Over ten years ago we developed materials to help married couples, aptly named, “The First Team.” While the roles in marriage vary from couple to couple, we have seen freedom come to married couples as they understand that they are a team and God wants to work through them as a couple – rather than dominating each other, seeing that mutual submission is a key to a healthy marriage. While the complete seminar is usually a 2-3 day event, our ministry coaches have been innovative and adapted it in various settings. For example, Valera and Narina in Russia are using it as a basis for pre-marital counselling and with couples that they provide ongoing mentoring.

In 2022 Phil met Juan, a ministry colleague of Carlos in DR., who participated in a weekend leadership retreat (“Finishing the Race”). Since then God has opened up new doors for Juan to use his wisdom and experience to pastor the church he attended. When Phil was in the country in April of this year, he was asked to spend an evening teaching the principles of healthy boundaries, communication, and roles in marriage with young couples from the church. As with leadership principles, our fallen cultures have tainted what real love is and how this is expressed in a healthy marriage. Our materials are designed to help couples have marriages based on biblical principles rather than the unhealthy models they have learned from the culture around them.