Jeff Haanen - An Uncommon Guide to Retirement: Finding Gods Purpose for the Next Season of Life

Most of life is pretty autobiographical, and it cannot not bewhich makes for a good question: Why this book? Its thoughtful and gifted author, Jeff Haanen, seems years away from the time when most wonder about the third third of life. But in reading An Uncommon Guide to Retirement, what is impressive is that he pays attention very well, listening to people and watching the world, wanting to make sense of all of life for all of us. As he does that, he is never far from his own life as a son, a grandson, and a great-grandson, the legacy of long-loved loves a lens for the serious study that brings his book into being. With the growing population of men and women coming into their retirement, I hope that Haanens good work will be an uncommon guide for many, its rich reading of the idea of calling threading its way through the years of life for everyone everywhere.

STEVEN GARBER

Professor of Marketplace Theology at Regent College

Author of Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good

Haanen does an excellent job describing and then countering the prevailing cultural narratives on retirement. This is a must-read resource for older believers and for the congregational leaders serving them.

AMY L. SHERMAN

Author, Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good

Finding the place where Gods fire burns in your heart to serve your neighbor and bring joy to your own lifehere is the task for those of us entering retirement. Im convinced Jeffs book, An Uncommon Guide to Retirement, is a great resource for those who want to challenge cultural assumptions about retirement and find new ways to serve God for a lifetime.

BRADFORD HEWITT

Retired CEO of Thrivent Financial

Ive wanted to be older all my life. It was always in the back of my mind that something was waiting for me there. Jeff Haanens book might make some uncomfortable, but it has only confirmed what I thought to be true: something good is waiting for all of us.

FRED SMITH

Founder of The Gathering

This is the most comprehensive treatment of retirement from a Christian perspective that Ive seen yet. Haanens counsel is wisdom for adults of every generation today: not only for current retirees and boomers, but also for Gen Xers and millennials, whose choices now will dramatically impact their flourishing in lifes latter years.

ANDY OLSEN

Managing Editor at Christianity Today magazine

Ive had the privilege of working with individuals, families, and couples over the last 40+ years. One of the most difficult areas to deal with is retirement. Our culture teaches us that we can retire to a life of leisure. My counsel has always been Youre not finished with Gods work until he takes you home, therefore lets talk about rehirement instead of retirement. Jeff has made a very meaningful contribution to this topic, one that is desperately needed to be understood by the body of Christ.

RON BLUE

Founder of Kingdom Advisors and Ronald Blue & Co.

Cofounder of National Christian Foundation

2019 by JEFF HAANEN

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org).

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

All emphasis in Scripture has been added.

Names and details of some stories have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates

Edited by Amanda Cleary Eastep
Interior design: Ragont Design
Cover design: Christopher Tobias
Cover illustrations of wave pattern copyright 2018 by toodtuphoto / Adobe Stock (110008371). All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Haanen, Jeff, author.

Title: An uncommon guide to retirement : finding Gods purpose for the next season of life / Jeff Haanen.

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019004707 (print) | LCCN 2019011764 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802497635 () | ISBN 9780802418920

Subjects: LCSH: Retirees--Religious life. | Older people--Religious life.

Classification: LCC BV4596.R47 (ebook) | LCC BV4596.R47 H33 2019 (print) | DDC 248.8/5--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019004707

ISBN-13: 978-0-8024-1892-0
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8024-9763-5

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To Mom and Dad.
May your retirement be filled with the life that is truly life.

Friend,

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