Simply put, when it comes to marriage, the American church needs a metanoia mindset shift.
“Metanoia” is a strong word, I know. First used in Matthew 3:2, it’s often translated as “repentance,” a turning away from sin and turning to God. As believers, we know that following Jesus requires all of us to embrace true “metanoia.” That aspect of turning from one thing and turning toward another on a deeper level is a transformation in our thoughts and actions. The Church needs to turn away from current, ineffective evangelism efforts and toward transforming their marriage and relationship ministries.
We’ve seen time and time again, that when a church becomes intentional and strategic in nurturing strong marriages, they see strengthened families as shockwaves of faith surge through church families, where Christ-like love of earthly fathers glorifies our Heavenly Father, impacting the next generation.
Communio’s goal is to see this metanoia mind shift in church leaders and church members spilling out into communities around churches and drawing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Through our ministry’s close work with churches across the nation, we’ve identified several barriers obstructing this metanoia mindset shift and found an incredible solution.
As believers, we know the enemy is real and he has been hard at work to destroy faith in Jesus Christ. He’s exacted the most extensive damage to faith by deconstructing God’s salvific icons of fatherhood, marriage and biblical sexuality.
Yet, here’s some good news—Satan’s plan goes against how God hard-wired humanity. All the best science shows that people are made for life-long relationships. Satan cannot triumph over one of God’s first creations, the sacred institute of marriage.
So, what would happen if the Church mobilized to create a Christ-centered, relationship revolution?
I think we’d see every gospel-centered church become an evangelizing hub where people desire to enter and form healthy, God-honoring relationships. At the local level, we’d see more people coming to faith in Jesus, more Christ-centered marriages forming and enduring, more healthy marriages thriving and more children grow up to become adults who repeat the God-ordained masterpiece of “family.”
