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 

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