While upholding the goodness of marriage, maybe it’s time the Church dismissed the legalism of “marriage only” in favor of true, loving relationships that are consummated, not in following the letter of the law, but with the spirit of living principles – commitment, communication, trust, respect and a deep and true spirituality.
Why do we continue to label the death of a marriage as a ‘failed marriage’?
Although divorce does not carry the stigma it once did, in our culture it still whispers, “You failed.” The Church needs to find better language and better theology to respond with grace when a marriage dies.
Churches must improve treatment of singles or risk losing them, author says
It’s high time churches wake up and smell the coffee when it comes to the single adults in their pews – and for the even bigger number of singles who aren’t there. That’s a message Gina Dalfonzo, author of the…
Single adult numbers are soaring. What does that mean for congregations?
Churches may want to take a hard look at what they’re offering young, single adults — and then boost it. “Many churches are built around a family model,” Roxanne Stone, editor and chief of the Barna Group, said in remarks published…
For ministers, lean finances sometimes means stronger marriages and families
Ministers yearning for higher salaries may be wealthier than they think, a new study suggests. The tighter a pastor’s financial situation is, the fuller her or his relationships will be, according to the Barna Group. The organization says it finds…
Study links church attendance with marriage stability
The old adage “the family that prays together stays together” is statistically sound, according to a new study by a Harvard University professor. Couples who attend religious services are 47 percent less likely to subsequently divorce than other couples, according…
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter prepare to mark 70th anniversary
Of everything they’ve accomplished together and apart — the White House, a Nobel Peace Prize for him, her groundbreaking work in mental health advocacy — they know it’s the marriage milestone that really stops people in their tracks.
10 ways every church ought to combat sexual violence and domestic abuse
Recently some colleagues of mine and I hosted a four-part series on Baylor University’s campus for survivors of sexual assault and their advocates. We created a space for lament, then silence, next anger, and finally hope. We acknowledged in each…
Isn’t it a shame that Jesus never went on a marriage retreat?
Why couldn’t Jesus have said just one sentence about marriage that you could post on Facebook for Valentine’s Day?