Neil talks about FamilyLife and what it looks like, working side by side with his wife Sharol, as a ministry seeking to equip spouses in their marriages and family in today’s society:
FamilyLife used to be about just coming to the weekend getaway or just watching our TV show, but neither of those fit with our view of ministry. Our thought is, “Let’s equip you to honour Christ in your marriage, raise godly children, and reach out to your neighbours in the area of marriage and family.” A lot of people who come to our weekend would say they are Christians. That’s primarily who we market to. But a lot of people say they are Christians without living the spirit of Christ. They’ll say “oh yeah, I became a Christian when I was in high school, or when I was a little kid,” but they still live their married life and parenting life without any submission to Jesus. He gets segregated in their lives. He’s the Lord of Sunday morning, but that’s it.
We challenge people to put Jesus in charge of their marriage and at the center of their home. I think the area of family is fascinating for a lot of people, and that’s why some of these unsaved spouses will show up. There’s a lot of people who go, “I’m not into God, but I love my wife. If this makes her happy and strengthens our marriage, then I’ll come. But don’t give me that God stuff.” Then they show up, and God manages to break through the barricades and bring new life.
