The Vision Behind "Redeeming Family"

I have spent the last hour trying to write some really cool-sounding rhetoric to describe this seminar. And I've got nothing to show for it. So I'm throwing style to the wind, and I'm just going to write from my heart. Here's the deal: being married and raising kids is really hard work. And it's work that, statistically speaking, most of us give up on. Over half of marriages end in divorce. One third of kids grow up in single-parent households. And 25% of kids under 3 are being raised by daycare providers.

We want to help you not give up.

Nobody "just knows" how to be a good spouse or a good parent. We learn by example. And the fact is: many of us just don't have good examples to learn from. Our families of origin are all screwed up. We have no clue what we're doing. And we're not sure who to ask. We want to provide a forum where you can ask.

We're not going to pretend that we have all the answers. But we do have some of them. God has given our pastoral staff some unique insight into marriage and parenting through the lens of the gospel. Will and Debbie will share how a covenantal commitment has anchored their marriage through some really rough times. Bob and Leigh will pass along the biblical wisdom on parenting that they learned from a community of older, wiser mentors. And to fill in the gaps, we'll introduce you to some of our friends and advisers - people who have done marriage and parenting well.

This seminar will be anchored in the biblical storyline of Creation-Fall-Redemption and saturated with biblical wisdom from the book of Proverbs. You won't walk out with a magic bullet that will solve all your problems. But you will walk out with some helpful tools in your toolbox and a biblical grid to assist you in using them well.

We've crafted this seminar primarily with the young families of Coram Deo in mind. But we want to issue an open invitation to anyone and everyone who might benefit. If you're not part of the Coram Deo community - who cares? Join us! Even if you're not yet a follower of Jesus, don't let the fact that this is a "church thing" keep you away. We're not selling used cars; we're helping people build strong families. The stuff we talk about will just be downright useful, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey.

It will be an honor to have you join us.

Bob Thune
Lead Pastor, Coram Deo Church