Retirement can mean a new freedom to focus on an area of ministry that was often neglected because of the demands of a local church. Particularly if one’s retirement income is sufficient to meet basic needs, now is an opportunity for a pastor to listen to God’s call in special areas of ministry. A significant step in this direction might be that during the initial post-retirement sabbatical (see retirement (1)), to review areas of ministry that interested you in the past but had to be put aside because of the other demands of ministry.
I know of one pastor who was a gifted piano player and after retirement frequently visited nursing homes and provided music for the residents. You may have found satisfaction previously in assisting parishioners during times of terminal illness. Might a relationship with a local hospice facility provide you an opportunity to offer such ministry to many who may not have a strong pastoral relationship. The same might be true with assisting in the chaplain work at a hospital, jail, boy’s home, etc. There are ministries in our society that hunger for spiritual resources but can’t afford to pay for them. Homeless shelters, soup kitchens, crisis ministries, etc. involve people who need spiritual help but are often neglected in our society.
The point is that you are now free to carve out a ministry to a unique population without worrying about the financial support of an institution. You might be called to engage in theological dialogue in a pub, offer support to police who often face the roughest parts of our society, or minister among the artists or music groups that entertain our community. You may have avoided direct involvement addressing the political issues of the community because of the need to remain open to the diverse population of your congregation, but now you are free to follow this path. While you are doing so, you may find that others who are also involved need spiritual nurture at the same time.
Look around you and see where God may be calling you in special areas of God’s world.
