Our Vision
A pretty wedding lasts a day. A beautiful marriage lasts a lifetime. In 7 years throughout our community, we will touch 10,000 married couples. We will help households prevent crises rather than manage them. We will redefine what culture says about marriage and reinforce what God says about it.
A Beautiful Marriage is where…
Couples prepare for and practice their promise.
Couples have serious fun.
Couples know the value of love and respect.
Couples put God first.
FAQs
Does our church have a new mission?
No. We are always inviting all people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s our compass. It’s our constant. We will always preach, teach, baptize, and pray as we are animated by and filled with the Holy Spirit. We believe that the beautiful marriage focus will make the invitation to life in Christ both more accessible and more compelling.
What does God say about marriage?
Marriage is the first institution that God created, before government or schools or even the church. The biblical library begins with a marriage in a garden between a man and a woman and it ends in a garden with a marriage between the Lamb and his bride. And in between, in the Gospels in fact, when Jesus COULD HAVE redefined marriage, he reinforced instead. Begin, ending, and all points in between, it’s clear marriage is something on the heart of God the Father.
What about singles?
The only way our beautiful marriage dream will become reality is if people who are now single play an active role in it, both as leaders and learners. Why do we say that? Because everyone, whether never married, single again, or contentedly & permanently single, is impacted by marriage. Our vision will revolve around helping people understand the ways that marriage has influenced their past as well as helping people prepare for the marriage that may well be in their future. Beautiful marriages happen as people learn to live single life well & faithfully, and we intend to empower exactly that. We know that there are times when divorce is both unavoidable and necessary. That’s why we are committed to our DivorceCare ministry and its ability to walk alongside God’s beloved in one of the most difficult seasons of life.
How does this affect kids/parents?
We will relentlessly communicate to parents that their primary responsibility is to love each other first & that stabilizing love for their children flows from that. In turn, moms and dads will host the city’s best children’s and youth ministries in their own homes as they assume the mantle of becoming spiritual guides in the lives of their children.
We will resolutely and repeatedly resource parents in ways that will preserve their marriages and protect their children. Our LifeGroups, events and classes/curriculum will reinforce this vision.