New Life Church!

 

From time to time people outside our church (non-attenders) ask Pastor Johnson to perform their wedding ceremony.  While he is honored that they would ask him to officiate on this important day, he usually declines to perform the wedding of people outside our church.  This has to do with his view of a Biblical marriage.  In a nutshell, his wedding policy is as follows-

  1. Both the bride and groom must be followers of Jesus, individually professing a growing, personal relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Scripture teaches the church to insure those in a marriage relationship are “equally-yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Because the Bible is so clear on the importance of spiritual compatibility in marriage, New Life will not marry pre-Christians or a Christian to a pre-Christian.
  2. The bride and groom must abstain from living together and sexual intimacy. We believe God’s best intentions for us are found in scripture. In the Bible God gives clear boundaries for the use of his gift of sex. Sexual relationships are to be expressed only within the protective boundaries of the marriage covenant. Within marriage we are provided the commitment and safe space to develop the best possible sexual relationship, and we are protected from the consequences of using sex outside of marriage.

    Many pre-married couples are honoring God by abstaining from sexual intimacy, but others are not. Couples who are living together may be asked to move apart. Couples who are sexually intimate are asked to covenant with God to abstain from their sexual relationship until their wedding day. We believe God’s best for your marriage relationship is found in taking this time to develop the other parts of your relationship as you reserve your physical union until after your wedding. At New Life, we encourage you to make this commitment with each other and God.  
     
  3. We don't "do weddings" but rather attempt to help build Biblical marriages.  As such, this takes time, both before the marriage and after.  Because of this, we usually require a minimum of three months of regular church attendance at New Life by both parties, prior to the beginning of premarital counseling and the ceremony itself.

    The bride and groom must be involved in New Life.     Because we see marriage as a sacred covenant . . . a lifetime commitment . . . the connection with faith community is critical. The church provides the support, encouragement, and accountability needed to help couples hold on to their commitment to each other, and to grow together as followers of Christ. You do not need to be a member of New Life to be married here; however you must attend regularly (2-3 times a month) before you begin the marriage preparation. Our hope is that couples married at New Life will continue to grow together as active participants at New Life and in service for God.
  4. If asked to perform the ceremony, Doc prefers to do all of the premarital counseling as well.  This gives him a sense of the kind of marriage he is helping to launch.
  5. He usually requires about five one-two hour premarital counseling sessions.
  6. The content of the sessions typically deals with the following- his/her family of origin, his/her past, communication, money issues, sex, children, etc.
  7. Doc will not commit to a wedding until and unless, during or after all the premarital counseling is completed, he is satisfied that the couple has the tools and commitment necessary to succeed. 
  8. Again, he will not knowingly perform the marriage of a Christian and a non Christian.
  9. He retains the right be completely informed of any prior serious relationships, engagements, or marriages.
  10. He retains the right to withdraw from participation in any wedding arrangement which he finds to be unbiblical, not theologically sound, not in the best interest of the couple, in poor taste or personally uncomfortable.

If you would like to discuss this policy with Doc, feel free to reach him at shjohnson@malone.edu.

Everyone has their own opinions of what it means to be mature. It's not just a product of aging, but rather a mindset that is found in different people—some old and some young.

Maturity...

… is the ability to control anger and settle differences without violence or destruction.

… is the patience, the willingness to pass up immediate pleasure in favor of the long term gain.

… is unselfishness—responding to the needs of others, often at the expense of one's own desires or wishes.

… is the capacity to fare unpleasantness and frustration, discomfort and defeat, without complaint and collapse.

… is humility. It is being big enough to say, "I was wrong", and when right, the mature person need not say, "I told you so".

… is the ability to make a decision and stand by it. The immature spend their lives exploring endless possibilities then do nothing.

… means dependability, keeping one's word, coming through in a crisis.

… is the art of living in peace with that which we cannot change.

 

Young Adult Resources

  • Sexual Purity - Challenge, Choice, Cherish

    As single adults, we face numerous challenges and temptations in choosing sexual purity for our lives.  For most of us, we are regularly faced with the difficulty of making choices that align with God’s design for us. 

  • What If We Love Each Other?
    Is it really wrong to have sex outside of marriage? What if it would actually make the relationship stronger? Professor Theophilus tackles this question in his latest column.
  • Six Principles for a Strong Marriage
    John Wesley was one of the world’s greatest revivalists, with a ministry that literally changed the course of history. But in his dismal marriage he failed to apply biblical principles that will strengthen any Christian union.
  • Eight Healthy Habits of Marriage

    Little things like laughter often make the biggest difference in marriage.

  • Thoughts on Maturity

    What is maturity?  We all have our own ideas...