March 15, 2008

     To whom it may concern:
     Re: the Together with Jesus Couple Prayer Series

    I have known Bob and Kathy Ovies since 2002 when Bob was Director of Family Life Ministries in Detroit,
    Michigan.  From the start, I sensed their deep and vibrant friendship with Christ at a meaningful human level. 
    He and Kathy live this truth in their marital commitment and are anxious to share this reality with other couples.
    This, I believe, they have done beautifully, sincerely and genuinely in the Together with Jesus Couple Prayer
    Series.

    My own professional background allows me to comment on this series.  My educational background at all levels
    for twenty-five years and my deep involvement in family ministry since 1974 -- including Families for Prayer,
    NACFLM and the NCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Marriage and Family Life -- provides an objective view of the
    quality of this series.  My Doctorate is in spirituality with a focus on holistic family spirituality over the entire
    family life-cycle.  Post-doctorate study is ongoing in this same field.

    In my sixty-one years of ministry, ecumenically and throughout the U.S. and Canada, I have been exposed to
    many approaches in the area of family prayer.  I have usually found materials dedicated to developing prayer
    between couples to be either lacking or developed with a format and content that is too difficult or didactic
    for the ordinary couple to follow, let alone actually do.

    I can honestly say that in all my years of ministry in marriage and family spirituality, the Together with Jesus
    Couple Prayer Series is the best marriage-spirituality development series I have ever seen.

    This is true for the following reasons. 

    This series is:

       1.  Solidly scriptural
       2. Theologically balanced
       3.  Remarkably easy to use.  Any dedicated engaged or married couple can use the Facilitator
             Package to present a Couple Prayer Series that is effective, complete and hassle-free without
             tying down other church  staff members or volunteers with additional responsibilities.   And
             any interested couple can take the Home Edition and experience the entire Couple Prayer Series in their own
             home without any problem at all.
       4.  Focused on foundational relationships rather than on prayer techniques
       5.  Inspirational and uplifting
       6.  Set within an efficient educational model
       7.  Extremely well thought-out and organized
       8.  Coherently sequential
       9.  Pastoral, in that it gives couples continuing “permission” to persevere
    10.  Presented as Jesus taught, with story, word and witness
    11.  Filled with encouragement
    12.  Presented with a clear sense of direction for ever-deepening spiritual growth

    This series has proved effective when used with any size group, from 6 couples in a home setting to 106
    couples in a church setting.  Its emphasis on relationships rather than techniques is the vital core of its overall
     strength. These relationships include a closer and more loving relationship with God, spouse and family, as well
    as the sharing of this blessing with others outside the family unit.

    Prayer and the resultant spirituality of the married couples sets the tone for holistic family prayer and spirituality.
    If the couple does not have a close and ongoing relationship with God, both individually and together, the
    children will not have one either, no matter how hard and sincerely their church or religious education classes
    try to supplement their “couple poverty.”

    The natural sequence of events from couple prayer and spiritual growth to holistic family prayer and spiritual
    growth is the basis for the church’s prayer and spiritual growth, since the church is only a collection of the couple
    and individual family member spiritualities which make it up.  This is church in its essence and at its roots.  This   
    truth alone is compelling reason to offer couples of any age the opportunity to engage in the spiritual growth and
    development process of the Couple Prayer Series. 

    I submit that there is absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain spiritually for couples, families and the
    Body of Christ by making the Together with Jesus Couple Prayer Series readily available to any and every engaged
    or married couple.  The closer couples come to God and one another in ever-deepening love, the greater, richer
    and stronger will be the spiritually of the whole faith community.  How can deepening couples’ shared closeness
    with Jesus  not have incredible results in family, church and society, both now and throughout subsequent
    generations?




    Angelita Fenker, D. Min.
    Arcola, Indiana



Letter of Endorsement for the 
Together with Jesus Couple Prayer Series:
Dr. Angelita Fenker