Home
About
Format
Register
Trainers
Testimonials
Contact Us
Trainers
Eric & Jennifer Garcia
are the co-founders of the
Association of Marriage and Family Ministries
(AMFM). AMFM was birthed based on needs they found in their own church and on their belief that the church must lead, by example, the movement to strengthen marriages and families in a community.
Eric and Jennifer served for seven years as lay leaders on the marriage ministry team at Scottsdale Bible Church, launching and leading the Couple-to-Couple Marriage Mentoring™ ministry. Today, they continue to train churches on how to organize and launch successful couple’s mentoring ministries.
The Garcia’s are leveraging their experience at Scottsdale Bible Church and AMFM serving as lay leaders of the marriage ministry at North Bible Church (a church plant of Scottsdale Bible Church).
Eric and Jennifer are the authors and trainers of the Couple-to-Couple Marriage Mentoring™ model and the Marriage Matrix™. They speak nationally on marriage and family ministry, conduct marriage enrichment seminars/workshops and consult churches and other organizations on how to build effective, proactive and sustainable ministries to strengthen marriages and families.
Eric advises various foundations, publishers, ministries, community marriage initiatives and other organizations in his role at AMFM. With his background in consulting and forming partnerships with organizations like Provident/Sony, Outreach, Focus on the Family, Promise Keepers, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Moody Bible Institute and Gaither Music, he feels equipped to serve on many levels. Eric also serves on the Marriage CoMission National Steering Committee.
Through AMFM, Eric and Jennifer have hosted an annual marriage and family ministry conference since 2004 training churches and leaders from around the world. In 2008, AMFM was selected as a national facilitating partner for the blockbuster movie Fireproof. They published the first of its kind Marriage and Family Resource Guide in 2009, providing churches with a tool for accessing quality resources and relevant ministries. In 2010 AMFM launched CONNECT!, a weekend event to reach leaders across the country by bringing marriage and family ministry training directly to a community.
As the past owners of several businesses, the Garcia’s feel their unique approach in blending business principles and ministry passion complements their work today.
Married in 1991, Eric and Jennifer have four children: Hudson, Erika and twin boys, Elliot and Wesley.
Jeff Thibault
is the Minister of Marriage and Family at North Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona. Jeff made a commitment to Christ in Young Life during high school and served as a volunteer with student ministries at SBC while in college. He was on the Young Life Staff for 20 years as both an Area and Metro Director in Scottsdale, Salinas California, Flagstaff and Chandler. Jeff spent two years, and continues to work with Dr. John Trent’s StrongFamilies, to help churches around the country equip parents to be more intentional about passing their faith on to their children. Jeff did his undergraduate studies at Grand Canyon College and has a Masters degree in Christian Leadership from Fuller Seminary. Jeff and his wife Debbie have four children- Ashley, Austin, Ryan and Claire.
Gordon & Carri Taylor
are co-founders of Opportunities Unlimited. The Taylors' stepfamily journey began in 1986. Gordon's first marriage lasted 18 years, Carri's 13½ years. Gordon brought three sons to the marriage and Carri brought two daughters. All five of their children are now adults; they have ten grandchildren to date and are legal guardians of Carri's oldest granddaughter, who was born in 1990 and has been with them since birth.
The Taylors have been involved in starting, leading, and maintaining stepfamily groups since 1988. They speak nationally on stepfamily development and other relational topics.
Gordon is Cofounder of Opportunities Unlimited and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He practices in Diamond Bar and Orange, California, and has master's degrees in Education and in Marriage and Family Therapy. He has been a consultant for the California State Department of Education and has over thirty-two years of experience as a public school administrator. Gordon is associated with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists as well as the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. He is a clinical member of the Stepfamily Association of America, where he is recognized for his professional and personal expertise with step couples and stepfamily dynamics. He has also served as President of the Diamond Bar chapter of the Stepfamily Association of America.
