Marriage & Family Ministries

Restore

The staggering statistic facing marriages today is that 50% will end in divorce. This percentage is applicable to couples both in and out of the Christian community. And, the percentage increases even more dramatically for 2nd and 3rd marriages to a 70% - 80% rate of failure.

Why are Christian marriages failing? Why don’t Christian marriages experience the joy and fulfillment that God wants for them?

Hope For Our Marriage is a ministry to husbands and wives who are struggling in their marriage relationship. Hope’s primary emphasis in the restoration of marriages is through the process of restoring each spouse’s relationship with God. We have found through our years of experience that marriages fracture when Christ is not at its center. Why? Because basically, we are all selfish and want what we want from our marriage and not what God has for our marriage.

Hope For Our Marriage requires an effort from both husband and wife. In the Hope ministry, spouses meet with an Encourager couple for 12 – 14 weeks. The meeting is much more than just listening to the teaching of marriage principles. It is interactive and requires a commitment and willingness from both husband and wife to follow the direction of the Encourager couple as well as the lesson material.

The Encourager couple is what makes Hope a unique ministry. For 12 – 14 weeks, and longer if you desire, you will have a couple working with you that has experienced a failing and/or difficult marriage for various reasons. Because of their obedience and submission to God, they have personally experienced the supernatural restoration of their marriage.

An Encourager couple has the following expectations of their Hope couple.

    • Asking God to show you what changes He wants to make in you (not your spouse)
    • Reviewing the lesson material before your next meeting
    • Answering questions that are part of the lesson material
    • Asking God to give you insight through the Holy Spirit as you read the questions and then answer them
    • Have a marital staff meeting with your spouse every week for the purpose of sharing what God is revealing to you about yourself and your marriage

Hope For Our Marriage is based on the Word of God. It is not about tips and techniques or dos and don’ts. It is about putting into practice the truth and power of God’s Word in the marriage relationship. Using scripture, Hope covers the following subjects.

Lesson 1  - THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR MARRIAGE
Lesson 2  - GOD’S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE
Lesson 3  - BIBLICAL ROLES FOR HUSBAND AND WIFE
Lesson 4  - DECEPTION - SATAN’S LIES
Lesson 5  - TRUTH - GOD’S WORD
Lesson 6  - BAGGAGE FROM OUR FAMILY OF ORIGIN
Lesson 7  - CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Lesson 8  - COMMUNICATION
Lesson 9  - RESOLVING CONFLICT
Lesson 10 - UNDERSTANDING OUR PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES
Lesson 11 - COMMITMENT AND WHERE YOU GO FROM HERE

Bill and Diane ShawBill and Diane Shaw meet with Hope couple candidates (both husband and wife together) for about 1 ½ half hours. This time is used to gain insight into a couples’ current relationship and to ensure they have a general understanding of the Hope commitment and process. Every Hope couple takes an assessment of their marriage relationship, providing their Encourager couple with important information on the relationship.

If Hope For Our Marriage is of interest to you, it would be our privilege to meet with both husband and wife whenever convenient. Please give us a call to set up an appointment.

Serving Him,
Bill and Diane Shaw
Diane’s cell phone 714.767.2916
Bill’s cell phone 714.767.2917

Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”