Ballencleroch House at the foot of the picturesque Campsie Hills, north of Glasgow was the setting for the ‘Endless Love’ Marriage Enrichment weekend earlier this month. Nine couples, from Glasgow and Dunfermline Districts and a pastoral couple from the Mission were joined by one from Nottingham Central Church. They arrived with high expectations of what, for the Scottish Mission, was the first of its kind for many years. It was led by John and Delivon Frances (centre below) from Nottingham Central, who play a prominent role in the family ministries department of the North England Conference the The programme focused on aspects of marriage and family, including God’s Ideal, Communication, Relational Needs, and Conflict.
Various workshops involving all the couples, were mixed with presentations and interactive exercises. Saturday evening was the highlight, consisting of a meal, some ‘wine’ in a romantic candle light setting, an opportunity for the spouses to affirm each other with gifts, songs and speeches, and an evening out for dessert at a local hotel. Pastor Llew Edwards led out in a commitment service on Sunday morning, allowing all the couples to recommit themselves to their partners and to God. Interactive sessions and worships, by Ophelia and I, on the Love Languages each of us speak, helped participants to understand and listen to each other’s language.
A few things I learnt at that weekend. Firstly, that once you are married you never stop learning. Just when you think you know it all you learn something valuable to make your home and family special. Secondly, that every chance to enrich one’s marriage is never an insult to one’s intelligence – but another chance to appreciate the partner God has given you to love. Thirdly, that such events remind of you what you may have forgotten, the day you said ‘I do’ for that first time. And that made it all worthwhile. The whole weekend will hopefully become a stepping stone to more of such needed events in our churches, and for our families”
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