God never meant for mankind to be alone. He created people to live in community, and that starts with marriage and family. Studies show that husbands, wives, and children all thrive best when part of a family unit. God’s design is sacred and powerful, and that is why Satan seeks to rip families apart every chance he can get. Learning to defend God’s definition of marriage and His purpose for family will better equip believers to reach a lost and hurting world.
Activate Unit 3 contains four sessions, each taught by different instructors: Abraham
Hamilton III, Jeff and Debbie Schreve, Meeke Addison, or Bert Harper. These experts address what the Bible says about marriage, the biblical roles of each spouse, how to parent biblically, and how to reverse the curse of sin’s impact on families.
One of AFA’s well-established core values is family. AFA continually aims to “strengthen biblical marriages and equip parents to raise godly children.” In modern-day America, that is no small feat. Today, for many, the stable, traditional, and biblical family model is seen as an outdated institution.
According to a United States Census Bureau report titled America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2022, “About 47% of households were married couple households in 2022, down from 71% in 1970.” The Census Bureau also released a November 2023 chart titled "Children’s Living Arrangements," which shows the alarming number of children under age 18 who were living in broken homes:
▶ 15,086,000 lived with their mother only.
▶ 3,054,000 lived with their father only.
▶ 2,735,000 lived with no parent.
With statistics like these – along with anti-family messages infiltrating homes via social media, entertainment, and major news networks – it is no wonder that many Americans lack biblical knowledge concerning God’s perfect design for marriage and family. For that to change, individuals need to recognize the importance of family by returning to the truth found in God’s Word.
Marriage
That is why Unit 3 of Activate, AFA’s new biblical worldview training curriculum, helps believers see through the Enemy’s facade in an effort to better equip them to be spouses, parents, and disciples of Christ actively battling against the culture’s lies about marriage and family.
Jeff and Debbie Schreve, of From His Heart Ministries (fromhisheart.org), are two of the unit’s instructors. Throughout their time together in ministry, the Schreves, who have been married for 38 years, have seen how honoring God as a couple has impacted their marriage.
“Our marriage and family have given us credibility in ministry and empathy in ministry,” Jeff explained. “We have a marriage that we can hold up – not as a model of perfection, but as a model of moving in the right direction as we grow in love for one another.”
In their session, the Schreves explain how the critical, specific, God-given roles within a marriage can depict Christ’s love for the church. They also address other Scripture-backed truths seldom talked about in today’s culture.
“Marriage is a picture of our walk with Christ,” Jeff shared. “You can never coast. You must always be pursuing oneness and closeness with the Lord and with your spouse.”
Family
But often, the family unit extends beyond just the husband and wife. Therefore, healthy Christian marriages and biblical parenting go hand in hand.
“Marriage [and] family are the crucible in which we live out our faith,” Jeff explained. “If it doesn’t work at home, does it work at all?
“It is important to have a thriving marriage as we parent and minister. … Your kids know what’s real and what’s fake. The greatest gift you can give your kids is a strong, stable, loving marriage.
“The Activate project is a great way to grow spiritually as a couple and as a family,” Jeff added. “The Christian life is a journey, not a destination. As we learn from others and learn with our families, we strengthen our faith and our witness in this world.”
Click HERE to learn more about AFA's Activate project.
