Our CallingOur journey to help
Christian marriages succeed and flourish began when Ken was
called out of the business world after 30 years of service.
Reviving a college interest in counseling, Ken attended a lay
counseling training program where God called him to help
preserve marriages. Sadly, Ken and Stephanie have witnessed the
effects of divorce on local churches. Ken and Stephanie have
been married for over 33 years and have two grown children and a
daughter-in-law. They have devoted themselves to work together
in the cause of preserving and strengthening Christian
marriages. We believe the following verse describes our calling:
"I have become its servant (the church as the body of Christ) by
the commission of God gave me to present to you the word of God
in its fullness." Colossians 1:25
The Need
Marriage and divorce effects much more than
the bride and the groom. It also effects the parents of both and
especially the children, if so blessed. But the effects of
divorce on the children is both sad and significant. "Children
of divorce are three times as likely, as those from intact homes,
to be expelled from school or to have a baby as a teenager, five
times as apt to live in poverty and are 12 times more likely to
be incarcerated according to the Heritage Foundation" Most
divorces are preventable. Barna research reports that the
divorce among born-again Christians is as high as among
non-Christian families (Sept, 2004). Since 86% of all weddings
take place in churches (Peter Hart, 2003), the church is the
proper venue for marriage education.
Our Vision
We strive to make divorces among Christians
almost non-existent and instead replace them with vibrant
healthy marriages starting with our county and expanding through
our state and country. The importance of marriage and family is
evident throughout the New Testament's description of both the
Godhead (Jesus as the Son of God and God the Father) and the
church (the bride of Christ). We believe marriages and families
should be glorifying to God to the extent that others desire to
know God and want a similar relationship with their spouse and
family.
Our Mission
We believe the best way to preventatively
protect marriages is to present marriage education to the
congregation whether through the sermons or Adult Fellowship
classes. Ken and Stephanie has made themselves available
to preach sermons on marriage and to lead Adult Fellowship
classes.
Did you know
that divorce costs everyone?
Besides the cost to
the children and families who have been victimized by divorce,
divorce creates a huge financial burden on society. According to
Logan, UT: Utah State University, the average total cost of
divorce (including direct and indirect costs) is $30,000. In
Orange County we have approximately 1000 divorce filings per
month. That is potentially a cost of $30 million per month
(including child support enforcement, Medicaid, TANF funds, food
stamps, public housing, correctional facilities, unwed child
bearing, drug problems, delinquency, criminality, and other
social problems associated with divorce).
Testimonials
(see Engaged Couples, Leadership Training, Pre-marital Prep)