Notes from my lesson to the Tentmaker men at the 2022 ACR Men’s Leadership Retreat, March 21, 2022, Morgantown WV.
What is the “Caleb Corps”? And who was Caleb anyway?
In the Hampton Roads Church, we’ve started a ministry to help empty nesters, retirees, and those who are “soon to be” to plan for a ministry in their pre-retirement, early retirement, or later retirement years. We call it the “Caleb Corps“. Those who want to be a part of the Corps need to have a “Caleb Corps plan” and a “Caleb Corps dream”.
Caleb Corps Plans
The plan needs to consider future needs for retirement with a goal to be self-supporting. This includes financial planning and making decisions about where to invest your time, money, and energy in your later years. The church has a great need for workers with life experience and spiritual maturity that can serve without the need for full financial support. This is especially true for the smaller congregations and plantings in our movement since they don’t have the resources to support staff for all of the needs of their members. Many plantings are focused on building campus ministries and have few mature couples to help with building family, meeting the needs of singles and marrieds, and helping to mature the body of Christ.
Caleb Corps Dreams
By “Caleb Corps dream” we mean the type of service for focusing your Caleb Corps plan. Maybe you have a passion for a particular ministry like the marrieds or singles. Maybe you want to focus on a topic like purity or on a deeper study of the Bible. Maybe you want to join a church planting in a new city. Or maybe you’re willing to get training and then lead a congregation in need of full-time staff. Some examples of Caleb Corps dreams are:
- Developing a program to help a specialized ministry using your wisdom and training. Examples include the Launch Mini ministry developed by Phil and Beth Bruns and the Overcomers purity ministry led by Neil and Cheryl Rondorf.
- Dedicating yourself to training then leading a small congregation. Some recent examples are the Bruns, who moved to Hampton Roads to get more training in early 2021, then moved to Charlottesville VA to lead the Blue Ridge Church of Christ, and the Snells who responded to the need for a full-time couple in the Toledo Church of Christ.
- Deciding to leverage your flexibility as an empty-nester or retiree to do long-term visits or even move to a smaller congregation in need of mature disciples who can contribute time, money, wisdom, and experience.
Our Caleb Corps Journey
Mary and I have developed a passion for helping Caleb Corps couples make their plan and reach their dream. About five years ago, we started to plan how we could financially be ready to serve God in our retirement years, possibly retiring early and devoting ourselves to full-time ministry. During the previous 10 years, we had taught marriage and parenting workshops and other lessons at many of the small churches and wanted to continue this as part of a “Caleb Corps dream”.
I had served as an elder in the Montgomery County church (since renamed the Capital Rivers Church) for seven years, but we no longer had an eldership due to some leadership changes. I was interested in finding a way to retrain and serve again as an elder. Mary had recently retired from the Montgomery County MD school system and became interested in pursuing a theology degree and training for the women’s teaching ministry.
We learned about the Caleb Corps efforts in the Hampton Roads Church and considered it an ideal place to pursue our plans for training and leadership, along with a way to encourage others to develop their Caleb Corps ministries. We moved to Virginia Beach about a year later, in March of 2019.
Mary is still involved in her theology studies, and I was appointed and began serving as an elder in March of 2020. We have launched a discipleship group of Caleb Corps couples in Virginia’s Shenandoah churches (Charlottesville, Lynchburg, New River, and Roanoke). We will soon be putting together a group of Caleb Corps dreamers in the HRC.
Why “Caleb Corps”?
Caleb Corps is named for the Biblical hero, Caleb. He was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into the promised land to give a report about the land. Caleb, along with fellow spy Joshua, returned full of faith, eager to take the land as God had promised. However, the other ten spies lacked faith and the nation of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years. Their whole generation passed away for sharing in the lack of faith of the ten. Caleb and Joshua were the only ones of their generation to enter the promised land to take it for God. Later, when Caleb was in his 80s, he continued to be a warrior, asking to take the difficult hill country to finish the work of taking the land of Canaan.
Let’s look at the life of Caleb and how you can plan for being in the Caleb Corps
Who are your “Anakites”?
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”
Numbers 13:26-29 NIV
Fear of the Anakites
When the spies returned from the promised land of Canaan, their lack of faith was fueled in part by fear. They had found the “descendants of Anak” living there. Why would these people cause such fear?
We don’t have much information on the Anakites, but we do hear more about them later in the story. Before crossing the Jordan to conquer the promised land, Moses reminds them about all God has done for them, and tells them they will face and defeat the Anakites. In Deuteronomy 9:1-3 we learn that “the people are strong and tall – Anakites!”.
1 Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. 2 The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?” 3 But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.
