Strengthening Marriage in Community
I had no idea what to expect going into that first Thursday night in the Lounge at church. 7 couples, some who I knew fairly well and others I barely knew at all, sat around with me in a circle and began an 8-week pilot of a brand new marriage ministry called Re|engage. Joelle McCormick and I selected couples we hoped would become leaders when we launch in the fall. All of them are older than me, and a few have been married longer than I’ve been alive. So I worried it might be awkward, that conversation wouldn’t flow, that I wouldn’t have much to offer them, or that it would feel more like an academic exercise as we tested out and evaluated the content and the format.
What happened instead was one of the most encouraging stretches for me, both personally and ministry-wise. Couples came eager and willing to share both the beauty and the brokenness of their lives together. I loved getting to draw out and spur on rich conversation as we discussed complex and practical dynamics like the nature of forgiveness and reconciliation. It was encouraging to hear couples share their own marriage testimonies (which you’ll get to hear if you participate this fall), each different and unique, but with many common themes and threads. It was encouraging to hear that these mature couples not only struggled in the past, but were still working through things in the present. I came in with a narrow idea of who this ministry could really benefit (younger couples married 3-10 years), and I left seeing how even these mature couples grew through this ministry. Hearing their stories, struggles, and Spirit-empowered successes moved me to love my own wife more, appreciate the church more, and gain a bigger view of God’s faithfulness and grace.
The vision behind Re|engage is to proactively strengthen marriages by providing couples with intentional time and space in community to tease out how the gospel empowers them to better love God and their closest neighbor: their spouse. Any married couples are welcome to participate, whether they are coming with particular issues in mind or just want to prevent future issues. We’ll work through topics like love, grace, expectations, communication, conflict, forgiveness, and deepening emotional, sexual, and spiritual intimacy.
We have space for 15 couples who will be placed into consistent small groups for the semester. The weekly rhythm for couples will include:
Working through 1-2 chapters of the Re|engage workbook and answering questions individually
Talking through your answers together with your spouse
Attending a large group time during Sunday School (10-10:50 am) that will include supplemental teaching or a leader couple’s marriage testimony
Meeting with your small group on Wednesday nights after dinner (6:30-7:30) to share what you’ve been learning and apply the week’s lesson in community
Space is limited to 15 couples. We will have an Intro Night after dinner on Sep 9. The cost is $50 or less per couple, with scholarships available. If you’re interested, please register here and help us gauge interest. Questions? Contact me or Joelle McCormick.
Please pray that God would bring the right couples to participate this fall and use Re|engage to strengthen marriages, create connections, embolden leaders, and bless our entire church!