by Pastor Patrick Cho

GraceLife, the marrieds/family ministry of LBC, is currently conducting a study in the book of Mark during the Sunday School hour. So far, it has been a good series examining Jesus’ earthly ministry. Since we moved the general meeting to the Sunday School hour, the participation has increased and is more consistent. It certainly helps that all the Children’s Ministries run simultaneously to free up parents to participate in the general sessions. During each meeting, we begin with a small memory verse quiz. We then discuss the previous week’s homework. When we eventually get to the current week’s passage, we start by breaking up into smaller discussion groups to work through general observations. The meeting ends with a short time of instruction to prepare the group for the week’s homework.

One of the biggest changes to GraceLife structurally is that we are taking a break from organized small groups. After meeting up with several men in the church, it became clear that one area of growth that was needed was to promote more spiritual conversations in the home. The homework for GraceLife addresses this need by providing daily discussion questions from the week’s study. Each individual is supposed to work through the questions on their own and then come together to discuss their answers as a couple. The hope behind the assignments is that having spiritual conversations would become more the norm in our homes rather than the exception.

So far the study has been very beneficial. The feedback being received is that the assignments are stimulating greater spiritual health in the home. The instruction from the general sessions are recorded and placed on the church’s website, as well as the weekly homework worksheets.

Once a month, we take a break from our regular Mark study to focus solely on improving our relationships. The questions for those weeks are geared towards providing accountability for our spiritual walks and marriages. All in all, the goal is to strengthen the church body by building up our married couples and families. As more and more interaction takes place between members, we are confident that the whole church will benefit from a stronger GraceLife ministry.