Retreats strengthen, enrich marriages
Filed Under: adult discipleship, marriage, retreat
In an effort to build up and strengthen the marriages of couples throughout WELS, the Commission on Adult Discipleship is again offering marriage enrichment and get-away weekends throughout the United States, beginning in September. Although Rev. David Kehl, administrator of Adult Discipleship, anticipates there will be repeat attendees, he hopes to recruit new participants and increase the attendance of called workers.
"I would say our main audience really is all the married families of our synod, and that includes called workers," says Kehl. "We want to encourage called workers to strengthen their marriages because they are challenged with things just as much as any other couple. And if their marriages are strong, it's going to have a positive impact on their ministry."
Ten retreats have been scheduled in several states and will focus on the theme "Intimate Allies." "In so many marriages, people just tear each other down and set high expectations of what they think someone should be," says Kehl. Through these retreats, he says, people will learn to glorify God through their marriage and help their spouse see that they are created in the image of Christ.
Kehl says past retreats have drawn more than 100 couples—but more important than numbers is what people take away from these workshops. "The neatest thing is when a couple understands something more about their relationship and is excited to grow in that area or to live it out," he says. "We just want to build up marriages as strong as they can be, because that's a key thing for the health of our families, which is the health of our congregations, our districts, and our synod."
For more information or to register online, visit www.wels.net/jump/marriageretreat
