Ministries

Awana clubbers celebrate their hard work.

Sexual intimacy plays a vital role in marriage, not simply because it is pleasurable for a couple to enjoy sex in the bedroom together. God created sexual intimacy to reflect the deeper forms of emotional, relational, and spiritual intimacy that a husband and wife are intended to enjoy. It's this deeper intimacy that makes the sexual experience richer, fuller, and even more pleasurable.

Mothers often feel overwhelmed with the demands of parenting. Exhaustion through an endless stream of activities can erode a mother's heart. However, the God of the Bible calls moms to meaningfully nurture their children, even when they don't feel like it or believe they are any good at it. Facing the challenges of mothering today takes courage.

Fathers often feel overwhelmed with the demands of parenting. Checking out or retreating into areas of felt competence is where most dads hide when they don't know what to do. However, the God of the Bible calls dads to engage meaningfully with their children, even when they don't feel like it or believe they are any good at it. Facing the challenges of fathering today takes courage.

Disciplining children consistently in love is one of the major challenges of parenting. But when we're honest about our parenting, we all have been guilty at times of disciplining our children more out of anger than love. And that's just wrong. But the good news is that if we're willing to learn, God often uses those failures to teach us and our children more significant lessons about ourselves than when we do well.

How parents discipline is critical when it comes to molding the character and behaviors of their children. Many question the role of physical discipline in the whole parenting process. While some view it as outdated, others see it as essential for a critical portion of the child training years.The Bible provides a balanced perspective of discipline within the context of a loving mentoring home.

Most parents see value in disciplining their children well as part of the child training process. However, sometimes discipline becomes harsh and harmful, especially when a child is resistant or rebellious. Parents need to learn how to prevent their discipline from becoming something they never intended it to be.

Parenting is one of the more difficult, challenging, and rewarding opportunities that any person can have. Children are born into the world with the belief that the world revolves around them. Discipline is one of the more challenging portions of the child training process that requires consistency on the part of the parent to help children understand that their perspective is flawed.

In a world where enduring marriages are more of a rarity than the norm, one is left to wonder what qualities are needed in order for a marriage couple to sustain a relationship over the long haul. Some qualities are less obvious than others, and yet are critical for a healthy relationship to flourish over a lifetime.

Intimacy is a word that is frequently used of married couples who are enjoying a special level of closeness within their relationship. Intimacy within marriage is to be an exclusive deal. A couple has the opportunity to build special memories that are just between the two of them.

Honoring parents as a child seems to be fairly clear. Children are expected to obey their parents. But does that change when children grow-up and leave home? What does honor look like then? And what if you had mean or abusive parents? Does honor for an abusive parent look the same as honor for a loving parent?

Grandparents have a wonderful role in the lives of their grandchildren. Now that they have raised their own children, they have the freedom and opportunity to impact their grandchildren through a variety of activities.

Just about everything in modern life has been sexualized in some way. It's especially true when it comes to how people tend to think of male/female friendships. But there are such things as healthy brother/sister type relationships between men and women that are not romanticize or sexualized. Learning how to honor a member of the opposite sex as a fellow image-bearer is vital for cultivating these healthy relationships that don't cross lines of propriety.

Falling out of love is one of the major reasons given by couples for divorce. The problem is that they've defined love superficially as merely the feelings of excitement and attraction that brought them together in the first place. Falling out of love isn't the end of a relationship. Rather, it can be the opportunity for a couple to learn how to deeply love one another for the very first time.

Falling in love feels good. It's the excitement of being with that special person who makes you feel great when you're with them. And that's how most romantic relationships begin. But "falling in love" stage isn't enough to sustain a marriage throughout a lifetime together. That takes a maturing love that still delights in the other but also decides to love even when the feelings aren't present.

The prevalence of adulterous affairs are one of the most regrettable aspects of our modern times. One of the casualties of an affair is the betrayal of trust. Rebuilding that trust is essential if a couple is to restore their marriage. Rebuilding trust takes time, patience, and the full participation of both spouses.

An empty nest presents a unique opportunity for a married couple to take a second look at their marriage. Too often couples discover that they have invested so much of their time, money, and energy focusing on their children that they've neglected investing in each other. Now that the children are gone, it's time for them to learn how to rediscover and reinvest in their relationship.

In order for a marriage to be restored after a divorce, both partners must be willing to say that they have fully explored the reasons why they originally divorced. That usually takes a significant amount of time, counsel, and brokenness before they can move in different ways with clarity, purpose, and agreement towards restoration.

Many marriages are in trouble. Too often divorce is viewed as the quick and easy solution. It's not. However, while the Bible upholds the priority of a lifetime marital commitment, there are some cases in which even God allows for divorce. Unpacking the biblical grounds for a divorce is a thorny challenge but sometimes it's necessary to respond in a loving way to a damaging or dangerous spouse.

Physical danger is a real threat in some marriages where the difficulties are extreme. Learning first how to recognize those dangers and then getting out of harm's way is more central for a threatened spouse than discussions and confrontations that would only inflame the situation. Clear and decisive steps need to be taken to escape the threat of violence.