by Married People | Feb 22, 2018 | Spotlight
Every month, we’re profiling a church leader just like you. This month, we’re featuring Josh Forney.
Josh has been the Pastor of Marriage and Family at Pathway Church in Burleson, Texas for the last three years. You can follow him at @joshfortney on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
I love seeing couples who are dealing with all the stresses of the world find common ground to reconnect, laugh, remember their vows, and enjoy their marriage. It is refreshing to remind them of their joy!
What are some challenges you face at your church?
We have a lot of busy families. Getting them to slow down and take time for their marriage. It has been a fun challenge for us to find ways to meet them in their busy schedule so they can enjoy their marriage as they go about their crazy lives.
We also have a lot of non-marrieds couples who want the benefits of marriages, and that’s a tricky balance. But it’s a great chance to remind them the value in marriage and God’s plan.
How has MarriedPeople changed how your church works with married couples?
We are more offensive so we don’t need as much defense. Being proactive has led to organic conversations and relationships for couples to have, and that leads to less “crisis response.”
We put more focus on the Core 4 Habits and that keeps people from freaking out and waiting til the last minute to seek help for their marriage. This has helped people get comfortable with talking about marriage.
What’s one helpful tip you’d like to share with other church leaders?
Start small! If you can find one area to shine, use it to build momentum! One small start will get you rolling toward big impact!
Are there any other helpful resources you’d recommend people check out?
Want to be featured on the blog?
If you’re a MarriedPeople partner and want to be featured on the blog, just fill out the form here and we’ll be in touch.
Married People exists to help your church help marriages. We provide resources, training, and community to church leaders who work with marriages and families.
by Married People | Jan 18, 2018 | Spotlight
Because we care about our church partners and want to emphasize our incredible community, we’re introducing something new. Each month, we’re profiling a church leader just like you. This month, we’re featuring Stephanie Porter.
Stephanie has been the Director of Next Generations and Family Ministries at Eagle Rock Baptist Church in Los Angeles, Calif., for the last three years.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
The best part of my job is loving people! And I get the opportunity to do that often.
What are some challenges you face at your church?
Our biggest challenges at Eagle Rock Baptist are often staff disconnect and competing systems. Things many churches can probably relate to.
How has MarriedPeople changed how your church works with married couples?
After using MarriedPeople, our marriage ministry went from an after thought to an intentional effort. We went from reacting to couples in crisis to having a proactive strategy.
What’s one helpful tip you’d like to share with other church leaders?
Don’t be afraid to try something new!
Are there any other helpful resources you’d recommend people check out?
Want to be featured on the blog?
If you’re a MarriedPeople partner and want to be featured on the blog, just fill out the form here and we’ll be in touch.
Married People exists to help your church help marriages. We provide resources, training, and community to church leaders who work with marriages and families.
by Guest Writer | Aug 22, 2017 | Leadership, Spotlight
by Jessica Asbell
I am currently leading the charge in helping our families strengthen their marriages by using the MarriedPeople strategy.
I am actually the Children’s Minister at my church.
And I have never been married.
So it might seem odd that I’m the one implementing the MarriedPeople strategy.
But, I am a child of divorce. My parents divorced when I was very small. My mother married my stepfather when I was six, but they divorced when I was twelve. So I know the pain and the issues with trust that come from being a child of divorce.
So when Ted Lowe and Doug Fields spoke about the MarriedPeople strategy and their book, Married People: How Your Church Can Build Marriages That Last, at the Orange Conference a few years ago, it resonated with me. They talked about how one of the best things you can do for the children in your ministry is to help keep their parents marriages together. This statement may not seem earth-shattering, but it blew me away.
As the Children’s Minister, I could actually do something to help the kids in my ministry not have to go through the anger and pain I experienced. So I bought their book and excitedly brought it to our Minister to Young Families. He liked the idea, but it wasn’t the right time.
This year, he became our Senior Pastor. I brought up the idea again, and we began implementing the strategy. So far we have partnered the date nights with our Parent’s Night Out, had our first large group event, and done our first small group study.
