirement savings, as follows: • Save by shopping for quality items at a reduced price or by shopping online or being aware of sales and rebates at local stores. • Save by not eating out as much or buying that expensive coffee or snack, etc. • Use credit card which gives rebates and has no annual fee. 3. Prepare yourself emotionally. Develop a variety of new interests. The 24/7 schedule of a pastor often precludes time for leisure and other interests. Without these interests, a person can feel idle and unproductive. It is therefore important to develop a variety of interests such as hobbies, sports, recreational reading, attending concerts, and other events. Discuss with your spouse what you mutually want or do not want in retirement. The spouse has been accustomed to the pastor being gone so much that his being home more than usual can cause friction. Solutions may include spending time in an office at home or at a local church, volunteer service outside the home, golf or other sporting events, etc. Conversely, it is important to be of help to your spouse to make up for the lack of time which was given when the schedule was so busy. Also, spending some private time together or going out to dinner occasionally may be a welcome blessing.

A healthy self-image must be maintained by realizing who you are in Christ instead of judging yourself by what you do. It is good to remember that we are saved through grace, by faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is important to feel that you are retiring to something instead of retiring from something. One example is to do volunteer work in a local church, hospital, community or civic organizations. If the pastoral couple enjoys travel, there should be some advanced planning for trips together. 4. Prepare yourself physically, health-wise. Retirement does not mean that you sit down and become inactive nad there must be maintenance of mental and physical health. • Remain active in doing regular physical exercises such as joining a local health club, walking in your neighborhood, having a treadmill in your home, etc. • Maintain a healthy diet with vitamins and supplements. • Keep your mind and thoughts healthy and positive. 5. Prepare your successor. In addition to providing quality ministry during your active years of pastoring, one of the most important things you can do is to help secure the long-term success of the church by preparing not only your successor, but also helping raise up a strong ministry team that can work together in leading the church when you step away. The years a Pastor spends in retirement often equal one half or more of the years spent in active ministry. It is important, therefore, to realize that retirement is a very significant era in your life. It can be quite fulfilling and enjoyable if you make proper preparation and maintain a positive attitude. The bottom line: pastors, and the churches that employ them, must think strategically about retirement savings as a way to avoid severe financial hardship. The Three Retirement Stages There are usually three retirement stages that most ministers think of as they prepare for retirement. They are:

Stage One—Ages 25 to 45

Many experts agree there are at least three retirement stages during a lifetime. This stage offers the most challenges and the most opportunities. During this stage, many will be entering the ministry, getting married, having children, and perhaps having the most debt. Most experts agree that a retirement plan should be started as soon as possible. Listed below are suggestions that most advisors suggest during this first stage: Start a retirement plan early with the first job. Most people will spend all the income they receive. That is why it is important to set aside monies for a plan before one gets used to spending it. The future often brings about emergencies, such as marriage, down payments for homes, childbirth, braces, etc.—all of which may prevent a plan from beginning or such a fund could be used to borrow against for such emergencies. Be systematic and dedicated to doing the right thing. Most people never regret having monies available when they need it the most. Buy necessities, not desires. We have seen a couple, age 35, who have systematically saved, bought necessities, and still have around $350,000 in savings. They don’t boast of a large income but they started with a plan, invested well, and now have the availability to do more things in life. It is important to stay focused and not always keeping up with the Joneses. Increase contributions as often as possible, even in $10.00 increments. We have seen examples of a person increasing their retirement amount by $10.00 a month every year and actually have more money saved than any one else at work (a group of people making 7-8 times their income). This person was a custodian. They really learned the importance of compound interest! Look at investments, such as variable stock and bonds, which have greater opportunity for growth. Remember, stocks should be viewed in the long range, not short-term. Stocks have out performed any other type of investments in the long run. Remember, different stages will have different options. Use retirement funds for emergencies and retirement. Use banks and savings and loans for shorter-term emergencies or Christmas funds. Ministers never know when they may be voted out and without their normal income. If funds are not saved, where can a minister turn for help—usually nowhere, unless to another family member or friend.

