Sparrow Ministries Inc

SPARROW MINISTRIES MISSION: TO PREPARE COUPLES TO BEGIN WELL AND COACH COUPLES GENTLY THROUGH THE UNFOLDING, ONGOING ADVENTURE STORY OF THEIR MARRIAGE. SPARROW MINISTRIES OBJECTIVE IS TO SUPPORT ENGAGED COUPLES IN PREPARATION FOR A LIFE SPENT TOGETHER AND SUPPORT MARRIED COUPLES THROUGH THE LIFE STAGES OF THEIR MARRIAGE. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY OFFERING WORKSHOPS FOR LARGE GROUPS, SMALL GROUP MEETINGS OF 5-6 COUPLES OVER A SHORT TERM OF 4-8 WEEKS, COACHING INDIVIDUAL COUPLES ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS, AND TRAINING LEADERS IN LOCAL CHURCHES TO DO THE SAME.

PREMARITAL PREPARATION FOR ENGAGED COUPLES IS PROVIDED BY SPARROW MINISTRIES THROUGH TWO INTERRELATED OFFERINGS. THESE ARE A WORKSHOP AND SMALL GROUP MEETINGS. THE FIRST OFFERING IS A MARRIAGE WORTH PURSUING WORKSHOP WHICH TAKES PLACE OVER TWO DAYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF FOUNDATION BUILDING USING GOD'S ORIGINAL DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE AND COVERS SEVERAL MARRIAGE-RELATED TOPICS SUCH AS COMMUNICATION, FINANCES, IN-LAW RELATIONSHIPS, SEX & SEXUALITY, ETC. IN 2021, FOUR WORKSHOPS WERE HELD IN-PERSON. A TOTAL OF 26 COUPLES PARTICIPATED IN THE FOUR WORKSHOPS. IN ADDITION TO THE WORKSHOP IS PREMARITAL-FOCUSED SMALL GROUPS WHICH OCCUR OVER A 4 WEEK PERIOD FOLLOWING THE WORKSHOP INVOLVING 5-6 COUPLES AND A TRAINED COUPLES COACH WHERE COUPLES CAN EXPLORE AND TALK ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING MARRIAGE IN A SAFE SMALL GROUP ENVIRONMENT. DUE TO COVID, NO SMALL GROUPS WERE HELD.

MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT FOR COUPLES IS WHERE SPARROW MINISTRIES OFFERS A VARIETY OF EVENTS TO KEEP MARRIAGES STRONG AND GROWING, OR TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT MAY BE CAUSING A ROUGH PATCH IN THE MARRIAGE. THESE EVENTS AND OFFERINGS CAN BE IN THE FORM OF A WORKSHOP OR A MARRIAGE-FOCUSED SMALL GROUP THAT MAY MEET FOR 6-8 WEEKS. A TWO-DAY THRIVING MARRIAGE WORKSHOP IS PLANNED AROUND SEVERAL TOPICS TO BE COVERED: 1. SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SEXUAL INTIMACY; 2. SAFETY; CHARACTERISTICS OF MARRIAGES THAT LAST, ETC. THROUGH A BALANCE OF TEACHING, GENDER-BASED GROUP DISCUSSION, AND COUPLE TIME. IN 2021 THERE WERE TWO THRIVING MARRIAGE WORKSHOPS AND ONE SOUL CARE FOR COUPLES WORKSHOP. ALL WERE HELD IN-PERSON. A TOTAL OF 28 COUPLES PARTICIPATED IN THE THREE WORKSHOPS. NO MARRIAGE-FOCUSED SMALL GROUPS WERE HELD IN 2021 DUE TO COVID.

SPARROW MINISTRIES BELIEVES THAT HEALTHY MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF EVERY CHURCH. WITH THIS IN MIND, SPARROW MINISTRIES WILL PARTNER WITH LOCAL CHURCHES TO BETTER EQUIP, SUPPORT, AND CARE FOR THE MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES IN THEIR CONGREGATIONS. ERICH AND VIRGINIA BECKER OF SPARROW MINISTRIES MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AT CHURCH CONFERENCES, RETREATS, AND OTHER CHURCH VENUES ON TOPICS RELATED TO MARRIAGE AND FAMILY. SPARROW MINISTRIES HAS ITS OWN PACKAGED TOPICS OR CAN CUSTOMIZE FOR THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH. SPARROW MINISTRIES ALSO OFFERS COACH TRAINING, A PROGRAM TO TRAIN COUPLES SO THAT COUPLES WHO ATTEND SPARROW MINISTRY WORKSHOPS CAN GET FOLLOW-UP AND COACHING AT THEIR HOME CHURCH. IN 2021 SPARROW PROVIDED 3 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ON THREE SEPARATE DATES TO TWO CHURCHES, TWO OF WHICH WERE PREACHING AT THE SUNDAY SERVICE. A TOTAL OF 162 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE THREE EVENTS.

SPARROW MINISTRIES ALSO OFFERS COACHING FOR COUPLES WHO HAVE ATTENDED EITHER A PREMARITAL WORKSHOP OR A MARRIAGE WORKSHOP. COACHING IS ALSO OFFERED FOR COUPLES WHO HAVE IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND WHO HAVE NOT ATTENDED A WORKSHOP. AFTER A PREMARITAL WORKSHOP, PREMARITAL COACHING IS COUPLE TO COUPLE COACHING TO COMPLEMENT THE WORKSHOP WHERE COUPLES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROCESS THE INFORMATION FROM THE WORKSHOP AND PERSONALIZE THE HELP AND SUPPORT THEY MAY NEED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARD MARRIAGE. AFTER A MARRIAGE WORKSHOP, MARRIAGE COACHING CAN HELP A COUPLE BETTER UNDERSTAND THE WORKSHOP MATERIAL RELATIVE TO THEIR PERSONAL STORY AS WELL AS WORK TO RESOLVE ROUGH PATCHES IN THEIR MARRIAGE. IN ADDITION TO THE COACHING THAT RESULTS FROM A WORKSHOP, A COUPLE MAY CONTACT SPARROW MINISTRIES TO MEET WITH A COACH WHO CAN HELP THEM THROUGH AND BEYOND THE ROUGH PATCHES IN MARRIAGE, WHEN HAVING ANOTHER COUPLE TO TALK TO, SHARE WITH, AND PRAY WITH IS REALLY ALL YOU NEED. IN 2021, 61 DIFFERENT COUPLES AND 48 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED COACHING FOR A TOTAL OF 489.5 HOURS OF COACHING TIME.