Tag: retirement

Spring Retreat for Baby Boomers

Glenda and I have been leading the Better with Age retreat for years now, and here’s what we know: the years between 50 and 70 bring transitions most of us aren’t prepared for. We excel at building careers and raising families, but finishing strong? That takes different wisdom.

This April, join us on Keats Island, where we’ll tackle the real questions— where purpose lives when the career ladder ends, how to navigate loss without losing yourself, how to shift from accumulating wealth to distributing it wisely, and discuss what legacy actually means beyond the legal paperwork. No sales pitches, no generic advice. Just honest conversations with people in the same season, practical scenarios you can actually use, and four days to think clearly about what matters most. The island setting, gourmet meals, and Barnabas Landing’s hospitality create the space you need to do this work well. If you’re sensing it’s time to get intentional about how you finish, this retreat is for you.

REGISTER HERE

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • When and where is the retreat?
    March 31 – April 3rd, 2026, at Barnabas Landing on Keats Island, BC.
  • How do I get to Keats Island?
    We depart from Horseshoe Bay by a Water Taxi boat that will take us right to Barnabas Landing. We return the same way, and the boat trip takes about 45 minutes.
  • What’s included in the registration fee?
    Your beautiful accommodations, all meals, teaching sessions, and materials. Also transportation to and from the island.
  • Who else will be there?
    Expect 30-40 people, typically ages 55-80, all navigating or entering retirement. Past attendees have come from across BC, other provinces, and the US. Most share a Christian faith background, which shapes the conversations but doesn’t dominate them—the focus stays on practical wisdom for this life stage.
  • What’s the daily schedule like?
    The retreat runs Tuesday evening through Friday morning. Days blend structured teaching with generous free time—mornings feature 90-minute plenary sessions with coffee breaks between them, afternoons are mostly yours (with optional workshops available), and evenings include dinner followed by another 90-minute session. You’ll have stretches from 2-5 PM each day to explore the island, rest, or connect with others. The espresso bar opens early for those who want it, breakfast is rolling so you can eat at your own pace, and evenings wrap with coffee and conversation. The pace is intentional—enough structure to go deep, enough space to process.
  • Do I need to come with a spouse/partner?
    No. The retreat works whether you come solo, as a couple, or with a friend. Sessions address topics relevant to everyone in this life stage, and the small group format ensures you’ll connect with others regardless of how you arrive. Many attendees come on their own and find the experience just as valuable—sometimes more so, since it allows focused reflection without needing to coordinate with someone else’s experience.
  • What if I can’t make all four days?
    The retreat is designed as a complete experience—each session builds on the previous ones, and the rhythm of teaching, reflection, and community develops over the full arc. Missing portions means losing both content and the relational connections that form throughout. Also, since we are chartering a boat for the group departure from Horseshoe Bay on Tuesday and returning on Friday, partial attendance creates logistical complications. If scheduling is tight, it’s worth waiting for a year when you can commit to all four days rather than attending partially.
  • Is this faith-based?
    Yes. The retreat operates from a Christian worldview, and most attendees share that background. Faith shows up naturally in the content—discussions about purpose, legacy, and navigating life transitions are grounded in biblical wisdom. That said, this isn’t a theology seminar. The focus stays practical: how your faith informs real decisions about money, relationships, loss, and purpose in this season. The setting at Barnabas Landing, a Christian retreat center, reflects this orientation.
  • What makes this different from other retirement seminars?
    Great question! Most retirement events exist to sell you financial products, insurance, or estate planning services. This retreat is purely educational—you’ll leave with practical wisdom, not someone’s business card. We use real scenarios instead of generic advice, focus on the full range of transitions you’re actually facing (not just money), and create space for honest conversation with people in the same season. The island setting removes normal distractions, the teaching comes from experience rather than PowerPoint theory, and the four days give you time to actually think rather than just absorb information and leave.
  • Will there be homework or follow-up?
    No homework—this isn’t school. The retreat itself gives you frameworks and questions worth returning to, but there’s no formal curriculum or assignments afterward. What you do take with you are the connections you make. Many attendees stay in touch with people they meet, and those relationships often become the ongoing resource. We’re exploring ways to continue the conversation beyond the retreat, but for now, the four days stand on their own.
  • What’s the cancellation policy?
    Barnabas states: A non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. The remaining balance becomes non-refundable 30 days prior to the retreat. If a guest experiences a health emergency within those 30 days that prevents them from attending, we will refund the retreat fees with the exception of the non-refundable deposit.I will check with Barnabas and post the details here when I have them.
  • Can I bring questions about my specific situation?
    Yes, but with the right expectations. The plenary sessions address common scenarios and principles that apply broadly. Optional workshops offer smaller settings where specific topics get more attention. You’ll have natural opportunities during breaks, meals, and free time to talk with speakers and other attendees about your particular circumstances. What we don’t offer is personal financial planning, legal consultation, or one-on-one counseling—this is group teaching designed to give you frameworks for thinking through your own decisions, not customized advice for your exact situation.

