The Couples of Hope project is an evangelistic initiative to involve families in the discipleship process.
The aim is to lead all participating couples to strengthen their marriages and families, and for couples who are not members of the Adventist Church, to give them the opportunity to learn about biblical truths and thus help them decide to be baptized.
Learn more about the project and the steps to implement it in your church:
What is the Couples of Hope project?
It is a missionary program whose purpose is to involve couples and families from the church in evangelizing relatives and friends.
How does the project take place?
Each couple is challenged to bring at least one couple to the meeting who are not members of the Adventist Church. From this, the invited couple will be awakened to search the Bible for solutions and ways to strengthen their marriage and family and create intimacy with God.
Each couple, through specific content on relationships, will study the Bible with their guests.
Where does the project take place?
The church is an excellent place to hold the program. However, it can also be held in a place prepared for this event. The Bible study will take place wherever the host couple and guest couple decide.
When is the project held?
Starting in June is an excellent time, as the studies conclude in September, during Harvest Evangelism Week. By then, those interested would be ready to make the decision to be baptized.
Objectives
The objectives are to strengthen the couples and families of the church and transform family members and friends into brothers and sisters in faith and future disciple-makers.
Sharing the Word
Adventist couples and families who participate in this type of evangelism are strengthened by sharing the truth with others. New converts in this type of evangelism are generally more involved in reaching out to others and faithful in biblical stewardship.
Planning and launching the Couples of Hope project
Choose the best time and place (church) for the Family Weekend (June 12–14) in order to carry out the Couples of Hope project.
The sermon should focus on the value of missionary involvement and the beauty of studying the Bible with a friend or relative and, through baptism, making that person a brother or sister in the faith.
Conduct a motivational session with the church between 30 and 45 days before the project takes place in order to:
a) Sensitize the couples to the value for themselves and their families of getting involved in the mission.
b) Show the Welcome Bible study material so church members know and understand the essence of the studies.
c) Challenge them to elect and pray for a couple (or more couples) with the aim of bringing them into the Couples of Hope project.
d) Make it clear to the invited couple that the friends who invited them will be the instructors of the Bible study, which will be presented at the end of the meeting.
4. Establish a program of intercessory prayer for the couples and families who will be invited to the project.
5. Establish registration to facilitate the organization of the event and the identification of participants.
6. Send a nominal invitation to registered visitors, which should be hand-delivered by the person inviting them. This step is optional. The invitation template can be found on the Family Ministry website of the South American Division (SAD). Support material is available at adventistas.org/es/familia.
Suggestions for the event
1. Hold the Couples of Hope project on the Sabbath or Sunday afternoon of the Family Weekend (adapt according to the district).
a) Offer engaging seminars, moments of prayer, raffles, giveaways, music, and refreshments at the end of the program (optional).
2. At the end of the event, deliver the gifts in a kit (gift box and Welcome Bible study). The kit should be adapted according to the church's possibilities.
3. After receiving the kit, each host couple should schedule the day of the week and the time for the study of family themes (weekly Bible study schedule).
4. Schedule a reunion once a month. It could be a Sunday evening service with a family theme the couples chose, perhaps at the previous meeting.
5. When you leave, have a list of the couples' names so they can inform you of the day, time, and place of the study (to make it easier to plan the pastoral visit).
6. In closing, offer a refreshments party according to the resources of the church or district.
Activities after the Couples of Hope program
1. Pastoral visit (scheduled) with couples and families on the study days.
2. At the penultimate (second-to-last) meeting, schedule a renewal of marriage vows. Organize the church for a beautiful ceremony with good music and the entrance of the couples. At the end of the program, serve something like cake (adapt to the resources of the church).
3. Call for baptism and invitation to Harvest Evangelism Week.
4. Refer those who have not decided to be baptized to Bible class and involve them in a small group.
5. The 14 Bible studies will end around Harvest Evangelism Week.
6. Will everyone decide to be baptized? What should be done?
a) Continue the discipleship process with those who have been baptized.
b) Continue the friendship and work with those who have not been baptized, sending them to the "baptism of gratitude" at the end of the year.
7. Prepare the couples who have been baptized to begin the journey with another family in next year's Couples of Hope project.
Materials
Bible studies:
For more information, click here.
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.