The Dating-and-Engaged Couples Ministry
The Dating-and-Engaged Couples Ministry has a long history in the College Church. For many years, this group met during the Sunday morning Bible class hour and, at various points, was led by Dwight and Barbie Smith, Larry and Donna Long, and David and Beth Collins.
Tia and I started helping the Collinses around 2016, then took it over around 2022. In 2023, we thought we might be able to reach more couples by changing the format. We moved the class to a Wednesday night small group setting, and it has been a very positive experience.
The group meets in our home every Wednesday night at 6:30. We cover topics such as conflict resolution, communication, decision-making, work-life balance, finances, intimacy, and the five love languages. We also have a few guest speakers and panels to help with specific topics, including a newly married panel, a young parents panel, and an in-law panel.
We typically have around 12-15 couples and follow a one-year curriculum, but couples are always invited to come back the following year (and some do). New couples are welcome to join at any point during the school year.
College Church members Matt and Alyssa Higgins have joined us in this ministry, and the four of us try to provide a weekly home-cooked meal that follows a theme. A few examples include “Love and Lasagna,” “Flapjacks and Finance,” and “In-laws and Ice Cream.” The meals led to the idea of creating a small-group cookbook featuring all the recipes from the meals we had throughout the year and a few other family favorites. It makes a great wedding gift!
We believe this ministry is important to every couple. We’ve been going through this curriculum for the past decade, and it’s been such a blessing in our marriage. We discuss some pretty serious topics, but we have a lot of fun together too!
A former small group couple recently wrote us and said, “This small group provided a wonderful sense of community. Being in a committed relationship was sometimes hard to balance with the rigors of college life, but it was so uplifting to spend time with others who were going through the same thing. This group helped us have important conversations surrounding marriage and how to serve God while navigating them.”
We would love to talk to any dating or engaged couple in the congregation about joining us in this ministry.
Tia and I started helping the Collinses around 2016, then took it over around 2022. In 2023, we thought we might be able to reach more couples by changing the format. We moved the class to a Wednesday night small group setting, and it has been a very positive experience.
The group meets in our home every Wednesday night at 6:30. We cover topics such as conflict resolution, communication, decision-making, work-life balance, finances, intimacy, and the five love languages. We also have a few guest speakers and panels to help with specific topics, including a newly married panel, a young parents panel, and an in-law panel.
We typically have around 12-15 couples and follow a one-year curriculum, but couples are always invited to come back the following year (and some do). New couples are welcome to join at any point during the school year.
College Church members Matt and Alyssa Higgins have joined us in this ministry, and the four of us try to provide a weekly home-cooked meal that follows a theme. A few examples include “Love and Lasagna,” “Flapjacks and Finance,” and “In-laws and Ice Cream.” The meals led to the idea of creating a small-group cookbook featuring all the recipes from the meals we had throughout the year and a few other family favorites. It makes a great wedding gift!
We believe this ministry is important to every couple. We’ve been going through this curriculum for the past decade, and it’s been such a blessing in our marriage. We discuss some pretty serious topics, but we have a lot of fun together too!
A former small group couple recently wrote us and said, “This small group provided a wonderful sense of community. Being in a committed relationship was sometimes hard to balance with the rigors of college life, but it was so uplifting to spend time with others who were going through the same thing. This group helped us have important conversations surrounding marriage and how to serve God while navigating them.”
We would love to talk to any dating or engaged couple in the congregation about joining us in this ministry.
Recent
Archive
2025
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
No Comments