Why Every Church Needs an Ongoing Marriage Ministry

Healthy churches are built on healthy marriages, but most churches only engage marriage at the beginning or the end. In this episode, Brad Rhoads talks with Devin Tharp, Family Pastor at Good Shepherd Church and President of Charlotte Marriage, about building a church culture that proactively disciples marriages instead of simply responding to marital crises. Devin shares how his church moved from occasional date nights to a complete marriage discipleship pathway, why healthy marriages transform families, and why investing in marriage may be one of the greatest opportunities churches have to shape the next generation. In this episode: \- Why marriage ministry shouldn't begin and end with premarital counseling \- The difference between crisis management and crisis prevention \- How healthy marriages disciple children naturally \- The weekly rhythms that have strengthened Devin's 27-year marriage \- Why churches need an ongoing pathway for marriage discipleship \- How Good Shepherd Church built a comprehensive marriage ministry \- Why Grace Marriage became the missing piece after Re|Engage \- The importance of creating a church culture where marriage investment is normal 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: \- Healthy marriages create healthy families, and healthy families disciple the next generation. \- Couples don't naturally stay connected—they need intentional rhythms. \- Devin's weekly rhythm includes Scripture individually, praying together daily, a protected Friday date day, and Grace Marriage workbook discussions. \- Couples often believe love alone will sustain a marriage, but healthy marriages require ongoing investment. \- Many churches invest heavily in premarital counseling and crisis counseling but neglect everything in between. \- Churches should move from crisis management toward crisis prevention. \- Marriage ministry is fundamentally discipleship. \- Re|Engage provides intensive marriage discipleship, while Grace - ---- -- Marriage provides the ongoing rhythm needed afterward. \- Churches don't need to create all their own curriculum—they can leverage excellent existing resources. \- Marriage ministry should become part of the normal discipleship culture of the church. LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING??  ✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family. ✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship. ✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement. FOLLOW US: 📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage 📌 Instagram: instagram.com/gracemarriage 📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace\_marriage