The Goal of every marriage is to bring glory to God. That's what we learned this past weekend when seven couples from our church headed to Frederic, WI to attend our first Marriage Retreat in several years. Late fall is a wonderful time of year to get away with your significant other for a bit of relaxation, learning, and self-assessment. It also coincided with the state's gun deer hunt, which threw in some added excitement to an otherwise tranquil and enjoyable stay.
The event was organized and taught by John and Karen Dawson. John has recently completed a marriage counseling course as part of his ministry training at Northland International University. The Dawson's have labored in many areas of ministry including preaching and teaching, and have been a godly example for other couples in our church.
The setting for the Marriage Retreat was the beautiful and newly-finished Oak Forest Center. It's a lovely retreat facility with spacious accommodations and conveniences such as a dining room with large windows in view of the surrounding forest and nearby pond, a lounge area with leather sofas and stone fireplace, and conference room suitably equipped for our needs.
We learned how to bring God glory in our marriages by studying the areas of Purpose of Marriage, Biblical Communication, the Role of the Model Husband, the Role of the Model Wife, and the Principles of Biblical Parenting. Insight about how well we know our spouse, or at least our spouse's quirks, came when we played a version of the television show The Newlywed Game. As John mentioned in church on Sunday night, what happens at Marriage Retreat stays at Marriage Retreat!
It's important to realize that strong marriages don't happen as soon as we become one flesh. They come through much prayer, submission, and conformance to the image of Christ. The Marriage Retreat impressed on us a better understanding of our goal in marriage and how it is achieved. Our church will doubtless be blessed by having healthy families grounded in strong, godly marriages. Perhaps even more couples will partake in the future.
Anonymous Marriage Retreat Attendee
| > Service Times | |
|---|---|
| Sunday School | 9:30 am |
| Morning Worship | 10:30 am |
| Wednesday Prayer | 6:30 pm |
| Thu - Sep 09 |
| Awana Kick Off Night |
| Fri - Oct 15 -- Sun - Oct 17 |
| Mission's Conference |