The Most Important Year in Your Life

The first year of marriage is the most important year. Although not the most difficult, it’s the time when marital habits and attitudes are formed. Hear how to make your first year your very best by listening to pastor Mark DeVries and his wife, Susan, as well as best-selling author Robert Wolgemuth and wife, Bobbie.

Find out how to build healthy relationships with your in-laws. View Show Notes →
Learn how arguments begin when a conflict of "normals" occurs. View Show Notes →
Get practical advice for making your spouse your best friend. View Show Notes →
How does your family of origin influence the way you live today? View Show Notes →
The first year of marriage is the most important year. View Show Notes →

Meet Series Guests

Mark and Susan DeVries

Mark founded YOUTH MINISTRY ARCHITECTS in 2002. And since 1986, he has served as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he continues to oversee the youth ministry on a part-time basis.

Mark graduated Summa Cum Laude from Baylor University in Waco, Texas with a B.A. in English and Greek in 1980, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1986 with a senior concentration in Youth Evangelism. Throughout these years spent in Waco and Princeton, Mark was involved in youth ministry--working with Young Life in both Waco and Montgomery, New Jersey and serving on the youth staff at the First United Methodist Church in Waco. Upon graduation from Princeton, he was awarded the first Robert Boyd Munger Youth Ministry prize.

For the past several years, Mark has been a presenter both for Homeword's "Understanding Your Teenager" seminar, as well as other Homeword parenting seminars. In addition to partnering occasionally with popular Christian musician, Mark Schultz, Mark is a frequent seminar speaker, training youth leaders at both the Youth Specialties' National Youth Workers Convention and the Simply Youth Ministry Youth Ministry Conference.

Susan DeVries has made a career out of being a wife, mother, and supervising editor of every word Mark has ever written. Over the past twenty-three years, Susan has partnered with Mark in providing premarital counseling and leading marriage retreats and classes for couples. Mark and Susan have three children and live in middle Tennessee.

Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth

Parents of two daughters and grandparents of five, Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth are the authors of more than 20 books. Robert’s bestselling titles include She Calls Me Daddy, the notes to the Devotional Bible for Dads, and The Most Important Place on Earth. Bobbie’s books include the Gold Medallion best-seller, Hymns for a Kid’s Heart, co-authored with Joni Eareckson Tada.

They have had the privilege of nurturing their own children’s faith. Now Robert and Bobbie celebrate as the next generation is being led to Jesus Christ.