Marriage & Family Ministry:

1. Oversees weddings –
a. Prepared new brochure to be published within the next month;
b. Summarized that brochure for quick references
c. Provided administrative services for the managing of all church weddings;
d. Provided pastoral oversight for pre-marriage counseling (Prepare & Enrich Internet Inventory)

2. Developed a vision statement: “The Marriage & Family Ministry is about growing Christians God’s way, one marriage at a time, one family at a time, one home at a time.”

3. Developed a Mission statement: “To glorify God by providing Biblically-based encouragement, support, methods, and tools to the entire family of First Presbyterian Church in order to build up all phases of family life.

4. Held a large mini “I Promise” Conference in conjunction with the annual Church Valentine Banquet (week end of February 8th & 9th); Ted Cunningham from the Smalley Relations Center was the speaker. Over 500 individuals attended the conference; 540 attended the dinner. The leadership team consisted of over 120 persons.

5. Offered four classes during the Winter 2008 Wednesday night Advantage:
a. Every Man’s Marriage – Mike Wilder teacher
b. Every Women’s Marriage – Andrea Wilder teacherd
c. God is Not Going to Ask Whether or Not Your Children Like You! – Dr. Milt Lowder teacher
d. Winning at Work and At Home (a Men’s Fraternity video) Eddie Lathan facilitator

6. In March the Pre-Marriage Sub Committee will train several couples to be mentors to couples getting married at First Pres, using the materials of Drs. Leslie Parrott.

7. Have formed several sub-committees of the parent committee:
a. Spiritual Legacy Committee: Esther & Bob Burroughs, chairpersons
b. Issues Committee: Will & Melody Reid, chairpersons
c. Marriage Enrichment Committee: Bob & Nancy Renn, chairpersons
d. Parenting Committee: Ken Chapman, chairperson
e. Pre-Marriage Committee – Leslie Wofford, Chairperson
f. Blended Family Committee – Beth and Charles Duke, Chairpersons
g. Empty Nest Committee – Tom & Brenda Preston, Chairpersons

8. In February or March the Committee will seek permission from the Session of the Church to allow the Ministry to be a ‘stand-alone’ Committee; since last fall the committee has been a sub-committee of the Christian Education Committee and before that a sub-committee of the Congregational Care Committee of the Session.

9. Two Church Elders serving on the Committee are Randy Fowler and Chuck Simmons;

10. Staff person and administrative assistant serving the Committee are Bob Jones and Judy Masters;

11. The Spiritual Legacy Committee has made magnets for refrigerators and bumper stickers with these words, “God’s Family. Our Family. GOD’S WAY. First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC.” Each is available in the Marriage and Family Ministry office.

12. On April 6th a speaker will address a joint meeting of the Sunday School Classes, in the chapel, on the subject of “The Internet & Our Families”. The program begins at 9:45.

13. The Common Thread Men’s Ministry, which is part of the Marriage and Family Ministry just completed the seventh annual Sportsman Banquet. They also hold a bi-weekly luncheon at the Coffee Underground at 12:00 noon on Friday’s.

14. A hiking trip will be gathering on April 3rd and 4th under the leadership of Brian Young.

15. Also Promise Keepers made their tenth trip last summer to Columbia and will plan to take two busses in August to Atlanta.

16. Seven or eight small groups are also under the leadership of the Men’s Ministry.