Our Third Act Team
Richard Andersen, M. Div.
Richard Andersen received his Life Coaching training from the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara, California. He has served as a Certified Life Coach, individual and organizational, for more than a hundred clients. A graduate of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Andersen was ordained in 1986 and served as a parish pastor in Southwestern Minnesota. His second career as a senior financial consultant at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans allowed him to help clients shape their futures. He draws on these life skills in his passion for coaching people through life-enriching change. In addition to Third Act, Andersen is working on a Doctor of Ministry degree at United Theological Seminary.
Ruth Frost, M. Div.
Ruth Frost served fifteen years as pastor at St. Francis Lutheran Church, a multi-cultural parish in San Francisco known for its ministry with homeless people and its advocacy on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in church and society. Previously, she worked as a counselor in chemical dependency treatment services. A graduate of Luther Seminary, and an accomplished stained glass designer, Frost has helped congregations express their mission and identity through the arts. When not doing Third Act, Frost works as a chaplain with Hospice of the Twin Cities. “Hospice work,” says Frost, “is all about third act thinking. It teaches you to live well and die whole.”
Frost and Andersen are on the international roster of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM).
ARC Retreat Center:
ARC is located in Stanchfield, Minnesota, 55 miles from the Twin Cities. The comfortable cedar log retreat house, which accommodates up to 18 live-in guests, is situated on 90 acres of beautiful pine and hardwood forest near an undeveloped lake. Committed to welcoming all persons who are on spiritual journeys of search and renewal, ARC offers a quiet place and a reflective atmosphere for individuals and groups to slow down the pace of life, restore balance, and deepen relationships with self, others and God. For 30 years ARC has been known for its hospitality and tranquil atmosphere. As one ARC guest noted, “Hospitality is a warm space where guests might find their truth.”