Use credit wisely. Too many times, young couples have too much credit card debt, robbing them from potential savings and ruining their credit. Pay off the highest interest items first. Make a plan to be as free from debt as one can.

Stage Two—Ages 45 to 55

Most people at this stage have looked back on their past and evaluated whether they planned well for their future retirement. Many have their children grown or in college, have reduced mortgages, and may be making more income. Many ministers look for “catching up” with any discrepancies from their original retirement plan. Here are a few suggestions from financial advisors during this stage: Review retirement strategies. Has the retirement plan worked or does the retirement plan need revision. Many ministers in this age bracket find themselves doing little or nothing for retirement. Start increasing the monthly contribution. To insure adequate retirement, one may choose to put off many immediate material desires, for the peace of mind that monies will be available for them in the future. Set a goal of having the final contribution date at age 55, not 65 or beyond. Too many people believe they will many more years ahead of them, being able to have earning power up to age 65 and beyond, but too often health problems and church financial problems prevent this from happening. Look at different investment strategies. While stocks are a good choice for the long term, start looking for a time to sell stock when it is at the highest and place more investments into a safer and more secure way, such as bonds, and fixed earnings. The closer to retirement, the safer the investment. Pay off any existing credit card debts and other high interest accounts. These can “rob” a person from placing the same amount money into savings. Why make money for credit card companies, make and save money for yourself! Look into future home arrangements. Many ministers still live in parsonages. What happens when a minister leaves the church or retires? Plan ahead while there is time.

Stage Three—Ages 55 to 65

People in this age group often become frustrated, looking back on “what could have been”, and frantically try to put something away, knowing it may not be enough.

Continued on Page 20

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There are some distinct goals that should be evaluated for people in this age group. Listed below are a few suggestions: Evaluate your retirement goals and options. Increase contributions if possible. Change investment options to fixed earnings to be safe. Some have ignored stock sells and were stuck with a lower stock price, forced to hang onto the stock in hopes of it increasing or just breaking even. We have seen people wait 7-8 years and finally sell, only to get ½ the value they could have had 10 years earlier. Be smart and safe. Plan for the worst—not earning as much vs. loosing most everything! Look and plan for future home arrangements. As mentioned in stage two, many ministers still live in parsonages. Time is running out if there has been no progress made for future home arrangements. Look into different annuity payouts with various companies. Many companies offer high rates of return but low monthly payouts. One can “rollover” their funds without tax penalties into a higher rate of return on their monthly distribution. Be smart and look around. Many have generated more monthly income by just switching companies. Enjoy life and be active! Too many people suddenly retire, often finding themselves of having poor health or dwindling away because of inactivity. Enjoy the things that God has created! Continue to preach, travel, be with others, enjoy outside interests, go back to college, or do something that has always been desired.

Information for the Church Leaders Who Decide on Retirement Planning

Many denominations and local churches are becoming more involved in the planning of retirement options for their pastors. Many feel that God has sent a shepherd for them for such a time as this. The minister’s retirement goals and needs are no different from any other board or church member. There is not a separate set of standards for lay people and then another one just for ministers. Most lay people expect reasonable consideration from their own personal employers to provide for their needs. How much more should the church provide for God’s Messengers? Look for ways to continue to bless your minister. God will bless us as we bless our ministers! Look into helping a minister start their retirement plan by matching all or part of their contribution. Many ministers give their very all for the church, live in parsonages, and may minister in that one church for 15, 20, 25 years or more, only to find that there is nothing for them after retirement. Look into possible endowments and other donated properties by church members to help fund retirement for those who have blessed you. Provide special events to show your minister appreciation and support by helping them with retirement and other benefit needs. Thank you for considering these options for your minister. God will bless you for your church. “It’s the matter of the heart.”

Dr. Tom Cheyney is the Executive Director of Missions for the Greater Orlando Baptist Association and serves as the Executive Editor for the Missions Rising Magazine. He is the Founder & Directional Leader of the Renovate National Church Revitalization Conference and provides various training events designed for the local church.

