Ministry to Newlyweds—A Small Window of Great Opportunity

Abstract

Ministry to newlyweds is a unique window of opportunity for churches small and large because newlywed couples are in transition, open to new relationships, open to letting go of religious conventions and considering more Biblical responses, and open to being groomed for church leadership. This article advocates the importance of a newlywed ministry for your church, suggests some of the needs couples are facing that churches can address, reviews results of a survey of how churches are ministering to newlyweds, and suggests some of the ways churches can minister to newlyweds. A list of resources is also included.

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References

Some denominational publishing houses such as Broadman have developed curricula for newly-weds, and many Christian books are available as resources for newlywed groups and leaders. Only a few are listed here.

Transforming responses from normal to spiritual:

Janssen

(2001). The marriage masterpiece. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

Thomas

(2000). Sacred marriage. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Wright

H. N.

(1996). Starting out together. Ventura, CA: Regal.

Thanksgiving v. discounting:

Rainey

(1997). Building your mate's self-esteem. Ventura, CA: Gospel Light.

Smalley

, & Trent

(1988). The language of love. Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family.

Conflict resolution:

10.

Rosberg

(1995). Do-it-yourself relationship mender. Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family.

11.

Roles & decision making:

12.

Lepine

(1999). The Christian husband: God's vision for loving and caring for your wife. Ann Arbor, MI: Vine Books.

13.

Honest communication:

14.

Markman

H. S.

, & Blumberg

S. L.

(1994). Fighting for your marriage. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

15.

Wright

H. N.

(2000). Communication: Key to your marriage. Ventura, CA: Regal.

16.

Loving v. Using

17.

Allender

D. B.

, & Longman

III (1992). Bold love. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.

18.

In-laws & home of origin issues:

19.

Wright

H. N.

(1977). In-laws, outlaws: Building better relationships. Irvine, CA: Harvest House.

20.

Intimacy v. false intimacy:

21.

Joy

D. M.

(1985). Bonding. Waco, TX: Word.

22.

Schaumburg

(1992). False intimacy. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.

23.

Arnold

(1992). The big book on small groups. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

24.

Arond

, & Pauker

S. L.

(1987). The first year of marriage. New York: Warner.

25.

Blackaby

H. T.

, & King

C. V.

(1994). Experiencing God. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.

26.

Crabb

(1997). Connecting. Nashville, TN: Word.

27.

Crabb

(1999). The safest place on earth. Nashville, TN: Word.

28.

Donahue

(1996). The Willow Creek guide to leading life-changing small groups. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

29.

Gorman

J. A.

(2002). Community that is Christian. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.

30.

Longworth

(2003). Lifelong learning in action: Transforming education in the 21st century. Herndon, VA: Stylus Publishing.

31.

Massey

M. E.

(1979). The people puzzle. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co.

32.

McDonald

, & McDonald

P. M.

(1994). Creating a successful Christian marriage. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.

33.

McGoldrick

(1980). The joining of families through marriage. In Carter

E. A.

, and McGoldrick

(Eds.), The family life cycle: A framework for family therapy (pp. 93–119). New York: Gardner Press.

34.

Minirth

, & Minirth

M. A.

, Newman

, Hernfelt

, & Hernfelt

(1991). Passages of marriage. Nashville, TN: Nelson. The Minirths describe a two-year consolidation period. I add a third year.

35.

Parrott

, & Parrott

(1995). Saving your marriage before it starts. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

36.

Schaumburg

(1992). False intimacy: Understanding the struggle of sexual addiction. Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress.

37.

Worthington

(1994). I care about your marriage. Chicago, IL: Moody.

38.

Wright

H. N.

(1992). The premarital counseling handbook. Chicago, IL: Moody.