You build it together until you think it's finished. And then there are always moments when you realize that renovation work is needed. After a few years, it would be good to paint the walls in the living room or perhaps one of life's storms has destroyed a few tiles on the roof and it's raining in.
In November, we were invited to a marriage seminar in an international church in Cologne. Luciene and I were impressed that more than 30 (mostly intercultural) couples attended our seminar and at the same time one of our staff members, Benjamin, was able to offer a great program on relationships for the teenagers of the church.
On Friday evening, we started with a romantic dinner and built the foundation (Christ) and the walls of the “house of unity” with the participants. It became clear that both partners in a relationship must always actively contribute to making the marriage relationship work. On Saturday morning, we put a roof on the whole thing: six practical areas that strengthen our marriage and family. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to talk to individual couples and pray for them.
Again, we realized that many marriages in our society today need to be encouraged and strengthened. But it is worthwhile when we see that couples see their strengths and not just their difficulties and then want to continue building with renewed motivation.
We would also be happy to come to your town or church. If you are interested, write to us at familiendienst@jmem-hainichen.de.