Our Lord’s love is steadfast and His faithfulness is beyond measure. It is with his strength that we provide help, hope, and healing for the journey of life. Family Ministries is dedicated to strengthening individuals, marriages, and families by providing biblically-based programs and counseling that embrace an eternal perspective on life. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” Lamentations 3:22-24 (NRSV)
Young Marrieds
Young Marrieds Ministry is a thriving community for young married couples at Shadow Mountain Community Church. We consider young married couples to be those in their 20s and 30s, but it’s also based on your own personal comfort level and life stage. We welcome all young married couples, whether you're not planning on having children any time soon, or you're pregnant with your fourth child. We believe that our ministry provides great opportunities and lessons for all stages of young married life. We have regular events, opportunities to serve, small groups, and Bible studies during the week.
Young Marrieds Café is a mix of a Sunday school class and small groups for married couples in their 20s & 30s. We like to think it is the best of both worlds that our church has to offer. During Young Marrieds Café, we enjoy a short message from one of our pastors, and then engage around tables (that seat up to five couples) in discussion about what we are learning. The environment is great for building up your marriage and building Godly relationships with other young married couples.
Marriage & Family Cafe 35+
Marriage & Family Café is a class designed for couples ages 35 and up. The Marriage and Family Café is a mix of Sunday school class and small groups. In this group you will find an opportunity to build community and thrive with other believers in the same season of life and marriage.
Family Counseling
At the heart of our counseling ministry is the wonderful Word of God, the central tool used to equip leaders to minister to the unique needs of today’s family. The overall strength and health of the local church is dependent upon the strength and health of individuals and families. The increasing complexity of our society has contributed to many personal, relational, emotional, and spiritual challenges. Challenges in marriage, difficulties with children, and emotional struggles often result in a form of personal paralysis. Sometimes it seems impossible to manage the never-ending demands of life.
One’s motivation to deal with life's problems provides a great opportunity for significant spiritual growth. Christians who are being tested by trials turn to the power of God's wonderful Word and the presence of his glorious Holy Spirit. The counseling ministries at Shadow Mountain embrace the Word of God, which provides thorough instruction and solutions for the problems of life. 2 Peter 1:3 says the believer has everything that pertains to life and godliness.
The Counseling Ministry at Shadow Mountain Community Church is a no-fee, short term, Biblically based, counseling ministry available to members and regular attenders of the church.
Marriage Preparation
The Marriage Preparation Program at Shadow Mountain Community Church is designed to help you lay the foundation for a strong, Biblical marriage. We welcome the opportunity to invest in this commitment as you prepare for your upcoming marriage or decision to become engaged. Our marriage preparation program is offered to members and regular attenders of Shadow Mountain Community Church who are marrying for the first time. (Due to the unique dynamics of second marriages we recommend couples in this situation meet with a Christian counselor. Names are available upon request through our office, 619-590-1747.)
If you would like to be married at Shadow Mountain Community Church, or desire a Shadow Mountain pastor to officiate your wedding ceremony, successful completion of a marriage preparation program is required and will be verified by the pastor. Our program fills up quickly! Please register at least 4 months prior to your wedding as we often have a waiting list and cannot guarantee mentor availability.
Our unique program consists of 8 to 10 sessions with a marriage mentor, each lasting about 90 minutes. Sessions will be held at times and locations that work best for you and your marriage mentors. Your mentors are a married couple, specially trained, and specifically matched to work with your individual needs. The same marriage mentors will meet with you for each of the sessions. They will provide personalized guidance as you go through the materials together. Each couple will go through the book, "Preparing for Marriage," with their mentors. They will take the Life Innovations Prepare Inventory and the Taylor Johnson Temperament Analysis. They will also go through the materials included in the Family Ministries Marriage Preparation Notebook with their mentors. The goals of this course include couples being exposed to important building blocks of a healthy Christian marriage, knowing what a Christian marriage looks like, developing the skills to lay a good foundation from the beginning, knowing how to evaluate whether God would have you marry each other, and whether this is the right time to marry.
To Register: Please complete a Pre-Marriage Questionnaire for each of you (one for the bride and one for the groom). After we receive your questionnaires we will contact you to schedule an interview.
*Note: For information about scheduling a wedding at Shadow Mountain please call 619-590-1708. Due to the scope of Shadow Mountain ministries, weddings will be limited to Shadow Mountain Community Church members.