Carri is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Opportunities Unlimited, and is a Certified Communications Trainer and Executive/Personal Coach. Her background as a Film Producer, Director and Editor of award-winning documentaries provided the opportunities to develop a high level of communication skills. Carri has guided hundreds of individuals and couples through the process of discovering hidden talents, skills and capabilities. The clients she works with gain insights and self-awareness, while being given practical, ready-to-use and proven tools to enhance all of their relationships.
Jeff & Judi Parziale
are the co-founders of
InStep Ministries
. Jeff is a family pastor, author and counselor. In his thirty years of counseling and ministry, he has witnessed not only the impact of death and divorce but also the challenges of singles and single-parents and the struggles of remarrying couples that were not fully prepared for stepfamily life.
As a research health psychologist, Judi understands the immense challenges facing today's families. Together, they are excited about what God is doing in the lives of singles and stepfamilies. They affirm that God is a God of second chances, as seen in the lives of Jonah, Peter, Moses, Paul or David. They believe the church, the Body of Christ, is a wonderful metaphor for today’s families, unity from diversity. They see the church as a place of grace and healing. The vision of
InStep
is to connect every single, divorced or remarried person to an accepting and vibrant, community of faith.
Both Jeff and Judi are passionate about equipping today’s families for life and empowering churches to effectively minister to these families in their congregations and communities. The principles they share in their books, seminars and workshops come not only from ongoing study and research, but from the crucible of their own family experience. They know first-hand the struggles and successes of single-parenting and stepfamily life.
Jeff and Judi have been married over sixteen years; each bringing three children into the marriage. The challenges of working through the issues of remarriage and stepfamily life led them to start
InStep Ministries
. Their vision was to offer hope and encouragement to single parents and stepfamilies by sharing their own successes and failures. Jeff and Judi believe the journey should never be taken alone. Out of their gratitude for what God had done in their lives, they have developed a number of seminars and workshops, and have written several books and resources.
Clint & Penny Bragg
are the co-founders of
Inverse Ministries
. The reconciliation of Clint and Penny Bragg's marriage after an eleven year divorce and a 3,000-mile coast-to-coast separation is nothing short of a modern-day miracle. Through the work of Inverse Ministries, their non-profit organization, Clint and Penny serve as marriage missionaries; sharing their testimony with audiences, teaching seminars for couples, and equipping ministry leaders across the nation. In 2009, they released their new book and workbook entitled,
Marriage on the Mend—Tangible Tools to Restore Your Relationship
.
Prior to forming
Inverse Ministries
, Clint and Penny worked as educators in the public school system for a combined total of over twenty years. Their story of reconciliation has been featured on CBN's The 700 Club, RBC Ministries Words to Live By Radio Program, Family Life Radio, and Christianity Today's Marriage Partnership Magazine. Clint and Penny currently serve as leaders for The Association of Marriage and Family's (AMFM) Reconciling Troubled Marriages Ministry Team as well as being an active part of the Ask the Experts Panel of Christianity Today's BuildingChurchLeaders.com. For more information on their ministry or their 40-Day Marriage Mission Trips, visit
www.inverseministries.org.
Ben Freudenburg
has been a Director of Christian Education for 31 years, working with children, youth, and their families to nurture their love for God and each other through the church and is presently serving as Family Life Program Director and Professor in Family Life Studies at Concordia University Ann Arbor.
He has served as President of Lutheran Education’s TEAM department and as President of Lutheran Education Association a national professional organization for Lutheran educators.
He received his BS in ED and certification as Director of Christian Education and Master’s of Science Family Life through Concordia University in Seward Nebraska.
Ben is married to Jennifer and is father to Cori and Sara and grandfather to Caleb and Markey.
Ben Freudenburg has written for a variety of education and youth journals and magazines and wrote: “The Traveling Guide… A Vehicle for Youth Ministry,” “Through Children’s Eyes,” a book of “52 Children’s Messages,” and “The Family Friendly Church” by Group Publishing.
