Chapel Springs Church is celebrating marriage again this summer with some special guests, and even giving free wedding give-aways to several committed couples at their Bristow and Stafford campuses!
First, in order to honor the sanctity of marriage and help strengthen those bonds, Chapel Springs invites an inspiring couple to share their struggle against nearly impossible odds.
“Bob and Audrey Meisner were a happily married couple,” Noreen Bryant explained. “Then Audrey had an affair with a co-worker, and then got pregnant and had a child from the affair.”
Through unimaginable scandal, pain and shame, the couple worked through and decided to stay together.
But rather than just staying together for the sake of their marriage or their children, “instead, because of their deep faith in God, they were able to embrace forgiveness, strengthen their marriage, and begin again—better than they ever were before,” said Bryant.
Now, the Meisners have taken what they’ve learned about marriage, partnership and faith to share their story, and “equip and empower other couples to seek hard after the 'Whole Marriage' God intends them to have."
The Meisners kick off an intensive 4-week series at Chapel Springs called “Whole Marriage.”
“The focus is on healing broken, fractured and simply ho-hum marriages,” Bryant said, by combining powerful weekend sermons with “equipping workshops” and speakers each Wednesday night.
The experience is open to all couples and it’s free.
Meanwhile, for couples who are not yet married, but may be in committed monogamous relationship and cohabiting, Chapel Springs offers their “Pathway to Marriage,” which combines free marriage counseling and even a free wedding ceremony for those couples who are ready to be married.
“This summer, we're thrilled to be able to offer a 'Pathway to Marriage' for couples who are living together,” said Lead Pastor Scott Leib. "If you would like the wholeness in your relationship that only marriage can bring, we are here for you. We are not here to judge you, but instead to invite you to consider taking advantage of the Pathway to Marriage.”
Leib hopes to encourage couples to enter into that formalized relationship with each other and God. He invites them to work with the church community and enter into a period of self-discovery, thought, communication, and prayer to help them decide to commit to Christian marriage.
“There's no judgment, nobody shaking a finger in your face and telling you what to do. Just an invitation to wholeness and the unique joy of Christian marriage,” Leib said.
To couples who decide to explore marriage, Chapel Springs will offer them free pre-marriage counseling.
Then, if they are ready to tie the knot, Chapel Springs will provide those couples with a free wedding ceremony in their Bristow chapel! It also includes flowers, music, and the photographer!
"God has designed and ordained marriage as a sacred covenant relationship between a man and a woman," said Leib. "If a couple is living together without marriage, they are missing so much! They're being robbed of all that God intends for them." He concluded, "At Chapel Springs, we are committed to helping couples grow and thrive in healthy marriages."
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