Art of Marriage. I am so excited about this class that I want to share it with everyone. If you ever have an opportunity to take it, I highly recommend it. Although my dh and I are not currently going through any marital issues(we have and I am sure we will again), this is a wonderful class on how to communicate and solve conflict and all that stuff. I am really enjoying it and we only have 2 sessions left. My dh and I love to take classes of any kind. We like to learn stuff and it is fun to get to do something together that neither of us know anything about. We are also taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes. Does anyone else take classes that would be offered at your church?
We take classes that are offered from time to time. We go to Bible Study and prayer together on a regular basis. We take classes if we are being led and if they begin at a time when Handsome is home from work.
That's something I wish my church would do. Of course, we have Sunday school, but as far as discipleship or marriage classes, nothing. They use to offer them occasionally, but I think they just weren't able to interest enough people to keep them going.
We took something like that once! The best part is that if you're NOT having issues (at that time), there's still lots of principles that you often just need reminded of that will make a really good marriage even better!
DH and I have taken Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God, and also Gary Chapman's The 5 Love Languages, and another one by Gary Smalley, as a couple. Otherwise, he has done several studies with the men, and I have done several with the ladies (Beth Moore! Love Her!). Our church is currently asking for a volunteer couple to teach the course for couples that accompanies the movie Courageous. I'm kinda thinking we may volunteer for that, but right now dh has a medical issue that might possibly require surgery so we'll have to see (and the pastor's son has cancer, so the pastor's on leave for a month to be with his family at the hospital in Dallas). So, we'll see what God's will is about that. Our church of course has Sunday School, which we attend as a couple, and church, and Sunday night church, and Wednesday night prayer meeting, but we quit having Discipleship Training (used to be called Training Union) for all ages as a matter of course due to lack of interest a few years ago -- the young people didn't come, and the old people don't drive at night, and those that do would rather just come for evening worship instead. So now we do "studies" or "courses" instead of Discipleship Training according to the materials published by the Convention. That's where the men's studies and ladies' studies and couples' studies come in, on Wednesdays, during the same hour as prayer meeting and youth group.
Lindina, I am amused at the idea that your church OF COURSE has.... The church we just left DOESN'T have any of the above! Nor does any of the three churches we've visited for the past three weeks! OK, two of them has Sunday School for children, but that's during the service (one of the main reasons I'm not too excited about those churches!) The third has NO children or youth ministry whatsoever. And before anyone sits back in shock, let me say that it's because they don't believe in keeping the children seperate, but involving them in all aspects of church life. They don't have a youth group, but they have a wonderful group of youth. The majority are hs'ed, and they follow the idea of cross-age socialization.
LOL "Of course" because we are still a fairly traditional SBC! LOL We've sort of shed our "First Church Syndrome" but we're still traditional enough to "of course" have SS, church, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. There was a time not too long ago, where there just weren't many children at our church and now "we're crawling with 'em!" and we don't mind the "disruptions" of infants/toddlers in worship service, but we do have a Nursery for those up to 4 for those who want to use it, and Children's Church for 4 through all of elementary school (even if the older ones want to think of themselves as "helpers" rather than elementary kids) for the half-hour or so of the regular sermon. The kids are together with everybody through the announcements, prayer time, song service, offerings, then when it's time for the sermon, they go to Children's Church. I like Voddie Baucham a lot, and he's a "whole family worship" kinda guy.
I'm quite OK with younger kids in Children's Church. But (my personal opinion, nothing more!) I'd like to keep them in for at least the worship. And the church we attended the other week had even the middle school kids out during both services, though the high school kids only had Sunday School during one of them, so it is conceivable that they would attend the early service (9 AM; yeah, right!!!) and then go to Sunday School during the second. I grew up in an American Baptist church, so I am also use to Sunday School, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday nights. Also having the kids through grade three leaving the service right before the service. (OK, we had to stay in the first of the month, lol!)
We haven't been going to this church for even a year yet and I am going to miss it like crazy when we move. We have been loved and thought about and prayed for and with more her than anywhere else we have been. I know it is a little silly to say but I feel a total presence of God there. I know He is there and He is working within the people there. I love different classes. I love couples and separate and family classes. I just love to learn and grow. And I think it helps that this church is very pro hs.
I am really going to miss this church. We went on Wednesday night and after my class was over a woman who I have met ,but can not remember her name, came up to me and asked if we were still planning on moving. I told her yes and that we were really hoping to move this spring. She said "well we are really going to miss you and your faithful family, but I will be praying that you find a new church where you feel at home". I just really liked that. I have been praying about our new church when we move and I really hope it doesn't take long to find one. Churches are so different from where we are now and I know it is going to take some searching.
