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The 6 Seasons of Calling: Discovering Your Purpose in Each Stage of Life
What if you don’t have a calling from God . . . but callings ? Often we think of our calling as a singular moment of divine purpose revealed to us in young adulthood and static for the rest of our lives. But consider how God usually works. He created the cosmos in six successive days. Might He not also have six seasons of calling for the lives of His people? In The 6 Seasons of Calling , Brian Sanders helps you view your calling as something ongoing and dynamic. Because your calling is rooted in your relationship with God and your perception of His voice, it isn’t a static or one-time experience. Of course, your calling doesn’t constantly shift and change. Yet God has ordained six basic seasons as your life Instead of wandering aimlessly through life, let the six seasons of calling provide structure for your development. Locate yourself in this sequence. Live mindfully in each season. Learn from its lessons. Look for what might be next. And remember . . . only at the end of your life will you see why each season was valuable and not to be rushed.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 5, 2022
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122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 15, 2022
The 6 Seasons of Calling emphasizes how we each have a direction (or directions) we are called to go. The author suggests that “each person’s life … is shaped and made by God over six distinct periods of time.” Each stage of our life is interconnected, and they build upon each other to help us grow.
I’m both fascinated with this book, and a bit intimidated. I wish there was more white space, diagrams, and such to break up the text because it becomes a bit heavy at times. I read this all at once, which is probably why it felt a bit overwhelming. I suppose, for me, anyway, it helps to read this book in smaller increments.
With that said, I feel this book can aid in exploring our strengths and the direction of our calling(s.) No matter what stage of life we are currently in, it’s time to grow!
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
#The6SeasonsOfCalling
#MPNews
I’m both fascinated with this book, and a bit intimidated. I wish there was more white space, diagrams, and such to break up the text because it becomes a bit heavy at times. I read this all at once, which is probably why it felt a bit overwhelming. I suppose, for me, anyway, it helps to read this book in smaller increments.
With that said, I feel this book can aid in exploring our strengths and the direction of our calling(s.) No matter what stage of life we are currently in, it’s time to grow!
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
#The6SeasonsOfCalling
#MPNews
February 4, 2023
Great read on the different seasons of life.. ...what our core calling is in each season...what cultivates our development...what threatens our development...
March 23, 2022
A well done work. Immediately thought of a number of people I want to give this book to or am hoping have read it. Brian somehow manages to make you feel reflective about the past, content about the present, and hopeful for the future. Through it all, you can see the line of how our lives work together to come around this major contribution to the world. If you're thinking it'll help you land on your specific calling you might be disappointed. However, what it does do is that it gives you a sense of your assignment in any given season of live. And in doing so, the circle of general calling gets a little bit smaller, more specified.
February 15, 2022
Life has seasons. That’s something I’ve been reflecting on recently as I’ve gone through a sort of extended period of transition, following God and figuring out what the next steps in life are. Sometimes I struggle with feeling like I haven’t done enough, haven’t accomplished all the goals I have. Other times I look back on my past and wonder why I ever decided to leave. Growth is difficult. Moving on is hard. Discovering the different seasons of life is something that’s tricky to navigate and subjective to the individual. In The Six Seasons of Calling, Brian Sanders sketches some general guidelines to help navigate life’s tricky transitions.
One thing I appreciated about the book is though Sanders gives a structure to his seasons—developing them is six 12-year chunks, he’s also clear that this is a general guide. It’s not a strict roadmap and you’re not behind or ahead if you find yourself elsewhere on the scale. It’s an easily generalizable scale that also manages to be practically applicable, which is a difficult balance to manage.
