For those of you who couldn't make it to the first 'Young Couple Connect' last Friday, here's a little snap shot of the evening. Aside from enjoying hot drinks and some amazing homemade 'fall desserts', we talked through what ministry to young families will become in 2014. The content below is a letter from Carrie and I as well as a breakdown of some of things we hope to create to serve families here at New Life. The night ended with a HUGE game of bunco. It was quite the sight to see 40 couples making new connections with one another over the course of the evening. We are quickly firming up plans to have a monthly 'Young Couple Connect' throughout 2014.
As we prayerfully plan for 2014 we'd love your input! How would you answer the following question: What would you like to see offered to young couples/familes here at New Life? Shoot me an email with your responses. (bbaker@newlifechurch.org)
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Hello, hello…
Welcome to the first ‘Young Couple Connect’!!!
I hope you’re up for kicking back, meeting some new friends and having fun. I already know the best part of tonight will be simply being together.
If I haven’t had the honor of meeting you, my name is Brad Baker. My wife Carrie, our 4 kids and I packed up everything we owned in July and moved from California to the great state of Colorado. We took at new position here at the church focused on young couples and families. I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are to help build a greater sense of community and connection in an already vibrant church.
As strange as it might sound, we already love you. One of the amazing things about being a pastor is that God gives you his heart for those he asks you to lead. Carrie and I feel passionate about coming alongside your family to help it become all that God intends. We are busy building and forming an amazing group of leaders/mentors to ensure everything we create for young families is healthy, sustainable and infused with the wisdom of those who’ve walked before us.
On the backside of this little note is an overview of everything we aim to create and build in the comings weeks and months. As God leads we’d love for you and your spouse to be as involved as possible.
For His Great Name,
Brad and Carrie Baker
(Olivia-10, Jackson-8, Lucy-5
& Eli-2)
Bbaker@newlifechurch.com
719-234-7756 direct office
www.RenewedMarriage.com
Twitter: @BradBaker
Facebook:
/CollegePastor
Instagram: _BradBaker
New Life Church
Ministry for Young Couples/Families
Sunday Morning—It’s high time we start to take advantage of Sunday Mornings to connect with each-other and help welcome new families to our church. At both the 9am and 11am services I’d like to invite you to sit near Carrie and I somewhere towards the back of section 11. If you already have a favorite spot in the Living Room I completely understand if you don’t want to move. Regardless, PLEASE come say hi after the service you attend.
Young Couple Connect—Tonight isn’t a one-time gathering. In 2014 we’ve tentatively set aside the 3rd Thursday of each month for ‘Young Couple Connect’. Getting married and raising kids can be isolating. Throw in a move or a job change and you can very easily find yourself wondering where all your friendships have gone. That’s why we want to set aside an evening each month to make it easy for young couples/families to connect with each other.
Small Groups—You may have noticed there aren’t exactly a huge number of small groups specially geared towards young couples. In 2014 we hope to change that by launching new groups and making the existing groups more visible and accessible. Let us know if you’d like to prayerfully consider starting a new group near the beginning of 2014.
The Marriage Tune-up— Why wait until trouble comes to evaluate and strengthen your marriage? The Bible teaches us to prepare in seasons of plenty for seasons of suffering and desolation. This principle can clearly apply to our marriage and family. When things are going great we often kickback and unconsciously assume they won’t change. Instead we should use some of the energy and excitement that comes from times of peace to prepare for times of trouble, conflict, pain, loss and confusion. Call or email today to setup an appointment for a “Marriage Tune-up” (A marriage tune-up consists of 40-60 minutes of assessing the current state of your marriage and creating a plan to strengthen it).
Marriages in Crisis— Sometimes the crisis originates outside of our home and marriage. Other times it's the relationship itself that seems on the brink. Regardless, New Life's Ministry to young couples and families is here to help! Going through a crisis of any kind is extremely difficult, but going through it alone is almost unbearable. We are here to ensure that you don't face the storm alone. Through counseling, prayer, mentor couples and more, we believe your relationship can endure even through the most difficult of times.
Ready to Invest Yourself? —Most of us have way more to offer than we
realize! We are constantly selling ourselves short. Thankfully God
meets us in that place and invites us to something new. God longs for us
to join him in his work of healing, restoring, comforting and counseling
others. Marriage ministry is one of many opportunities here at New Life
for you to explore serving those around you. Here are some of the
specific areas for you to prayerfully consider serving.
—Invest in the lives of a younger couple
—Help plan a retreat for young families/couples
—Get trained to take engaged couples through
premarital content
—Learn how to take
another couple through a ‘marital check-up'
—Provide support and care for marriages facing some sort of crisis
—Join us in the office to help provide
logistical and administrative support.
