Retired but not redundant: unearth your new role

Retired but not redundant: unearth your new role

When Dave Carlos stopped working he was determined not to come to a grinding halt – and those experiences form the backcloth to his CRE At Home 2020 online seminar Retired but not Redundant.

Now available to view on the CRE YouTube channel, the seminar will be helpful to those considering imminent retirement and others who have retired but are finding it unfulfilling. It also provides useful advice for churches wanting to help mobilise members who are in similar situations.

‘Retirement is not what is used to be,’ said Dave, now 68. ‘People develop skills and expertise over the years, and it can be helpful to identify areas in which their retirement can be personally rewarding and of great use to church and community.’

With a lifetime of interest in computers – in the early 1980s he was editor of Home Computing Weekly – Dave started his own PR company, advising producers of computer games, before moving to Christian charities Agapé UK and then Care for the Family.

His talks on cyber security have been welcomed by many organisations and he has also teamed up with Lancashire Police, helping to train new officers. On top of all this, he is a leader in his local church and helps run a computer clinic, along with other computer enthusiasts! They meet regularly in a local pub, inviting anyone with a problem computer, or who has difficulties with an application, to pop in and allow them to sort it out.

‘This gives me the opportunity to gently give a Christian prod to those I am helping and also to those working with me,’ he said.

The key to knowing what to do when retiring, he maintains, is not just about the person’s skills and interests, but prayer.

‘The individual must pray about his or her circumstances,’ he said, ‘and local church leaders should certainly pray for those they know who are about to retire.’

Retirement is not simply about finding something to do that is fulfilling, he points out, but to becoming involved in something which provides opportunities for evangelism and simply helping others. The seminar is a valuable aid, reflecting Dave’s personal experience, and provides many helpful tips for those approaching ‘the great change’. It is one of more than 20 seminars available on CRE TV in the week beginning Mon 12 Oct 2020 – when CRE National 2020 should have taken place but for Covid-19. The seminars will remain available for months to come.

Click here to watch Retired but not Redundant by CRE’s Dave Carlos, part of CRE At Home 2020.

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