The Six Seasons of Calling are as follows:
Day Age Core Developmental Concept Ideal Developmental Condition Primary Developmental Threat Calling & Identity
1 – Childhood 0-12 Bonding Play Fear & Isolation Child
2 – Adolescence 12-24 Learning Agency Inversion Student
3 – Early Career 24-36 Serving Challenge Entitlement & Impatience Worker
4 – Mid Career 36-48 Creating Impact Greed Maker
5 – Late Career 48-60 Giving Scale Distraction Mentor
6 – Transition 60-72 Finishing Celebration Obscurity Mystic
Despite the potentially imposing chart, Six Seasons of Calling is easy to understand. Sanders uses personal stories and vignette examples to bring each stage to life. As you can see, each stage comes with a core concept, an ideal condition, and a developmental threat. For example, in Mid-Career, individuals are commonly at the peak of their career and earning potential. They’ve put in the work and been rewarded with a position that allows them creative control and gives them power to really have an impact on their business and on other people. The primary threat to this is greed—where having finally been empowered, the individual fails to use their power wisely.
I do wonder, however, Sanders might approach someone who is not in the business world or has had a nontraditional career path. Increasingly we’re seeing individuals in their 30s and 40s be entering their career or stuck in a series of jobs with no real career trajectory. With the job market changing, the career portions of Sanders’ model may end up muddled and less applicable to many people.
Further, I question the validity of reducing the concept of calling to one’s career. The Six Seasons of Calling begins well—I love that play is seen as the calling of childhood—but when Sanders transitions to “career,” the implication becomes that one’s career is one’s calling. And that’s just not true for a number of people. Vocation may be a part of one’s calling, but should be the sum of it. Humans were made for more than work—even between the ages of 24 and 60.
If Sanders had positioned this as a business book or career-focused, I don’t think that I would have minded so much. It doesn’t necessarily affect the content of the book, but I would consider this as more of a business book—but maybe that’s how most people think about calling.
Whatever season you’re in, The Six Seasons of Calling helps you find perspective, acknowledge potential barriers, and set appropriate goals. It’s a way of looking at different eras of life as meaningful in different ways and acknowledge how one’s calling and career changes over that time.
One thing I appreciated about the book is though Sanders gives a structure to his seasons—developing them is six 12-year chunks, he’s also clear that this is a general guide. It’s not a strict roadmap and you’re not behind or ahead if you find yourself elsewhere on the scale. It’s an easily generalizable scale that also manages to be practically applicable, which is a difficult balance to manage.
The Six Seasons of Calling are as follows:
Day Age Core Developmental Concept Ideal Developmental Condition Primary Developmental Threat Calling & Identity
1 – Childhood 0-12 Bonding Play Fear & Isolation Child
2 – Adolescence 12-24 Learning Agency Inversion Student
3 – Early Career 24-36 Serving Challenge Entitlement & Impatience Worker
4 – Mid Career 36-48 Creating Impact Greed Maker
5 – Late Career 48-60 Giving Scale Distraction Mentor
6 – Transition 60-72 Finishing Celebration Obscurity Mystic
Despite the potentially imposing chart, Six Seasons of Calling is easy to understand. Sanders uses personal stories and vignette examples to bring each stage to life. As you can see, each stage comes with a core concept, an ideal condition, and a developmental threat. For example, in Mid-Career, individuals are commonly at the peak of their career and earning potential. They’ve put in the work and been rewarded with a position that allows them creative control and gives them power to really have an impact on their business and on other people. The primary threat to this is greed—where having finally been empowered, the individual fails to use their power wisely.
I do wonder, however, Sanders might approach someone who is not in the business world or has had a nontraditional career path. Increasingly we’re seeing individuals in their 30s and 40s be entering their career or stuck in a series of jobs with no real career trajectory. With the job market changing, the career portions of Sanders’ model may end up muddled and less applicable to many people.
Further, I question the validity of reducing the concept of calling to one’s career. The Six Seasons of Calling begins well—I love that play is seen as the calling of childhood—but when Sanders transitions to “career,” the implication becomes that one’s career is one’s calling. And that’s just not true for a number of people. Vocation may be a part of one’s calling, but should be the sum of it. Humans were made for more than work—even between the ages of 24 and 60.
If Sanders had positioned this as a business book or career-focused, I don’t think that I would have minded so much. It doesn’t necessarily affect the content of the book, but I would consider this as more of a business book—but maybe that’s how most people think about calling.
