Western Europe

Switzerland testimony

Dear FamilyLife team
Now more than a year has passed since we attended the Weekend to Remember in April 2008 in Bregenz, Switzerland. Our investment in that weekend has a lasting positive impact on our relationships in several areas. Looking back we want to deeply express our thanks to you because of your fresh contribution to our marriage. Your personal openness was crucial. We really enjoyed all the projects and talks of the weekend and learned a lot. From time to time we take the excellent manual from the conference off the shelf to review the biblical principles.
You have really given to us a motivating, multifaceted and precious picture of marriage and have enriched us with your valuable experiences. Your professional style and diligence in details really impressed us and your kind surprises of little treats and candles etc. have touched our hearts.

We are firm in our decisions which we took there at the conference and we do want to live our marriage together with Jesus—to be positive and reach others.

We wish for your team God’s inspiring and creative love for your valuable work. We have some hope to join you in the project with families.

Yours , Sandra & Thomas

United Kingdom

"I will buy my wife more chocolates on Mondays!"

"I will be more gentle and forgiving."

"I'm encouraged to work on the weak area of our marriage and because I really want us to grow old together and still have fun."

"I am encouraged to reorder my priorities, to make my marriage, as opposed to church, a priority.  My life has been out of sync in terms of balance and priorities.  This has been a wake up call!"

These are just a few of the comments from the recent Day to Treasure, one day marriage event with 45 couples attending. Four couples were also very interested in volunteering to work with FamilyLife.  Another couple wanted to start a study group written by the FamilyLife director and his wife entitled Together.  It is similar to a HomeBuilders Couples Series study. 

Switzerland

The FamilyLife ministry began in December 2004 at the EXPLO conference in Basel.  The emphasis was on equipping married couples and laying a foundation for pre-marrieds.  They recruited couples to be coaches for pre-married couples.

The FamilyLife staff has grown to three full-time people and four Swiss Campus staff couples as conference speakers.  They have marriage conferences called "Ehe mit Vision"--Marriage With a Vision

Both conferences created great interest in starting or being involved in small group studies on marriage.

Comments from conferees:

"My husband could not be motivated to attend a marriage seminar for 20 years.  Now he is very enthusiastic."

"The talks were never boring, all of them full of good information and touching the heart."

"Now I am open to the Holy Spirit.  For the first time I feel free to pray with my wife."

FamilyLife Switzerland has a partnership with the Alpha Marriage course.  "Der Ehe-Kurs" is a secular, church-based marriage course.  The format is similar to basic HomeBuilders.  There was a one-day seminar that trained couples to lead this course. There were 300 people in attendance representing 19 denominations.

The huge number of attendees and the solid effects did surpass our expectations. "Der Ehe-Kurs" bears the signs of an uncontrolled movement.  God is recruiting couples to help others in their church and neighborhood.  We are glad to contribute to this development by training people and supplying material in the German language.
                    --Hansjôerg Forster, Director of the FL team in Switzerland

Their strategy is to develop a pre-marriage conference by using associate staff to reach the local churches.  They have trained 24 coaches!
Mr. Forster said, "We are not called to lament the disastrous state of marriage and family in our society, but to build up strong relationships as models of the power of God."

Berlin, Germany

The all-African FamilyLife seminar was small in attendance but grand in what the Lord did.  One man prayed to receive Christ by faith.  All the couples in attendance prayed to seek the power of the Holy Spirit in their marriages.  One key African pastor represented the largest African congregation in Berlin.  He is praying that he can conduct a marriage and family seminar in his church.

Parenting Forum - Nearly 30 people came to hear about biblical parenting.  There were four leaders who each gave a 10-minute message on a certain aspect of parenting.  Then each leader led a discussion on the issues: discipline, developing your child's character, health and safety, and working as a husband and wife team.  Then came the questions--lots of them. Today's young parents are very hungry for information about the 'science and art of parenting'--God's way.  Pray that this forum will lead to parenting conferences.

 The vision is to see family and marriage interest expand across Germany to the International English-speaking churches.