Photo provided Tim and Lisa Jones of BLOC Ministries will lead the Marriage Getaway session.
Married couples, whether they’re newlyweds or coming up on their 50th anniversary, are invited to participate in Community Church of Columbus’ Marriage Getaway, an eight-hour retreat with guest speakers and opportunities to connect with other couples. Anyone, regardless if their marriage is perfect, is welcome to attend.
“… it’s to enrich their marriage, so the different topics are applicable to everybody that’s there,” said Scott Hundley, director of the church’s Community Downtown initiative.
The getaway will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Brown County Playhouse. Registration costs $50 per couple. To register, visit cccolumbus.churchcenter.com or call Community Downtown at 317-884-7627. Each attendee needs to register separately.
Couples will be given tools they can implement in their marriage and creative ways they can connect their visions as a couple together long term, Hundley said. Three main sessions will be held throughout the day featuring event speakers Justin and Trish Davis of Indianapolis’ RefineUs Ministries.
According to their biography, after their marriage nearly ended following planting their first church in 2002, the couple experienced four years of deep pain, grief, counseling and restoration.
That changed not only their marriage, but the Davis’ lives as well, giving them a lens through which they now see every relationship with each other, with ourselves and with God, according to their biography. The pair founded RefineUs Ministries in 2012 with a mission to help others experience transformation by building healthy, authentic relationships.
“Justin and Trish Davis are focusing on unity in a marriage in various areas of the marriage,” Hundley said. “Everything from finances, emotional connection and sexual.”
Tim and Lisa Jones of BLOC Ministries, which works to build connections and safe spaces for students, families and adults to thrive in spite of difficult circumstances, according to their website, will also be guest presenters during the getaway. The Jones have been married for 40 years, serving side by side in ministry and sharing God’s love with men, women and children in vulnerable situations.
As they have weathered their own personal challenges, they speak from experience about how faith and love can carry couples through the hardest seasons.
Couples will also get the opportunity to win date night packages through audience participation opportunities, Hundley said. They are also welcome to go on a date lunch at a restaurant of their choice within walking distance, and topics will be given of what they can discuss at their lunch.
Community Church of Columbus usually holds overnight marriage retreats every 18 months, but to open it up to couples who may have had difficulty finding child care, this getaway will be just a single day.
“… couples should always be, whether they’ve been married one year or 40 years, they should always be looking at ways to know more about each other and strengthen their marriage,” Hundley said. “Everybody could benefit from it.”