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Questions to Consider in Planning For Pastoral Retirement By Tom Cheyney

etirement information is one of the most important resources for any minister. While many denominations may endorse or provide some kind of retirement, most provide inadequate information regarding individual options or retirement planning. Our goal in this issue is to bring awareness to the local churches across central Florida of the importance of planning retirement especially at different stages of one’s life. Please feel free to share this issue with others in your church, including your church leadership. Planning your retirement is extremely important! People who do not plan---plan to fail. Who is there for a minister who does not plan for retirement? Denominations, churches, and parishioners will not “bail out” a minister when there are no adequate funds set aside for retirement income. Many ministers get to the age of retirement only to realize they must continue preaching for the sake of “needing the income” instead of “desiring to preach.” Some have lived in parsonages. Where do they go after they have stopped pastoring? Who provides housing? The church? The denomination? The Family? The following is a series of questions that could help you as you plan your retirement.

There is a growing trend for individuals to plan to work beyond retirement age. Is that your plan? Full-time or part-time? Or both by gradually reducing your hours? What will you do in retirement? One way to begin thinking about this is to work out how many hours a week you currently work. Is it 40 hours, 50, 60? More? When you retire, you gift yourself this many hours a week. What will you do with them?

You Need a Plan

Retirees who had a game plan for both the fiscal and the often-neglected non-fiscal aspects of retirement, and who frequently revisited and updated that plan, are the most satisfied with their lives. You need a plan that gets you out of bed every morning looking forward to the day. To help with your plan, analyze your passions, interests, and priorities. What are they? How will they fit into your retirement life? Add to that your bucket list (the things you want to do before you kick the bucket!). And remember that the simple act of writing down your goals will help you achieve them. Review them from time to time.

Most pastors and ministers think about what they will need in retirement as to the idea of money. That is the biggest question but not the most important. The right questions are: • What do you want to do when you retire? • Who are you going to do it with? • What sort of activities are you going to do? • What would a typical week in retirement look like for you? • Where do you want to live? Pastors need to evaluate how they will cope financially after they finish receiving an ongoing wage. Another question you must face is: • Are you able to put aside some money now for later? As a rule of thumb, whatever your situation, you should be thinking seriously about your finances for retirement about 15 years before you expect to retire, and working on a plan to fund your retirement. That plan would include being debt free before retiring. Being debt free also means owning your home before retirement. About 15 years ago, my wife and I noticed several older pastors retiring without owning their homes who then struggled financially. That was incentive enough for us to set the goal of owning our home before retirement, a goal we thankfully achieved before we faced retirement. • Will you work into your retirement years? You may be able to work on into the retirement years. That will keep an income stream flowing, but what happens if you become ill? Or if you discover that, as you age, the pressures of ministry make it a chore to continue to work? That would make it difficult. • Are you talking to your spouse? Here are some other questions couples need to talk about: How is our marriage? When you come to the retirement zone (before and after retirement) there is a risk that the marriage may be in trouble. Couples in the 50 plus age group are divorcing at an increasing rate. Marriage therapist Bryan Craig pointed out that over the past 20 years the divorce rate has increased by 100 percent in the United States and 25 percent in Australia. The fastest-growing divorce rate in the United Kingdom is among baby boomers.

• Will we retire at the same time? Fewer than 20 percent of couples in the United States retire at the same time. If you and your spouse retire at different times, how will that work for you? What will the retired one do while the other continues to work? • What are our plans in retirement, together and separately? This is where you dream together. Dream and share. Some things you will naturally want to do together. • How will you stay healthy? What are you doing now to be healthy when you retire? You will want to be healthy as you go into retirement rather than get there and try to recover. You should also check your family history to find out what negative health possibilities there may be. This can be helpful. The question is: What do you need to do now to arrive at retirement in as healthy a state as possible? • What will you do with your calling? I was talking to a pastor in his mid-50s who has a demanding but successful ministry. He surprised me by saying he would love to retire. He would like to volunteer to care for a small country church while renovating houses. I asked the obvious question, “Why don’t you?” Retirement does not mean you are giving up on your calling. It will bring change. The advantage of retirement is that you can mostly choose to do the ministry things that you enjoy and work on the projects close to your heart or even create new ministry opportunities.