Realities of Getting Older: What No One Told Us

Remember when we thought growing older was all about retirement and finding the perfect pair of reading glasses? Well, it turns out there’s a bit more to it than that. Let me reflect on some of the surprising realities of aging that our younger selves may not have anticipated. Aging is a natural process that everyone goes through, but it can pose significant surprises. Let me share some of my observations.

Changing Life Perspectives

As we age, our perspectives can change. This concerns me, as I hope it does not see me starting to like country music I have avoided my entire life. But, coming back to the point, I was wanting to say that things that once seemed monumental now seem insignificant, and vice versa. It’s as if we’ve been given a pair of new spectacles or a new vantage point that allows us to see what truly matters in life. And let me tell you, it’s not the latest electric car or the size of our houses. It is actually all about relationships with family, friends, our faith community, our peers.

It is important for us to build into our lives a time to get perspective on this whole aging season. To stop, to study, to talk about getting older. Let’s be good mentors and pass along to those following behind us what we are experiencing as we age.

Physical Challenges

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Let’s face it: with age comes an assortment of physical challenges we never signed up for. The knees get sore, and the back isn’t as forgiving as it used to be; we can’t run fast – or perhaps can’t even run. We also end up taking medications we never even thought of when we were younger. I smile when out with my friend Bob, and our watch alarms go off at the same time, reminding us to take our pills. Our laughter over this allows us to at least keep a sense of humour about it all.

New Mental Wellness Battles

As we age, we often face significant life changes that can impact our mental health. These can include retirement, the death of loved ones, increased isolation, and physical health issues.

Retirement, for instance, can lead to a loss of identity and purpose, especially for those who found significant meaning in their careers. The death of friends and family members can bring on grief and loneliness, while physical health problems can cause stress and sometimes depression.

Furthermore, older adults may also experience cognitive decline, which can lead to confusion, frustration, and anxiety. In some cases, it can even result in dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Growing older can feel like stepping into unknown territory without a map. We grapple with questions that would’ve boggled our younger minds. Our older minds do not seem to work as quickly as they once did, and you notice changes in your memory or recall. There is much more mystery than we considered. But here’s a secret – it’s okay not to have all the answers. There’s a certain beauty in the mystery, and each question we ponder brings us a step closer to understanding God and ourselves better.

Existential Questions

With the passing of time, we become more aware of our mortality. We are all going to die. This awareness often leads us to ponder the bigger questions of life. What is our purpose? How do we want to be remembered? What will be said at our funeral? How shall we live our remaining days? While these questions may seem daunting, they also offer an opportunity to reflect on our lives and to remember there is still time to make meaningful changes.

Spiritual Insights

Our spirituality deepens and widens as we age. We may discover new insights from scripture we didn’t see before because they now resonate with our experience and life stage. Often, we are drawn to the solitude of familiar rituals of our faith, like quiet prayer and Bible reading. Embrace and savour these moments as they can serve as guideposts and guardrails on your aging journey, providing direction and inspiration every step of the way.

Growing older is an adventure filled with unexpected twists, turns and surprising revelations. The Baby Boomer demographics show there are so many of us out there in this particular stage of the journey. I refer to it as the third period of the hockey game, and if you are not into hockey, that means it is the last period of play with no promise of overtime. There is empirical evidence showing that those who think positively about aging often live longer, healthier lives. So, let’s do all that we can to embrace the surprises of aging with a cheerful heart and a hopeful spirit.

Better With Age

Barnabas Landing, Keats Island, BC

Remember that we’re not just growing older. We’re growing wiser, more compassionate, and more resilient. Each day is another opportunity to learn, to love, and to leave a mark on the world. So, let’s cherish each moment, each memory, and yes, even each pill! After all, we’re like fine wine, getting better with age.

This is why we named our April retreat for Baby Boomers “Better With Age.” Please consider coming to join Glenda and me at beautiful Barnabas Landing, where we can talk about these and other common themes of aging. It will be three nights in exquisite lodging, chef-prepared meals and a sense of community and laughter that will live on long after the retreat.

You will find all the details here at Barnabas Landing. Hope to see you there.