Is The Ravines a Christian Ministry?
Yes. Our Mission Statement clearly states that The Ravines is a Christian ministry whose focus is the restoration, healing and strengthening of the marriages of Christian couples. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that marriages can be healed, whether in immediate crisis or in need of spiritual or emotional strengthening. It is our Ministry’s desire to see all Christian couples find renewal in their marriage through the power of Christ.
Check out our Core Values, Statement of Faith, Theoretical Basis for Counseling, and Position Statements.
Can any couple be considered to attend the Ravines?
Yes. The Ravines is available to any married couple, consisting of one man and one woman as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). The Ravines is a place where they will receive Christ-centered Intensive Counseling. As part of the intake process, a pastor or church leader recommendation is necessary as well as the couple agreeing to the guidelines that are in place to help them begin the process of restoration and healing.
What does a Couples Counseling Intensive mean?
Certainly, there are couples in your church today who are involved in on-going traditional marriage counseling. These counseling sessions are usually one hour a week, every two weeks. But sometimes, by the time a couple is able to get to the root of the problem, the session time is up. As a result, couples are left with many unresolved issues and hurts. In just 3 days, a couple is able to work through the equivalent of 30 weeks of therapy. Couples Counseling Intensives (CCI) are one-on-one sessions with a trained, qualified Christian counselor. CCI’s allow couples to be in an environment that takes them away from all of the everyday distractions. It also gives them quality time to focus on themselves and their spouse, and ultimately time to allow God to work profoundly in their lives.
What would help me determine if a couple I know should consider attending The Ravines?
Within the Christian community we are sure there has always been the difficult reality of dealing with couples in great need of restoration, renewal and strengthening. The brokenness and desperation that couples face can be overwhelming. Deep down most couples still want to be healed. If they cannot find restoration, they are not sure how they will function. We have prayed for years to find a better solution to help bring these types of couples hope using the gifts of trained counselors and the life-giving power of Jesus Christ. If you are feeling that you have a couple whose situation has become too big for you to handle, that you are overwhelmed, you are over your head, etc., then this is the time to consider The Ravines.
What happens to a couple after they attend the Ravines?
Following the intensive, their church will be asked to provide follow up with a Spiritual Care Team or mentor, who is willing to walk through life with them during the healing process.
What are some of the most common reasons that prevent a couple from attending counseling?
One of the first answers a couple often gives for not attending counseling is that they feel their situation is hopeless. They are afraid that nothing can help them. They also believe that they can’t afford it, and they don’t have enough time in their day to take care of everything else in their lives, let alone find time to attend counseling. We want to partner with you and your church to help your marriages in crisis. We don’t offer an easy solution, but we offer help… The Ravines has been established as a place for healing and restoration to begin. We want to help eliminate as many hurdles as possible in a couple’s life that is keeping them from getting the help they need, and the joy that God can bring back into their lives. Feel free to contact The Ravines to find out more about scholarships and support for couples in need.
Who are the Ravines counselors?
The Ravines currently has 5 Counselors on contract to do Christ-centered Couples Counseling Intensives. In the process of selecting these counselors, we spent countless hours of interviewing to strive to find what we felt was the best fit for the Ravines ministry. We looked and listened to the heart of each counselor. We wanted to know that they loved the Lord, believed in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and agreed to the Core values, Statement of Faith, Theoretical Basis for Counseling, and Position Statements. The Ravines counselors believe that marriage was ordained by God, and they are willing to do whatever they can to bring hope and restoration back into a marriage. While we recognize that divorce happens, our hope is that we will do everything we can to save the marriage, trusting in the grace of God to bring this about.
Does the Ravines Ministry work?
We believe that with God, all things are possible. To date an overwhelming majority of the Ravines couples have marriages that are stronger and thriving. Every Ravines couple has said that they would definitely recommend the Ravines to another couple that was struggling in their marriage. Many have commented that the overall experience was way beyond their expectations. We are grateful for the renewed hope of what God has been able to do through this ministry for so many couples, and our prayer is that you will find God offering you that same encouragement.
