The Canadian Marriage & Family Network exists to partner with churches across Canada equipping them through training events to encourage and empower families to build authentic Christ-centered relationships in the home.

Our purpose will be to facilitate a collaborative network of 6-12 churches in a given region, optimizing the shared experience and resources in those churches. We will commit to providing the best possible tools & training together with the strategic follow up necessary to establish sustainable and transformational marriage and family ministries in each network of churches. We will also actively seek collaborative relationships with existing para-church organizations and ministries who share our desire to transform families in Canada through the ministry of the local church. It’s only when we combine our efforts that we’ll accomplish what God has called us to accomplish.

While remaining open to the unique needs of our local networks, CMFN’s efforts will primarily focus on establishing marriage mentoring & enrichment programs as well Faith@Home initiatives in our partner churches.  This will be accomplished through a coaching model of intensive & strategic quarterly weekends over a one-year term with a marriage & family coach with follow up sessions via Skype or conference calls between onsite sessions.

Marriage Mentoring

CMFN has come to believe that “life on life” connection is one of the most effective tools for nurturing healthy, life giving marriages through authentic relationships.  When a less experienced couple has the opportunity to meet with a more seasoned couple who have navigated 10 or more years of marriage and is able to ask the tough questions in a safe, non-judgmental environment, significant transformation can take place.  Mentoring can provide the ongoing accountability necessary for couples to continue implementing relational tools learned through courses and counseling.

CMFN, together with our ministry partners will provide training opportunities and resources for network churches in a given region who are interested in establishing marriage mentoring and enrichment programs.  We will accomplish this with on going support through a coaching model in those regions of strategic, quarterly training events for a minimum of a one-year term.

Faith@Home

We know the problems;

• Most self-identified unbelievers in North America are former church kids.
• Fewer than ten percent of Christian parents have faith discussions with their children.
• We lose more of our own kids to the world than we win un-churched people to Christ.
• Churches invest tremendous money and effort creating a great church experience for kids and teens…yet the downward trend continues. (Kurt Bruner, Pastor/Author)

With this kind of reality, the Church in Canada must do something now to ensure this present generation of churched kids remain vitally connected to their faith.   We also know from experience that “When a church—intentionally or not—assumes a family’s responsibilities in the arena of spiritually nurturing children, it fosters an unhealthy dependence upon the church to relieve the family of its Biblical responsibility.” (George Barna, “Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions”)

That is why it’s imperative the church in Canada recognize its role of equipping parents with the tools necessary to model a living faith before their children.  As author Mark Holmen states, “If we want our children to have a faith that influences the way they live their lives, then in our homes we need to be modeling faith through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” (Mark Holmen “Faith Begins at Home”)

Faith@Home is not a program nor is it the latest church fad.  Rather, it is a new set of lenses through which each church can continue viewing and shaping it’s ministry to become increasingly home-centered and church-assisted versus continuing in the more typical church-centered, home-assisted model.   In short, that is Faith@Home – an initiative to help us fully embrace this difference.

CMFN will provide training opportunities and resources for network churches in a given region interested in establishing a Faith@Home focused ministry with on going support in those regions through a consulting model of strategic quarterly events for a minimum one-year term.

Mark Holmen, a former senior pastor, author and pioneer in the Faith@Home movement, is working with CMFN to aid in the growth of this movement across Canada through our network of churches.  For more information on Faith@Home visit Mark Holmen’s website at www.faithbeginsathome.com.