Marriage Conference 2021

Marriage Conference

“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Matthew 19:5-6

I am excited to announce our first annual Redeemer Bible Church marriage conference! Marriage is not a construct of western civilization. Marriage was designed by God as a part of creation from before sin entered the world. Marriage was designed to glorify God and bless humanity. It has been twisted and perverted in all sorts of ways through the ages, but remains with us, and remains a basic desire of the heart and foundation to society. We should not assume that we know what the Bible says about marriage, and every marriage needs to be examined and strengthened on a regular basis to remain healthy.

More than ever, Christian marriage is fighting to survive. Unlike many past marriage conferences, we will now have to begin with even defining what marriage is. However, God’s design of one-man and one-woman committed to loving each other for a lifetime will never cease to be blessed by God for those who pursue it. We must never give up on God’s good designs and plans, but instead seek to understand them and pursue God’s will by faith.

               This conference will be different by design. Many marriage conferences fly in an “expert” to speak to the church. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it bothers me that I have never been to a church that puts on its own conference. We don’t need to import in a specialist, that we don’t know, to understand how to have a Christ honoring and happy marriage. Always hiring a professional gives the impression that no one in the church has a healthy or joyful enough marriage to speak to the subject. That’s not true.

For this year’s conference, the elders have divided up the various chapters of Wayne Mack’s Strengthen Your Marriage. I’ll start us off, and the subject of each following chapter will be taught by a different church elder. The conference will close out with an elder husband/wife panel for questions gathered from the conference group.

              As an elder group we don’t claim to have it all together, but we do claim that through seeking and following God’s plan for marriage – as best we can – has led to years of happiness and joy. As a fun fact – the RBC elder group has the combined experience of 157 years of marriage and working to raise 19 kids! We want you to see that everyday people can have enduring and joyful marriages. We want you to be able to ask every day questions. We want to still be around after the conference to answer your questions and do what we can to help you to strengthen your marriage. The elders want to stress the enduring opportunity to walk with you after this conference. We want to help encourage and admonish each other from the Scriptures, so that together the people of Redeemer Bible Church might press for a church culture of healthy marriage.

              Mark your calendars for April 9-10, Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Sign up at the welcome desk, click here, or email  info@redeemerVA.org.

$30 per couple covers one book and lunch on Saturday. Limited childcare is available. Registration is open to any married couple, engaged couple, or a young couple with marriage on the horizon.

May Jesus be glorified through the happiness of our marriages,

Pastor Vic