Join me and Ric Shields’ DoorWays Ministry podcast series, focusing on retirement and its purpose beyond mere rest. In the first episode, Mike Bayer, a seasoned pastor, challenges conventional views on retirement, promoting it as a new phase of life filled with opportunities for purpose and contribution.
My friend Ric Shields invited me to be a guest on his DoorWays Ministry podcast series to talk about the questions that really matter when it comes to retirement.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “retirement”? The word comes from the verb retire, which means “to go to sleep”. But most of us don’t plan to spend our retirement sleeping all day.
Most people think of retirement in terms of work. The dictionary definition is “to withdraw from one’s position or occupation; to conclude one’s working or professional career.”
Whether retirement is still years away, you’re getting ready for it, or you’re already a seasoned retiree, this series has something for you. We’ll explore how to plan, prepare, and thrive in whatever season of life you’re in now.
What if retirement isn’t the end of your working life, but the beginning of a new way to live out who God has made you to be?
Mike Bayer has spent more than three decades pastoring in a retirement community, and at 82, he’s still going. In this conversation, Mike challenges the idea that retirement means stepping away from purpose. He calls it the “fourth quarter of life” and encourages us to see those years not as a reduction of life, but an expansion of it.
Mike Bayer is the longtime pastor of The Village Church in Laguna Woods, California, where he has ministered primarily to senior adults for more than three decades. A former Marine, seminary graduate, pastor, entrepreneur, and longtime content creator, Mike continues to encourage people in what he calls the “fourth quarter of life.” His message is simple: “If you ain’t dead, you ain’t done.”
With decades of experience behind us, we have something valuable to offer: perspective, wisdom, lived experience, encouragement, service, and faith. Whether retirement is years away, just beginning, or already part of your story, Mike’s message is simple: if you’re still here, there’s still something to do.
Exploring the HEART of Health
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Many types of gatherings are important for civic and economic well-being; religious worship has particularly profound significance to communities and individuals, including as a right protected by the First Amendment.
Reviewed August 9, 2026
in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
(Although this post addresses the Christian faith, I hope other communities of faith find this useful.)
update November 30, 2020
“As an association of Christian healthcare professionals, CMDA urgently requests that churches strongly consider taking their services online and cancel in-person gatherings until this current surge of COVID-19 cases passes.”
quote from “A Plea to Our Churches”, CMDA
San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio, Texas
“Closing” our churches
Many of us have not attended a religious service in person since March 2019, when almost every activity outside our homes ceased in order to limit spread of SARS CoV-2 infection.
Unfortunately, churches were lumped into the category of “non-essential”, although we all realize how essential our religious establishments are. But in the context of a serious viral pandemic, our public health professionals believed it was necessary to prohibit all large public indoor gatherings.
Of course, the “Church” never closes; people who consider themselves the Church practice their faith in places other than a designated building-in their homes, in a park, at work, online. My local church already had an online presence so we’ve never missed a week of having teaching and prayer.
My state opened relatively early, and my church reopened soon after. They arranged the sanctuary for social distancing, performed extra cleaning, and now “require” masks. However, due to our age, my husband and I have chosen to continue worshiping from home.
St. Hedwig Church in Chicago Illinois
“Reopening” our churches
The CDC, state, and local health departments have issued guidelines for reopening public facilities of all kinds, including churches, and I encourage you to consult those. A private association of Christian physicians and dentists also developed guidelines specific to the needs of churches. (Although these guidelines are directed toward those who practice the Christian faith, I believe that others can apply them to their worship practices.)
7 recommendations for church gatherings during COVID-19 from the Christian Medical and Dental Associations
The Christian Medical and Dental Associations,CMDA, had a specific purpose in writing their guidelines. As stated-
Part of the mission of CMDA is to glorify God by caring for all people and advancing Biblical principles of healthcare within the Church and throughout the world.
With that in mind, CMDA has enlisted several expert members to provide guidance to church leaders as they wrestle with the problem of re-opening their services within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the association are all physicians and dentists-students, residents, clinicians, teachers, missionaries, and retired. And they are active members of churches all over the world. So they are in a unique position to consider both the needs of the Church and the needs of public health and safety.
CMDA Guidelines For Reopening Churches
Consider size of the area for enclosed gatherings to accommodate social distancing.
Offer communion using single use, prepackaged supplies.
For baptism, use heated and disinfected water .
Limit choir participants and assure adequate social distance , especially if unmasked.
Use extra precautions for congregational singing if not done outdoors.
For instruments, ensure social distance and limit sharing of equipment.
Social distancing, hand hygiene, and masks are recommended for all attendees.
I encourage you to follow the link to the full document which explains the reasons for the recommendations and includes links to pertinent references.
the purpose of these guidelines is to provide evidence-based recommendations for Christian communities who wish to reopen safely.
Though evidence-based, however, these guidelines are not intended to replace government ordinances or health regulations and should be considered in light of local guidance which account for the community prevalence of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and available resources.
CMDA
The Constitution and the CDC
Does closing churches for health reasons violate the Constitution? According to the First Amendment (the first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights)
Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; …
Amendment 1, the U.S. Constitution
I suppose it depends on your definition of “the free exercise” thereof.
Have we been told to renounce our faith?
Are we prohibited from owning or reading our Bibles and other spiritual writings?
Can we watch or listen to religious programs on television, radio, and the internet?
Can our clergy and teachers continue to preach and instruct?
“This guidance (about church activity during a pandemic) is not intended to infringe on rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or any other federal law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA).
The federal government may not prescribe standards for interactions of faith communities in houses of worship, and in accordance with the First Amendment, no faith community should be asked to adopt any mitigation strategies that are more stringent than the mitigation strategies asked of similarly situated entities or activities.
while many types of gatherings are important for civic and economic well-being, religious worship has particularly profound significance to communities and individuals, including as a right protected by the First Amendment.
State and local authorities are reminded to take this vital right into account when establishing their own re-opening plans. “
San Fernando Cathedral was founded on March 9, 1731 by a group of 15 families who came from the Canary Islands at the invitation of King Phillip V of Spain and is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas.
Sharing the HEART of health
I took all of the photos in this post on vacations over several years. They are for illustration only, and do not represent CMDA or the guidelines described in this post. I am a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations but had no part in writing the guidelines, with which I agree.
Thank you for reading this post. Please follow this blog and me on social media.
I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.
Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.
I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.
These three remain, faith, hope and love, and greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Dr. Aletha
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
