Indiana—On Feb. 18–19, at the Evansville First Church, 85 married, single and divorced individuals got a chance to laugh about (and make vital changes to) their relationships through an event presented live by Laugh Your Way, America! trained presenters, Paul and Robin Johnston, featuring Mark Gungor via DVD.
"Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" seminars help couples deal with tough issues in fun, non-threatening ways. There are no workbooks to fill out or emotional break-out sessions, and no one is ever forced to speak in front of the group.
"Our secular culture over-romanticizes marriage, and our Christian culture over-spiritualizes it," says Gungor. "The reality is that relationships between men and women are very down-to-earth."
"The Tale of Two Brains" seminar broke down walls by making couples laugh about the differences between men and women, emphasizing how marital difficulties can be the result not of a heart problem, but a head problem.
In "The No. 1 Key to Incredible Sex," Gungor discussed how our culture's sexual messages are fundamentally flawed at best and destructive at worst, and suggested steps to achieve a spectacular and healthy sex life.
"Why Does He/She Do That!?" and "How to Stay Married and Not Kill Anybody" were hilarious explorations of marital dynamics meant to inspire couples to convert understanding into action.
At this life-changing seminar, 85 people learned to make real positive changes in their marriages and relationships. Approximately 70 were visitors from the community. We received much positive feedback and were thanked by numerous couples for bringing this event to our community.
Laugh Your Way, America! provided our church with a small-group leader's kit. We now have tools to offer the seminars to the community in a small group format. As a pastor, I highly recommend this seminar as a nonthreatening, neutral, community outreach, to show that Adventists care about their neighbors. For scheduling information, go to www.laughyourway.com.
Terry Ruebush, pastor, Evansville First Church
