139: “You’re Free”

May 07, 2025
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138: Shifting Gears, Not Goals
April 23, 2025
00:00 20:38
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FEATURING: Paul Nichols

MINISTRY: Retired United Auto Workers Chaplain

This episode, host Jim Brangenberg takes us to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet Paul Nichols, who discovered that retirement isn't about having a rigid plan but about being obedient to God's daily calling. After 30 years with the United Auto Workers, Paul has spent the last 20+ years in retirement serving as a chaplain to workers and retirees—conducting funerals, weddings, hospital visits, and providing spiritual guidance. His story shows what happens when you stay available to serve where God has already planted you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR YOU

  • Your retirement years can be even more purposeful and fulfilling than your working years when you remain available to serve others.
  • Meeting people "right where they're at" without judgment creates opportunities for genuine ministry and meaningful connections.
  • Staying physically and mentally active through community involvement, recreation, and service is vital for a vibrant retirement.
  • The workplace relationships, skills, and industry knowledge you've built over decades can become your most effective ministry platform.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Consider providing chaplaincy-like support in your former workplace or community. You don't need an official title to be present during others' celebrations or crises. Check if your industry has chaplaincy programs you could join, or simply be available to those who already know and trust you.

CONNECT WITH US

Ready for your retirement years to become 30+ years of purpose-driven, fully-funded ministry? Your next chapter awaits!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Meet Your Host
Although Jim is not yet at retirement age, he and his wife Martha lived twenty years residing in 55+ communities in Florida. Their experience has highlighted the harsh reality of retirement in the United States, showing the discontent that can come when people lack purpose in their later years. Surrounded by parents in their nineties and friends in their sixties, seventies, and eighties, Jim and Martha find motivation in observing those who live out their faith in retirement, while also witnessing the frustration of those who do not.

Jim has been hosting the iRetire4Him Podcast for nearly five years, has spoken at conferences, and has co-authored the book iRetire4Him: Unlock God’s Purpose for Your Retirement, with his father-in-law. Although he currently Works4Him, he looks forward to Retiring4Him one day!
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