Married Ministry
"The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" Genesis 2:18
God made Adam and placed him in a perfect home with satisfying work to do. But when he surveyed Adam's situation, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." (Gen. 2:18) Loneliness is toxic for human beings. The Psalmist recognized this and observed that "God places the lonely in families." (Psa. 68:6) Modern society tends to isolate people from one another and a major contributor to the resulting loneliness is the breakdown of family structures. The Wichita Church of Christ is committed to building up the families of our members.
Marriages are the foundation of family life. Thus improving marriage relationships is a top priority. Two of our members, Ken and Lana Johnson, have been trained and certified to facilitate Dynamic Marriage classes developed by Family Dynamics, Incorporated. Dynamic Marriage classes utilize interactive, group dynamics to provide married participants relationship skills that will improve any marriage. Click here to request information about upcoming classes.
2011 Heartland Marriage Retreat - February 12-13
Retreat Theme
"MORE THAN A FEELING", the theme of the 2011 Heartland Marriage Retreat reminds us that love is much more than just a feeling… it is an action.
Saturday February 12th features entertainment and a marriage seminar designed to encourage you and your spouse to translate feelings of love into actions of love in your marriage.
Sunday February 13th we will close out the retreat with a powerful worship service. The entire weekend should be a wonderful time of connecting with your spouse while fellowshipping and worshipping God with other married couples through-out the Heartland.
Retreat Speakers
Bruce & Robyn Williams Los Angeles, CA will lead our marriage seminar and deliver the lesson Sunday morning. The Williams are a couple who are well prepared to instruct us from God’s word and inspire us to build Godly, strong marriages.
We look forward to seeing you and your spouse for a weekend that has become a highlight of the year for married couples throughout the heartland.
Weekend Itinerary
Saturday, February 12th
- 12:30-1:30pm Entertainment
- 1:30-5:00pm Marriage Seminar
Sunday, February 13th
- 10:00am Church Service
Registration Information
The registration cost is $30 per couple by February 6th. Late registration is $35 per couple. Make checks payable to Columbia Church of Christ.
Mail completed registration form and payment to Columbia Church of Christ: 6 Alhambra Drive Columbia, MO 65203
Accommodations
Reservations and payment are to be made on your own by contacting Tan-Tar-A at 800-826-8272 or online at www.tan-tar-a.com.
Mail completed registration form and payment to Columbia Church of Christ: 6 Alhambra Drive Columbia, MO 65203
Ask to reserve a room in the Heartland Marriage Retreat block of rooms to receive the special rate.
Building Your Marriage on the Rock
by Ken Johnson
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:24
When God created marriage and the family, He had a specific purpose in mind. To be "united" in such a way as to "become one flesh" suggests a union that is deep and meaningful, a connection that transforms two individuals into a unified whole. This sounds similar to the description of God Himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons, yet One God.
Earlier (Gen 1:27) God had described how man had been made "in the image of God." Is it possible, then, even likely, that when God created mankind, He created us to seek connection with others? Beginning from infancy when a human baby seeks connection with its parents, you and I are in a lifelong search for meaningful connections to others and the Genesis story describes the most significant of adult connections, that of one spouse with the other.
If we are made to connect with another and in so connecting satisfy an innate human longing, why is maintaining such a connection so hard? Shouldn't it come naturally? Why do so many marriage connections fail? The answer, of course, is sin. The Fall of man threw God's whole creation out of kilter. Our human shortcomings create roadblocks and hurdles in the path to developing God's image in our human lives.
Overcoming our failures is hard work. The goal of this web page is to provide resources to help you in your personal fight to restore God's image in your life. Over the course of time, we will provide information from both spiritual and secular sources to equip you in your fight. But know one thing. Having the information is the easy part. Using the information to effect real change requires commitment and determination. Jesus said: "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:31-32
Your challenge will be to take hold of the information provided and allow God to "set you free" to become His image bearer in your marriage and family relationships. The following book is one place to start. Check it out.