Whatever season you’re in, The Six Seasons of Calling helps you find perspective, acknowledge potential barriers, and set appropriate goals. It’s a way of looking at different eras of life as meaningful in different ways and acknowledge how one’s calling and career changes over that time.
February 23, 2025
Sanders' The 6 Seasons of Calling explores how our sense of purpose evolves across six life stages, each spanning roughly 12 years. Building on other's notions of stage theory (i.e., Erik Erikson’s "Stages of Psychosocial Development" and James Fowler’s "Stages of Faith"), Sanders offers a framework for understanding how our calling(s) mature through distinct phases: Child (bonding through play), Student (learning through agency), Worker (serving through challenge), Maker (creating with impact), Mentor (giving at scale), and Mystic (finishing with celebration). Rather than viewing calling as a singular, fixed mission, he argues that it is dynamic, shifting in response to our spiritual growth, experiences, and life choices/crises. He encourages us to embrace both change and continuity, recognizing that seasons of uncertainty and hardship often serve as catalysts for deeper intimacy with God.
One part that resonated with me was the realization that two of our deepest longings (intimacy and purpose) are ultimately fulfilled in pursuing our divine callings. As someone approaching a fairly significant "fork in the road" (military retirement), I found his discussions on Day 4 (creating with impact) to be motivating and encouraging as I look forward to the next chapter in my life. I recommend this book as a hopeful and actionable guide for anyone seeking to understand where they are (and where they are headed) on their journey of faith and purpose.
One part that resonated with me was the realization that two of our deepest longings (intimacy and purpose) are ultimately fulfilled in pursuing our divine callings. As someone approaching a fairly significant "fork in the road" (military retirement), I found his discussions on Day 4 (creating with impact) to be motivating and encouraging as I look forward to the next chapter in my life. I recommend this book as a hopeful and actionable guide for anyone seeking to understand where they are (and where they are headed) on their journey of faith and purpose.
February 20, 2023
There's a lot of wisdom and encouragement to be found in this extremely readable and short book. Sanders does a solid job of incorporating mainstream developmental research into his "model" of 6 life stages, and I found his writing style quite enjoyable.
I really appreciate his relational theological focus as an overarching lens, and actually experienced a bit of my own paradigm shift with my own understanding of "calling," and he does a great job nuancing popular evangelical use of that concept as it relates to the changing seasons of our lives. As a new-parent shifting from early-to-mid career, I was deeply encouraged.
My only critical response is that I wish it were a bit less career and professional focused. While that's clearly Sanders' wheelhouse (and perhaps that's an intentional choice on his part, to focus on his own expertise), I do wish there were a bit more discussion of how the phases apply to areas like family and home life. Regardless, it's not difficult to apply his insights to other parts of life, and I would easily recommend this book as a group study, or even just put it in the hands of someone who might be wrestling with what "calling" looks like for them. A great book.
I really appreciate his relational theological focus as an overarching lens, and actually experienced a bit of my own paradigm shift with my own understanding of "calling," and he does a great job nuancing popular evangelical use of that concept as it relates to the changing seasons of our lives. As a new-parent shifting from early-to-mid career, I was deeply encouraged.
My only critical response is that I wish it were a bit less career and professional focused. While that's clearly Sanders' wheelhouse (and perhaps that's an intentional choice on his part, to focus on his own expertise), I do wish there were a bit more discussion of how the phases apply to areas like family and home life. Regardless, it's not difficult to apply his insights to other parts of life, and I would easily recommend this book as a group study, or even just put it in the hands of someone who might be wrestling with what "calling" looks like for them. A great book.
July 4, 2023
a fabulous book , that helped me see where i have been and my role in those behind me. God honouring & practicle , insightful, reassuring of each stage and age and how to thrive where you are right now. The child, the student, the worker, the maker, the mentor, the mystic. 6 days - then we rest. worth reading even if you dont have a christian faith . day 5.9 paperback
November 14, 2025
A somewhat helpful explanation of our lives in six different stages. Not sure if I totally agree with Brian on everything though. But maybe that's cause I'm in stage 2 and just learning skills and different things about myself
April 10, 2025
7 stars. beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews