On Sunday (Nov. 27), Life.Church pastor Craig Groeschel and his wife Amy sat down in front of their church for a question and answer session to provide their insights on dating, marriage, and how Christian couples can walk together in faith.
Life.Church, which was founded by Groeschel in 1996 in Oklahoma City with 40 congregants meeting together in a two-car garage, opened its 40th campus in March and boasts weekly attendance numbers approaching six figures. The church is behind the innovative YouVersion Bible app, as well as the ChurchOnline platform.
Groeschel is also the author of several books and hosts a popular leadership podcast. He often speaks highly of his wife in public spaces.
When asked about how dating differs now from three decades ago when they got married, Craig and Amy admitted that they dated in a time before social media and smartphones.
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Nevertheless, Craig said that they have navigated some of these new challenges as they have walked alongside their children in their own dating and marriage experiences.
“We have six children. And we’ve helped three of them navigate their way into great marriages, and we have three others that are beginning, you know, friendships that could lead, who knows where,” Craig said. “And so one of the things is because of the technology today, it’s actually, in my opinion, crippled the way people get to know each other. Because it’s often more screen-to-screen rather than face-to-face.”
Conceding that what he was about to say was “old school,” Craig continued, “I would just say, as often as you can, don’t do screen-to-screen, but do face-to-face…Some people are even afraid to ask someone out in person. But that’s way better than sliding up into the DMs, going, ‘Yo! Wassup?’ You know, as often as you can, let’s go face-to-face.”
Expressing that prioritizing face-to-face goes beyond initially asking someone out, Craig said, “And then there’s so much temptation now to go like and it’s, ‘Let’s go to a movie,’ or ‘Let’s go watch Netflix,’ or whatever. And I would say, get in environments where you can talk.”
“And as often as you can, as early as you can, broaden it from just the two of you to your communities. This matters so much, because when you’ve got a foundation broader than just the two of you—I’m getting to know her friends; I like them; they’re strengthening us,” Craig advised. “That can go a long way. And I think everything in culture pushes back on that, and I think that’s one of the ways we can push back and create better foundations.”
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Emphasizing the importance of couples praying together, Amy discussed the awkwardness that may accompany starting a rhythm of prayer together and how to overcome it.
