Living Room Encounters.

Most marriage retreats are information-intensive. You arrive, register, and get a binder of some sort. Your time is then spent attending large-group gatherings with the hope that you will apply all of the information to your relationship. Now, hear us out, information is important. We need deeper understanding of how God has designed marriage and the patterns He uses to grow us in relationship. We need to grow in our knowledge of truth.

But, truth without application is really not truth…it is merely information.

Living Room Encounters are an environment for transformation in couples’ lives. It is an intentional time

Jesus to do what He came to do…heal, mend, renew, refresh, confront, and comfort. You will not leave with a nicely, packaged binder with loads of information. But you will leave with the experience of growing deeper with God and your spouse. You will experience the freedom and life that Jesus came to bring.

Some common questions about Living Room Encounters (LRE)…

Why do this in a Living Room?
A family’s living room is personal, intimate, and small. You would obviously not have a marriage conference in a living room. Which is exactly why this is so different from a marriage conference or retreat. The goal is to create a safe place for couples to share and build deeper community.

How many couples can attend?
We have found that 3 couples makes for an ideal encounter. Having a close, intimate environment is crucial to what happens in an Encounter.

What is the typical schedule?
Most LRE’s begin on Friday evening and run through Saturday evening. It ends up being about a 24 hour experience.

Where do couples stay?
Most of the time couples will return to their home for the night and come back on Saturday morning. Some couples, working with the host home, will stay overnight…kind of like a “sleepover”. For couples with children, it is very important to line up childcare to cover the entire 24 hour period.

What about meals?
The host home is responsible for providing breakfast and lunch on Saturday along with snacks and drinks throughout. Some hosts encourage couples attending to bring snacks, etc.

Does the host couple participate or strictly host?
Most definitely participate.

So, what about a schedule or outline of what to expect?
We intentionally do not provide this. The primary reason is that each LRE stands on its own and has a unique journey. We have never had 2 encounters alike. Each weekend is subject to the leadership and direction of Holy Spirit. So, we avoid tight schedules and outlines that might prevent where God wants to lead. You can trust that we guide and shepherd the group while maintaining openness to the Spirit’s leadership.