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Office Address:
229 Robinson Ave.
Newburgh, NY 12550

(845) 561-9498
(877) MSAVERS
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SPECIAL NOTE TO PASTORS

When I read that the divorce rate in the Church was no different than it was outside the Church something rose up inside me in indignation. It ought not be so! That was when I got angry enough to pray about starting Marriage & Family Savers. We have a very specific mission: To bring down the divorce rate, first in the Church, then in the communities we impact. There are few opportunities like this one for the Church to be seen as being relevant to the hurts and needs of people. Not only do we have a responsibility to guard this sacred institution ordained by God, but this also provides us the opportunity to bring Christ into the lives of hurting people who are looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. Christ is still the healer of broken marriages and families. It's up to the Church to provide the answers of life to a dying culture. If we don't do it, it won't get done. We must be concerned with the long term, should Jesus tarry. The Church can be effective by adopting a three step long term plan which will bring immediate impact:

1. Conduct a Saturday Seminar to teach the truth about divorce and provide the tools and inspiration needed to save and enrich marriages in the church. Please e-mail me at bill@marriageandfamily.org with a preferred date and an alternate date if you would like to host a seminar.

2. Of those who attend a Saturday Seminar some will be called to go on for Marriage Mentor Training. As Marriage Mentors these couples will take on the responsibility, under pastoral direction, to conduct pre-marital and marriage counseling on a lay counseling basis. They will be trained to administer and use diagnostic assessments, to use effective lay counseling techniques, and to recognize when the needs require referral to pastoral or other professional counseling. We believe that as we equip the saints for the work of the ministry in this way, you will be relieved of some of the burden to do all the counseling, and marriages in the church won't "fall through the cracks" quite as often.

3. Perhaps the most difficult part of our vision will be to bring clergy together to establish a Community Marriage Policy. This is an idea that has been successfully promoted in 26 cities by Marriage Savers Institute, Bethesda, Md. The idea, is to come up with an agreed community wide standard for pre-marital counseling, to better prepare couples for marriage and to help identify those who perhaps should not be married.

Where a Community Marriage Policy has been effectively combined with a Marriage Mentor Program divorce rates have dropped in entire cities. The Church can make a difference! We'd like you to pray about becoming part of this deliberate plan to redeem the institution of marriage, thus saving marriages, families, and individuals for the restoration of our culture and to the glory of God. We believe this is His heart.

A Personal note: Penny and I want to be available for you, personally. We know the pressures of the ministry. We've been there. If we can help you, please feel free to call us in total confidence. We're also available for preaching. If you have any questions at all please call me. We want to help.