H7 Story: Intentional In Our Relationship
Deciding who to marry is one of the most important decisions in life and one that should be made in light of God’s Word and with the counsel of godly community. For that reason, Merge, FCC’s 8-week premarital class, is designed to give couples a unique opportunity to learn, seek wisdom, and receive Biblical counsel about marriage in a safe and authentic small group environment led by a mentor couple.
But Merge isn’t just for engaged couples. As Carl and Christa DelSorbo, Merge Coaches, have experienced, seriously dating couples also benefit greatly from the program, partly because they don’t feel the pressure of preparing for a wedding day.
Simon Johnson and Addison Juell are one such couple. They recently completed the fall session of Merge, facilitated by John and Michelle Hamilton. "Merge helped us learn the importance of being intentional in all aspects of our relationship,” they shared, “with the idea of moving forward into marriage.” John and Michelle were encouraged by Simon and Addison’s desire to grow in understanding of what a godly marriage looks like, as demonstrated in their engagement with the curriculum and participation in their small group discussions.
Simon and Addison shared that the curriculum, which covers topics such as God’s plan for marriage, biblical roles, communication, spiritual and physical intimacy, in-laws, finances, and more, helped them “have confidence in difficult conversations.” Additionally, they also learned how to recognize their often-unaware expectations so they could bring them to light, and helped them see the value and importance of bringing God into everything they do, which often means seeking community.
But what makes Merge most beneficial for seriously dating and engaged couples? It’s a humble willingness to listen to and receive godly counsel and wisdom from their Merge mentors. And such was the case with Simon and Addison, John and Michelle observed. "The young couple was very open to feedback and even pursued additional conversations outside of class to gain clarity and understanding of how certain lessons related to their particular situation and life experience."
As they continue to seek the Lord’s will for the next step of their dating relationship, both Simon and Addison agree that “Merge was incredibly helpful, informative, and encouraging!”
If you, also, are not yet married and have a desire to seek godly direction for your relationship, we invite you to fill out the Merge interest form at fccgreene.org/marriage to begin a conversation with a Merge mentor couple.
But Merge isn’t just for engaged couples. As Carl and Christa DelSorbo, Merge Coaches, have experienced, seriously dating couples also benefit greatly from the program, partly because they don’t feel the pressure of preparing for a wedding day.
Simon Johnson and Addison Juell are one such couple. They recently completed the fall session of Merge, facilitated by John and Michelle Hamilton. "Merge helped us learn the importance of being intentional in all aspects of our relationship,” they shared, “with the idea of moving forward into marriage.” John and Michelle were encouraged by Simon and Addison’s desire to grow in understanding of what a godly marriage looks like, as demonstrated in their engagement with the curriculum and participation in their small group discussions.
Simon and Addison shared that the curriculum, which covers topics such as God’s plan for marriage, biblical roles, communication, spiritual and physical intimacy, in-laws, finances, and more, helped them “have confidence in difficult conversations.” Additionally, they also learned how to recognize their often-unaware expectations so they could bring them to light, and helped them see the value and importance of bringing God into everything they do, which often means seeking community.
But what makes Merge most beneficial for seriously dating and engaged couples? It’s a humble willingness to listen to and receive godly counsel and wisdom from their Merge mentors. And such was the case with Simon and Addison, John and Michelle observed. "The young couple was very open to feedback and even pursued additional conversations outside of class to gain clarity and understanding of how certain lessons related to their particular situation and life experience."
As they continue to seek the Lord’s will for the next step of their dating relationship, both Simon and Addison agree that “Merge was incredibly helpful, informative, and encouraging!”
If you, also, are not yet married and have a desire to seek godly direction for your relationship, we invite you to fill out the Merge interest form at fccgreene.org/marriage to begin a conversation with a Merge mentor couple.