T
HE CHURCH IN AMERICA today married couples. We even measure our brought into our sanctuaries and into our
faces a world in which an alarming churches by the number of couples that pulpits. We must give this topic the care
percentage of marriages end in attend. But what about the 50 percent and respect that it deserves.
divorce. It falls to the church to stand divorce rate? Can we say that we have To go a step further, those of us who
up and face this growing trend. To do this, been totally effective in our approach? have healthy, strong marriages should be
the church needs to reevaluate what it is I don’t think we should be too com- reaching out to the unmarried members
doing in the war against divorce. We must fortable with our success rate. To reduce of our congregations. We should be men-
take a look at what we have done in the the number of divorces we need a new toring them on the importance of mak-
past and objectively determine what has strategy. To use a military term, it is time ing wise choices about how and with
worked and what has not. for a “preemptive strike.” We can no whom they should be building relation-
In the past the church has relied on a longer wait until after a couple is married ships. There is a vast resource of wisdom
wide array of programs to strengthen mar- to start trying to save the marriage. We and knowledge sitting in the pews that
riages. We have preached from the pulpit must start much sooner than we have could impact the outcome of many rela-
to married couples on the need to keep a ever considered. Before the “I do’s,” before tionships.
strong marriage. We have held marriage the premarital counseling, even before the Does this mean we should stop what
retreats where we focus on the practical engagement, we need to start saving mar- we are doing now? Absolutely not! Even
components of a healthy marriage. Some- riages before the couple even meets. with the best preparation, there will be
times we offer classes to teach couples the For some reason, the church has tradi- events and attacks that come against mar-
biblical aspects of marriage. The list could tionally shied away from teaching and riages that will need to be addressed. We
go on with some very innovative and preaching about the necessity of finding simply need to add to our arsenal of
forward-thinking programs. a godly mate. We have relegated this to a weapons that will stem the tide of
The bottom line to these programs few passing lessons in our youth min- divorce in our churches.
comes back to how effective they have istry. While this is good, the fact is that,
been. It must be determined that they have on average, several years will pass before Tim Jones serves as director of Single Adult
been effective to an extent. The church has the youth will need this information. To Ministries for Park West Church of God in
become quite proficient at ministering to be effective, this teaching needs to be Knoxville, Tennessee.
16 EVANGEL • MAR 2008
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