Closing Thoughts

No two retirements will be the same. Your retirement is your retirement. It will be what you make of it and it will need thought and planning. One retired minister here in central Florida who now only does supply preaching told me his retirement years have been the best of his ministry and he has traveled widely, speaking overseas and at home without the administrative pressures he once had. Some pastors find that their ministry has burned them out and they need to withdraw in retirement to recover. Retirement allows you to do that. Take the time you need. Seek the help you need and do the things you need to do to stay close to God. Aged and worn pastors have counsel of the highest value to help the next generation of leaders.

Are You a Church Planter? PlanterAsses-

GOBA continues to discover, develop, and deploy church planters who have a passion to see new churches reaching communities for the Lord Jesus Christ. Reproducing Churches has been your go to partner since 2003 in the field of church planting and the sponsoring of churches. Besides conferences, workshops, and monthly equipping for the local church, we provide the Church Planters Top Performance Profile Assessment. The assessment provides a quick and easy way for prospective church planters to discover if they are better prepared to serve as a lead church planter or a church planting team member. The Church Planter Top Performer Profile Assessment is a Church Planting pre-assessment selection tool that is positioned at the very beginning of the Church Planter search process as an objective screening process to discover qualified ministry leaders who have the capacity to plant a local church. This CPTPPA is based on our top successful church planters from all across the nation and their performance. This will be utilized to qualify and to pre-select future top performers from incoming candidates for a specific local church and ministry.

ment.org

We have partnered with Exos Advisors to use their patent pending algorithms to find Core Values patterns in existing top performing church planters. This validates and proves that the resulting CPTPPA will consistently identify new future top performers in the field of church planting, while screening out a vast majority of future low performers. How this works: When a churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission group is in the process of searching and considering the calling of a Church Planter to lead out in the creation of a new church, the prospective candidate is sent an email with a link to the CPTPPA. The CPTPPA is then completed by the candidate and their score is automatically received by GOBA and will be shared within seven days of completion with the candidate and the local church. The report will be compared to the Church Planter Top Performer Profile Assessment. Those candidates which assess as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;highâ&#x20AC;? potential for the successful planting of a healthy New Testament church are then recommended to local churches. The sponsoring church will still need to qualify the planter candidate in the areas of: character, doctrine, financial stability, and experience which is done on the local level. To find out more or to take the online assessment, go to www.PlanterAssessment.com. GOBA can received a 50% discount on the cost of the assessment with promo code TPP50.

PlanterAssessment.com

The Greater Orlando Baptist Association

149th Annual Celebration

Free Dinner

ChilD Care

Games

BounCe house

entertainment

Sunday, October 6, 2019 Keynote Speakers

Ron Edmonson In his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the most common need he encounters is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. Seminaries may prepare pastors to preach, just as colleges may prepare teachers to teach, but who prepares pastors to lead?

Evening Schedule 5-6pm Family Dinner 5:30-8pm Kid’s Fun Night 6-8pm Youth Rally 6-8pm Celebration

GOBA Kicking the celebration off will be your GOBA Staff as they share with our churches some of the great things and resources available to participating churches. So many of our churches are surprised to discover all of the equipment and tools available to help our churches do the work of the ministry.

During the evening there will be a panel discussion led by David Crowe (SOBC) and three of our GOBA church pastors: • • •

Walter Jackson FBCWP (Church Revitalization) Cam Triggs GA (Church Planting) Kevin Goza TBC (Leadership Development)

Come and learn what is working here in Central Florida in these three fields from three of our best. We are also giving a special gift to the youth ministry with the largest number of youths in attendance so get your youth geared up to be part of this great evening!

South Orlando Baptist Church 11513 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32837 RSVP for dinner by 9/30/19 407.293.0450

SHARING THE STORY OF JESUS

Across the globe, Jesus Film Project has brought millions face to face with the most powerful story in history. However, there are still billions unreached. It's time to reach them with the Gospel through strategies, tools, and partnerships like yours!