We are in the middle of a marriage series at my church, and I couldn’t be happier. Attendance is up, groups are filled, and married couples are going on dates for the first time in years.
I love a good marriage series. Over the years we’ve done several. While they’ve had different names: From This Day Forward, Going All the Way, and Happily Ever After, they have one common goal, to strengthen the marriages in our church and communities.
Each series typically lasts four to six weeks, and we focus on topics such as how to deal with stress, how spouses should treat one another, how the relationship can change when kids come along, how to keep our minds pure, and on occasion how to have enough sex. The last one really draws the guys in.
If you still need convincing why you should do a marriage series every year, here’s four more reasons.
- It Draws a Crowd
Our church loves when we do a marriage series, so they’ll make sure to show up week after week. Not only do they show up, but people in the community are more likely to show up. People are also more likely to invite their friends because everyone knows someone who needs a little help in their marriage. It’s not uncommon for us to see a 10-15% increase in attendance during these series.
- Marriages are Under Attack
When someone asks to speak to a pastor about counseling in our church, the majority of the time it’s because of their marriage. About 50% of marriages in Tennessee end in divorce, and in the communities my church serves, that number can be much higher. Trousdale County is about a 15-20 minute drive from either of our campuses, and their divorce rate is close to 90%. More people are getting divorced than married in that county.
- Group Attendance Increases
We’ve struggled to get people in groups at my church, but that isn’t the case for groups talking about marriage. These groups always seem to fill up because people want to dive deeper into this topic. I’ve been part of groups that have been filled with laughter, and part of groups that have brought you to tears. They are always deeply impactful. We’ve tried to leverage this by doing a church-wide campaign to go along with the series this year.
- Marriage is Part of God’s Design
In Genesis God said, “It’s not good for man to be alone.” In Matthew Jesus said, “For this reason a man will leave his family to be joined to his wife. The two are united as one.” And in Ephesians, Paul shows us that a marriage should be a representation of Christ and the Church. It has always been a part of God’s design, and we must guard and protect it.
I’m convinced that the majority of the prominent issues in our world can be traced back to the decline of healthy marriages. We may not be able to curb the trend, but I’m hoping we can put a dent in the communities around us.
Are you doing a marriage series this year? I’d love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments below, and if you haven’t already make sure to subscribe to the blog to get tips on leadership, church growth, and more straight to your inbox.