I’ve heard stories of funny nicknames that were revealed in the large group, and that one couple who are with each other 24/7 actually didn’t get any of the questions right in their Not So Newlywed game!
Our couples have responded very well to these events and they are having a blast with it. Is it awkward for me that I’m single and doing a marriage strategy? Sometimes.
There are times when I’m not sure where I fit with this: Should I be at the event even though I’m not the target audience, or should I be with the children—since I am the Children’s Minister? But in the end, it’s totally worth it.
Ministry to children involves their families as well. And if I can help their parents marriage, then I am a better minister to those precious kiddos.
Jessica Asbell in the Childrens Minster at First Baptist Church Roswell in Roswell, GA.
We love featuring the work of many different experts and thought leaders on marriage. Want to contribute to our blog? Email admin@marriedpeople.org to find out more.
by Tim Walker | Aug 1, 2017 | Spotlight
We have amazing MarriedPeople partner churches. These marriage champions are taking the MarriedPeople resources and doing things that are above and beyond anything we dreamed about.
We want you to meet them. So once a month, well spotlight a different church that is impacting not only the marriages in their church, but in their community. We want you to meet people from churches of all sizes, large and small, in various types of communities, whether urban, rural or suburban, with budgets big and small and volunteers plenty or scarce. Regardless of how different these churches may be from yours, we think youll find some relevancy to where you are.
We gave them a list of questions to find out more about their church, their team and their ministry. This month, we would like to introduce you to Kyle Clayton at The Church at Quail Creek in Amarillo, TX.
Church: The Church at Quail Creek (Amarillo, TX)
MarriedPeople champion: Kyle Clayton
Size of your church: 350
Approximate number of married couples: 100
Describe the area you are in: suburban
Tell Us About . . . You and Your Team
I’m full-time on staff as the Senior Pastor.
How many people are on your marriage ministry team? 12
Tell Us About . . . How You Use the MarriedPeople Resources and Strategy
What does the calendar year look like with your marriage strategy? We do two Large Groups events, two Date Nights, one Marriage Retreat, and we have an ongoing Wednesday night marriage study.
What are some of the unique challenges to planning events in your community, and how have you worked around them? Childcare for everything
Share with us one way you took the MarriedPeople resources and customized them to fit your church. We use the materials for retreats, and it’s been great.
What has been on really great thing that has come from using MarriedPeople? Our couples are growing stronger.
What has been your biggest success so far? We set up an ice cream parlor at the end of one of our Large Group nights and then we had a dance.
What’s your dream to happen next? Continue to see the marriage ministry grow. We would love to the MP Monthly content available on video.
Thanks, Kyle, and the awesome team impacting marriages in Amarillo, TX!
For more about The Church at Quail Creek, check out their website.
To connect with other MarriedPeople leaders, request to join the MarriedPeople Leaders Facebook group.
Tim Walker is an editor on the MarriedPeople team, and blogger at timswords.com.
by Tim Walker | Jul 14, 2017 | Spotlight
If you don’t know our friend Archie Rish from GracePointe Church, you need to. He’s kind of a creative genius. We asked Archie to come up with some ideas for decorating tables for the Clear Larger Group Experiences. As you can see, the man is resourceful. (Yes, those are real goldfish in the bowl.)
When applicable, Archie also gave links or tips to places he found each item. Feel free to come up with your own creative ideas or use these. (For more ideas on event decor, make sure you check out the MarriedPeople Leaders Facebook group.)
Table Decor Idea #1
Table Decor Idea #2
- Fish Bowl: Local Department Store / Search for online deals in bulk.
- Raiser/Stand: Ask around your church
- Clear Stones: purchased at the Dollar Tree
- Couple: Search for discounted cake toppers online.
- Core 4 Habits Cards: Download slide images and print on card stock.
- Two goldfish per bowl.
Table Decor Idea #3
- Clear building blocks
- Wooden Blocks: 4”x4” Wood Post – Local Home Improvement Store… Ask someone in your church to cut into smaller sections. (Great Resource to use for other events)
- Core 4 Habits Cards: Download slide images and print on card stock.
