March 30, 1980

To whom it may concern:

Re: the Together with Jesus Couple Prayer Series by Bob and Kathy Ovies

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.  Bob 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 their 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 ministries 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 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 sadly 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 sixty 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.

The Couple Prayer Series is:

1.Solidly scriptural
2.Theologically balanced
3.Remarkably easy to use.  Out-of-the-box DVD/CD and Print Materials let any dedicated volunteer couple take the
              Facilitator's Package and present a Couple Prayer Series to any number of couples that is effective, complete and
              hassle-free without tying down church staff members with additional responsibilities.   In a home setting, any
              married or engaged couple can easily use the Home Edition to experience the series in their own home, or share
              the experience with other couples in a Home Study Group.
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

The series has been proven effective when used with any sized 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 couple set 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 individual, couple and family member spirituality 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 of
the Couple Prayer Series.

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




Angelita Fenker, D. Min.
P.O. Box 23
Arcola, IN 46074


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