4 REASONS WHY A “4-HOUR MARRIAGE RETREAT” MATTERS TO YOU AND TO A CHURCH PLANT
In the grand scheme of things, does taking 4-hours on a Saturday morning to focus directly on your marriage actually matter? I think it absolutely does.
At Nations Church, we deeply care about having strong and God-glorifying marriages. My argument, with our conclusion already stated, is that it definitely matters because strong and healthy marriages glorify God, and the ultimate aim of marriage is to glorify God in Christ (Eph. 5)
The 4-Hour Marriage Retreat is a time to strengthen our marriages. This isn’t counseling, and it’s not a conference. It’s a focused, intentional space to pause, breathe, and invest in your marriage for the season ahead.
Here’s why I think this matters for you and for our church plant:
1 - Because healthy marriages don’t happen by accident. Research shows that most couples do not take significant time every year to focus on the most important thing in their life—their marriage. Having a great marriage takes a lot of hard work. You don’t accidentally slip and fall into a healthy marriage. It starts with intentionality.
2 - Because marriages don’t fall apart because of one big moment, they drift because life gets busy. This retreat is about creating margin to reconnect, realign, and remember why you chose each other in the first place. Over four hours, you’ll hear biblical teaching from our pastors, enjoy fellowship, and lunch together, and walk away with practical tools you can actually use for the season ahead. There’s no pressure to share publicly. No awkward moments. Just honest teaching, intentional time together, and space for God to work.
3 - Because EVERY COUPLE needs to reset—every year. In the same way your vehicle has a check engine light, so does your marriage. And hopefully, you are working on your marriage in such a way where that check engine light doesn’t come on all that often.
4 - Because strong marriages build a strong and healthy church. At the end of the day, a church plant needs strong and healthy marriages (that produce strong and healthy families) as the foundation of its existence. When marriages are healthy, families are healthier, leadership is steadier, and the church becomes more resilient. Investing in marriages is one of the most strategic things we can do as a church family. Strong marriages don’t just change homes—they shape the future of the church.
Whether your marriage feels strong or stretched, this 4-hour retreat is for you. Whether you have been married for 1-year or 50-years, this retreat is for you. And whether you are single, engaged, or married, this retreat is for you. I truly believe a few focused hours can set the tone for months and season ahead.
