"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain."  Psalm 127:1

The Marriage and Family Ministry at Suburban wishes to glorify God and grow in our love for Him and each other as we Bring people to Christ, Mature people in Christ, Serve people for christ, Worship Christ with people, and Impact our community through Christ.

We have a variety of teams and people to serve this purpose and invite you to browse through the following information to see how we might come alongside each other's lives to accomplish what God intends.

The Family Support Team has need of volunteers in the following areas:

• Helping with the Baby Pantry
• Becoming a prayer partner or mentor for someone going through a difficult time
• Helping as a Care Coordinator who comes alongside people within our body who are going through cancer, long term illness situations, or other challenging seasons
• Joining the Repair Ministry Team which consists of volunteers who are willing to do light maintenance work occasionally to assist others in our body who are in need of help
• Contact Carey if you are interested at 753-2802

The Grief Recovery Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in room 15/16.  Please enter the courtyard by the lit path that runs in front of the church.  We'll be combining support elements with helpful hints on coping through grief using the book, "Understanding Your Grief" by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.  Topics such as dispelling misconceptions about grief, understanding the 6 needs of mourning, embracing the uniqueness of your grief, etc. will be covered.

Family Support Team…In Galatians, Paul tells us to “bear one another’s burdens” and help others to “carry their own load”. Several people have come together to assist in making “body life” happen easier here at Suburban. Some of the components we will be addressing on this team are:  Suburban has now started a Classifieds system!  You’ll find all the details on the Celebration bulletin board. The concept is simple: if you have a material item in good condition that you wish to give away (a table, chairs, etc.), you can fill out a form and submit it at the bulletin board. If you have a need for a material item you can do the same steps. A monthly list will be compiled and posted at the bulletin board. Watch for the monthly postings….you get to give a blessing or have a need filled. We want the body of Christ to reach out and help one another!   We are also starting an Inservice system which will provide another opportunity to serve others by looking at what current service opportunities are available.  The team is just starting the dream phase, so if you have any suggestions or ideas, or would like to help in any of these areas, call Carey at 753-2802 or email carey@suburbanchurch.com 

Some of the components of the Family Support Team are as follows:

• Crisis Management (this component will address families that have crisis type issues that may need assistance e.g. an ongoing illness, a job loss, etc.),
• Young Family Support (baby pantry, the quilt ministry)
• Divorce Care (matching prayer partners with those going through divorce, practical help, support for the kids and pastoral care)
• Single Parent Support (helping with practical needs, support, networking)
• A Classifieds System (helping people in the body care for practical needs of others in the body)
• Medical Needs (pastoral care, card ministry, etc.) 
•  Holiday Baskets (blessing others during the holidays with food and gifts

Check out the "Classifieds" display on the Celebrate bulletin board in the foyer to see current listings!

Also check out the "InService" display on the Celebrate bulletin board for current opportunities to serve within our own body!

While there are no planned events during the summer, the Marriage and Family Ministry is working on plans for next year during this time.  Take a look at the Upcoming Events Panel to see what is in store for next year!

Are you engaged or planning on engagement this year?  We are thinking of offering another PreMarital class this year, but in the Fall and are assessing whether there is a need.  Please contact Carey at carey@suburbanchurch.com to get your name on the list!  This class partially fulfills Suburban's marriage policy for engaged couples.  We will look at several topics including financial management, roles, expectations, personality styles, gender differences, family of origin dynamics, etc.  Led by Bruce and Carey Penner

• PreMarital Class for engaged couples or soon to be engaged:  September - October
• Single Moms Event:  September 12th
• Newly Marrieds Sunday Bible Fellowship:  September 12th
• Smart Stepfamilies Sunday Bible Fellowship:  September 12th
• Maximizing Your Marriage Small Group:  September - October
• Rekindle:  A Night for Your Marriage:  October 8th
• Let's Make A Difference Day for Single Moms:  October 24th
• Baby Pantry Promotion:  January
• Rekindle:  A Night for Your Marriage:  January 7th
• Cancer Care Promotion:  April-May
• PreMarital Class for engaged couples or soon to be engaged: April - May
• Single Moms Mother's Day Celebration:  May 5th
• Couples Retreat:  May 20-22

Want to connect with other couples/families who can relate to stepfamily issues?  Join us on Sunday mornings at 11:00 in the conference room (by Carey's office in the 1st modular) starting January 10th.  We'll look at the different key steps to building a healthy stepfamily with expert Ron L. Deal.  This will be a great chance to network and share support with other stepfamilies.

•  Newly Married Couples...(for couples without children who have been married 5 years or less) continues on Sundays in room 8 at 9:30 am.  Led by Buddy and Brandy Sturm and John and Jane Eberhardt.   This group will be taking a break over the summer!
• Homebuilder's Group....will start a new series on Sunday, November 8th at 11:00 in room 6/7 on the topic of prayer led by Rick Herbert.
• Smart Stepfamilies.....We are focusing on the challenges and opportunities of merging families together.  Meet in the conference room (the first modular on the right by the church offices) at 11:00.  Facilitated by Carey Penner
• Other Small Groups focus on different seasons of married life and other aspects of family life. Check out the Small Groups brochure at the Welcome Center.

 What is a marriage mentor and why do we need them? According to Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, a marriage mentor is a relatively happy, more experienced couple purposefully investing in another couple to effectively navi­gate a journey that they have already taken. The purpose of marriage mentors is to encourage a mentoree couple to grow in their marriage and in their relationship with the Lord. Every mentoring relationship will look different because different people are involved. We have a trained team of volunteers willing to spend time in this type of relationship!  If you are interested in growing in your marriage, please contact Carey Penner 753-2802.