Deuteronomy 9:1-3 NIV
Fear of your “Anakites”
As you look toward your empty-nester and retirement years, what are you most concerned about? What do you fear most?
As I faced entering retirement was that I wanted to make a difference, but I feared seeking to be more and more comfortable, and then not being willing to take on the challenges of being an elder. I feared letting go of the ways I was serving and going into unknown territory that would require faith. My “Anakite” was taking the challenge to move so that we could train and serve with more responsibility and impact.
What about you? What “strong and tall” Anakites do you fear as you consider your Caleb Corps plan?
Where is your “hill country”?
The Israelites crossed the Jordan and had great success and God gave them several impressive military victories. After several years of fighting the Canaanites, Joshua was getting older and the battle for the land was winding down. He assigned regions to the various tribes of Israel but some of the areas of the Promised Land still needed to be taken, including the hill country which was still being held by the Anakites. Israel needed a hero to stand up and take on the feared Anakites. That’s when Caleb, now in his 80’s approached Joshua to make a special request.
6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’
10 “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
Joshua 14:6-12 NIV
Caleb’s Hill Country
Caleb boldly told Joshua that he was just as vigorous to go out into battle after all this time – at 85 years old! He wanted to take the hill country where the “strong and tall” Anakites were – the place most feared by the Israelites for over 45 years!
For me, the “hill country” was starting over and contributing as an elder to the leadership of another church in a new place. The fears I mentioned before were still there, but I felt just as vigorous to go to battle for God as I did when I was appointed an elder eight years before the move.
Your Hill Country
What about you? Are you ready to take the hill country for God, even if it means going to another place? Are you willing to sacrifice and put your energy into taking on a ministry challenge to help God’s church grow?
Do you have an “Othniel”?
Joshua granted Caleb’s request. When an 85-year-old who is just as vigorous as a 40-year-old asks to fight the battle, how can you say “no”? And with the help of God Caleb went to face the Anakites in the hill country.
13 In accordance with the LORD’S command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 14 From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak.
15 From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).
16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.”
17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.
Joshua 15:13-17 NIV
Caleb and Othniel
Caleb drove out the Anakites, then marched on to take the rest of the land Joshua gave him. However, he soon found that he would need help. He asked who would take on the people of Kiriath Sepher, promising to provide his daughter Aksah to the brave warrior. His nephew Othniel took on the challenge and proved to be a great choice, chosen by God. After his military victory, Othniel becomes a capable “full-time” leader for the Israelite nation – he’s the first judge mentioned in the book of Judges.
Caleb had the humility to realize that he couldn’t get the job done alone. He could provide the wisdom and faith but needed someone younger to provide the zeal and energy.
Who will be your Othniel?
If you take on a Caleb Corps dream as part of a church planting, you may be there to serve the small church leader and the needs of the ministry. He will be the leader of the battle, your Othniel, but will need your wisdom and faith to support the needs of the church.
If your Caleb Corps dream involves leading a small church, you’ll need an Othniel to provide the energy and zeal or other areas you lack under the direction of your wisdom and faith, which they may lack. Have humility like Caleb’s, and find a capable leader to keep the work going. Offering your daughter in marriage could help, but is not required ;-).
Even if you aren’t pursuing an “official” Caleb Corps” ministry, you can help the young leaders in your congregation by providing wisdom in the battle. You can offer your experience both in life and in the church to help meet the ministry needs. Another way could be taking on a topic like women’s roles or social injustice, or offering to lead a ministry like marrieds/young marrieds, or forming an army of evangelizers to take the message to your community. You don’t need to be retired to do great things for God!
Challenge: Face your “Anakites”, target your “hill country”, and find your “Othniel”
Before deciding to have a Caleb Corps dream and plan in another congregation, please consider this: if you have the “noble desire” to serve as an elder, talk to your ministry leader and to one of the elders currently serving in your church or another in the ACR. Be sure to get a sober assessment of your character and how it lines up with how elders are described by Paul in 1Timothy 3 and Titus 1. We need more elders, and they need to serve predominantly in their home congregation. Serving as an elder is a much-needed Caleb Corps plan.
However, if you’re not able to serve as an elder or don’t desire to be one for any reason, that’s ok. It’s a role only for those who are willing and qualified, and it’s ok to not be willing or qualified. Serving as an elder is difficult and requires strong character and faith. However, I would encourage you to consider applying your wisdom gained through years of faithfulness to pursue a Caleb Corps ministry.
If you’d like more information on getting training or developing your Caleb Corps ministry, please contact me. We’re putting together Zoom meetings to develop training, relationships, and skills needed to serve.
Have a Caleb Corps dream – take that hill country!