- CLEAR Logo Stickers (created by uploading the Clear logo from the Strategy Pack to www.stickermule.com)
Table Decor Idea #4
- Grass: www.partycity.com or shop local discount story for grass doormat.
- Football: Borrowed from the recreation ministry at church.
- Clear Letters: www.hobbylobby.com
- CLEAR Logo Stickers (created by uploading the Clear logo from the Strategy Pack to www.stickermule.com)
- Candy/Snacks: shop your local discount store/grocery store
Table Decor Idea #5
- Clear Balloons w/ gold confetti
- Gold Couple: Cut from foam board. (Have painted and used over and over for Married People Events)
- CLEAR Logo Stickers (created by uploading the Clear logo from the Strategy Pack to www.stickermule.com)
- Candy/Snacks: shop your local discount
Table Decor Idea #6
- Vase: search online for bulk discounts
- Battery Operated LED Lights
- Light Bulbs: Search the prop storage closet at the church or plan ahead and ask the congregation to bring you some.)
- CLEAR Logo Stickers (created by uploading the Clear logo from the Strategy Pack to www.stickermule.com)
- Core 4 Habits Cards: Download slide images and print on card stock.
- Kraft Paper: local office supply
Tim Walker is an editor on the MarriedPeople team, and blogger at timswords.com.
by Tim Walker | May 9, 2017 | Spotlight
We have amazing MarriedPeople partner churches. These marriage champions are taking the MarriedPeople resources and doing things that are above and beyond anything we dreamed about.
We want you to meet them. So once a month, well spotlight a different church that is impacting not only the marriages in their church, but in their community. We want you to meet people from churches of all sizes, large and small, in various types of communities, whether urban, rural or suburban, with budgets big and small and volunteers plenty or scarce. Regardless of how different these churches may be from yours, we think youll find some relevancy to where you are.
We gave them a list of questions to find out more about their church, their team and their ministry. This month, we would like to introduce you to Ryan Tucker at Journey Christian Church in Apopka, FL.
Church: Journey Christian Church (Apopka, FL)
MarriedPeople champion: Ryan Tucker
Size of your church: 2400
Approximate number of married couples: 750
Describe the area you are in: suburban
Tell Us About . . . You and Your Team
I’m the Next Generation pastor—children and students birth through high school
How many people are on your marriage ministry team? 3
Tell Us About . . . How You Use the MarriedPeople Resources and Strategy
What does the calendar year look like with your marriage strategy? We do 4 large group gatherings a year, about every quarter. We offer the small group component as a follow up to the large group twice a year and we send out MP Monthly to our growing database of married couples who attend our events
What are some of the unique challenges to planning events in your community, and how have you worked around them? We have to create a rhythm. Our community is very busy with recreational activities, so unless we use the large group gatherings to create a rhythm that people can expect, we won’t get good traction.
Share with us one way you took the MarriedPeople resources and customized them to fit your church. We have used the married people strategy of the large group quarterly events to start an event called “Cupcakes and Comedy” around Valentine’s Day with a comedian and dessert as well. We also have hosted the Date Night Comedy Tour, again trying to create a rhythm but be creative.
What has been on really great thing that has come from using MarriedPeople? Consistency in our strategy, allows us to present a clear strategy not just for children and students but also for marriages as well.
What has been your biggest success so far? Couples that were de-churched or unchurched who have become part of our community through the large group events.
What has been your biggest fail and what did you learn from it? How we offer childcare at our large gatherings—that has consistently been the biggest learning experience on how to improve that.
What’s your dream to happen next? Continue to see buzz and traction around our large group events and to see the small group component really take root and develop.
Thanks, Ryan, and the awesome team impacting marriages in Apopka, FL!
For more about Journey Christain Church, check out their website.
To connect with other MarriedPeople leaders, request to join the MarriedPeople Leaders Facebook group.
Tim Walker is an editor on the MarriedPeople team, and blogger at timswords.com.
