Thanks to our Sponsor for this Second Edition of The Bridge!
Wycliffe Bible Translators
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Sponsoring Info
Wycliffe has been a partner since the inception of Finishers. We find it to be one of the most prolific and cost-efficient methods of mobilizing Boomers into global impact for God. Our desire is to work with you to find God's place in ministry. |
Meet the Staff
Don & Ele Parrott
Don and Ele Parrott have been married for 34 years; they have four grown children and two grandchildren whom they greatly enjoy. Don serves as the President/CEO of Finishers.
They were involved in church pastoral ministries here in the U.S. for 18 years after which they joined One Challenge International and served in Latin America for 11 years, then 4 years in Colorado Springs at the One Challenge headquarters.
Don and Ele are also members of Paraclete (www.paraclete.net) with Don serving as President and Ele as Director of Member Care. Ele is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and does extensive mentoring of younger women. | |
The Bridge serves to keep you connected with the amazing ministry and impact of Finishers Project. We welcome your feedback, so please call or write. |
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| God's Type of Type Designer
By Don Collingsworth
At a mission's conference in San Jose I was introduced to a group, called Finishers, which specializes in helping people like me who are called into missions later in life.
Later, while visiting my family in Texas, I visited Wycliffe Bible Translators in Dallas and was introduced to Mike Gallagher, a Wycliffe recruiter who works in cooperation with Finishers. After the second stage of application he noticed I had been a type designer.
The mission of Wycliffe is to translate the Bible into the language of people groups who do not yet have the scriptures. Many groups have a handwriting system which has never been developed into a type settable format. I will be working in Wycliffe's Non-Roman Script Initiative to develop workable type in these specific languages so Bible-less people groups can have the scriptures in the language that speaks to their heart. I'm looking forward to the Lord providing the support of believers and churches who will partner with me and Wycliffe so I can begin serving our Lord in Dallas. | |
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Finishers Forum: A Time to
Connect With Mission Opportunities
Fort Wayne, Indiana Sept. 28-29
Pack your bags and join us at the next Finishers Forum in Fort Wayne, Indiana! The Finishers Forum on September 28-29 will be a very unique gathering of mid-life adults who are exploring how they can invest their future years to make a lasting impact for God. The breakouts will answer the questions we commonly face in this journey. The plenary sessions will clarify the larger issues of purpose and direction. You'll have time to interact with men and women who have contact with worldwide opportunities for applying the skills and passions you possess.
More than 24 mission agencies will join us in Ft Wayne, Indiana at the Finishers Forum, to be held at Blackhawk Ministries from Friday 6 p.m. to Saturday 5 p.m. If you have not attended one of these helpful and encouraging weekends, this is your opportunity to see what God has been preparing you for in your next phase of life. If you have attended in the past and are still on the journey, we invite you to take another step, explore some new opportunities, and share your story with others searching for God's best.
The senior leadership of Finishers will be present and active during this Forum. You will have opportunity to spend one-on-one time with them, as well as with those who represent global impact roles for your consideration. As you take a moment to seriously consider taking advantage of this unique event, know that all of the Finishers staff is praying that God will use this weekend to shed light on your next steps. We exist to help you connect with the significant role God has been preparing you to play in these quality years of your life.
You can register for the Ft. Wayne Forum by going to www.finishers.org/indiana/city_in.php
The early registration fee is good through September 16, saving you $15 per person. If you come to the Forum from out of town, there are hotels listed on the registration pages. If you have any additional questions, contact us at headquarters@finishers.org .
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Boomer Byte
By William Stearns
Malcom Gladwell in The Tipping Point suggests that small changes have little or no effect on a system until a critical mass is reached. At that tipping point, change comes quickly-like a tiny virus that bursts exponentially into an epidemic. Evangelical Boomers-one of every ten Americans-making small changes in our lives can eventually release a maelstrom of solutions, positive trends, boons and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. We Boomer believers can fulfill the promise God has invested in our generation-if we will.
Fulfilling our Boomer promise isn't contingent on our brains, skills or pocket books-but on letting God tap into the heart of our generation. This isn't about doing deeds of token charity-helping the helpless by ladling soup once a year at the homeless shelter, taking tax write-offs for charitable contributions. This is about opening up our hearts to God's big purpose to be exalted in all the earth, to bless the nations-our own included.
When your next generations talk about your life, they'll mostly remember your last days. The smell of hospitals in winter. Catheters. Medication. Beverly Manor invoices -- or this:
- "Your great-grandfather died drilling a water well in Chad. That's here on the globe. They named that well after him. Probably a hundred thousand people are alive today because of his water."
- Or: "She wore a burkha, just like the widows. Yes, in Kabul.Yes, it was a dangerous place in those days. Well, she was an extraordinary woman!"
- Or: "He helped build 56 houses for the Appalachian poor and started twelve churches. She rocked babies at that women's shelter till the day she died. He trained the supreme court judges in the new Sudan. They started a campaign to eliminate hunger in the whole city. She began a 24/7 Internet prayer circle that's still praying around the world today."
- Or: "No, he wasn't a soldier; just a great man who gave his life so they could be free. He spent those last years serving God as a tithe of his lifetime.
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| Measuring the Bridge!
Finishers serves as a bridge to help connect Boomers with opportunities to make a global impact for God. So -- is that really happening? How do we measure our effectiveness?
Last summer we surveyed people who had completed a profile on our website. To our wonderful surprise and to the glory of our Lord, we learned that in an eight year period, to end next June, Finishers has helped connect approximately 3000 people with a missions ministry! Not all of those have made "the move" as yet, but they will be connected within the next 10 months.
A "connection" for us is anyone serving for one year or more. We strongly support shorter-term trips, but do not count them in our connecting goals. Our Big Holy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is to connect 5000 people in five years, over the period of January 2007 through December 2011. Join us in praying about this!
As it turns out, we were not completely prepared to measure our effectiveness. This ministry grew rapidly from the idea stage into a movement and we found ourselves thrilled, but feeling a little behind with the systems and critical infrastructure. We are now catching up! One of those "catch up" steps is to insert measurement tools into the various components of our ministries, getting regular reports from agencies, from churches, and from the connectees themselves. As those systems begin to function well, we will have accurate updates on how we are doing as a connecting bridge.
Here is what we know today: According to the survey results, for the first eight months of 2007, so far 698 people have made successful connections with a global impact ministry for God! Only 4,302 to go!
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Questions that need to be asked!
Q. I've recently accepted an assignment with a mission agency! Is there anything I need to do with Finishers?
A. Yes, and thank you for asking! It is very helpful to let Finishers know when you have accepted an assignment.
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First, we want to share in your joy and excitement about moving forward with your desire to serve through missions.
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Secondly, since our goal is to help connect people with ministry roles, it is encouraging for us to know we have played a part in helping you make a connection. Even if we played only a small part, we want to hear from you.
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Thirdly, it helps us keep our information accurate for the partner agencies who are continually trying to help people like you find a place to invest their lives.
Please take a brief moment to click on this link and send your name, address and the organization you have connected with, whether you are serving short term (under one year) or longer term (one year or more) and a brief description of how you connected with Finishers.
Thank you for helping us stay current and accurate. For those reading this who have not yet taken an assignment, please keep this request in mind and be sure to let us know through the Finishers website or through the agency you connect with once you confirm a new ministry assignment. Thank you for your consideration of this important step in your journey. | |
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