Michael Sytsma
has been working with couples in a variety of capacities since 1987. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and a Certified Sex Therapist. He is also an ordained minister with The Wesleyan Church and has served as a staff pastor for churches with attendance from 30 to over 1000. He is currently appointed to
Building Intimate Marriages, Inc
. Michael received his BS in Christian Ministry from Indiana Wesleyan University, an MS in Community Counseling from Georgia State University, and a diploma in Christian counseling from Psychological Studies Institute. Michael also has a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Child and Family Development / Marriage and Family Therapy where he specialized in marital sexual therapy. His dissertation was on "Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Married Couples". Michael has recently joined with 3 Christian sex therapists in founding
Sexual Wholeness, Inc
.
Michael is a pastor at heart with a clear gift in teaching. He is passionate about marriage and helping couples grow in their marriage. This passion is clearly evident as he engages a room full of couples in looking at their marriage with hope and increased confidence. His giftedness in teaching helps couples learn important truths about marriage in a fun and interesting way.
As a therapist, Michael is a compassionate pastor who is not afraid to encourage you to grow. He believes God gives each of us the strength we need to become all he desires us to become and to grow our marriage into the intimate union God designed. His workshops and seminars have touched many couples in the Southeast. He is a regular speaker at national AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors) and CAPS (Christian Association for Psychological Studies) conferences and to other Pastors, counselors and therapists to the Christian community.
Michael and Karen have been married since 1985 and have two sons, Josiah and Caleb.
Locations
Nashville, TN
FALL 2010 / EARLY 2011
Lipscomb University
Ann Arbor, MI
October 2, 2010
Concordia University
Tucson, AZ
November 5-6, 2010
Pantano Christian Church
Trainers
Eric & Jennifer Garcia
Jeff Thibault
Gordon & Carri Taylor
Jeff & Judi Parziale
Clint & Penny Bragg
Ben Freudenburg
Michael Sytsma
REGISTER
HOST AN EVENT
Home
|
About
|
Format
|
Register
|
Trainers
|
Testimonials
|
Contact Us
Eric & Jennifer Garcia are the co-founders of the Association of Marriage and Family Ministries (AMFM). AMFM was birthed based on needs they found in their own church and on their belief that the church must lead, by example, the movement to strengthen marriages and families in a community.
Jeff Thibault is the Minister of Marriage and Family at North Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona. Jeff made a commitment to Christ in Young Life during high school and served as a volunteer with student ministries at SBC while in college. He was on the Young Life Staff for 20 years as both an Area and Metro Director in Scottsdale, Salinas California, Flagstaff and Chandler. Jeff spent two years, and continues to work with Dr. John Trent’s StrongFamilies, to help churches around the country equip parents to be more intentional about passing their faith on to their children. Jeff did his undergraduate studies at Grand Canyon College and has a Masters degree in Christian Leadership from Fuller Seminary. Jeff and his wife Debbie have four children- Ashley, Austin, Ryan and Claire.
Gordon & Carri Taylor are co-founders of Opportunities Unlimited. The Taylors' stepfamily journey began in 1986. Gordon's first marriage lasted 18 years, Carri's 13½ years. Gordon brought three sons to the marriage and Carri brought two daughters. All five of their children are now adults; they have ten grandchildren to date and are legal guardians of Carri's oldest granddaughter, who was born in 1990 and has been with them since birth.
Jeff & Judi Parziale are the co-founders of InStep Ministries. Jeff is a family pastor, author and counselor. In his thirty years of counseling and ministry, he has witnessed not only the impact of death and divorce but also the challenges of singles and single-parents and the struggles of remarrying couples that were not fully prepared for stepfamily life.
Clint & Penny Bragg are the co-founders of Inverse Ministries. The reconciliation of Clint and Penny Bragg's marriage after an eleven year divorce and a 3,000-mile coast-to-coast separation is nothing short of a modern-day miracle. Through the work of Inverse Ministries, their non-profit organization, Clint and Penny serve as marriage missionaries; sharing their testimony with audiences, teaching seminars for couples, and equipping ministry leaders across the nation. In 2009, they released their new book and workbook entitled, Marriage on the Mend—Tangible Tools to Restore Your Relationship.
Ben Freudenburg has been a Director of Christian Education for 31 years, working with children, youth, and their families to nurture their love for God and each other through the church and is presently serving as Family Life Program Director and Professor in Family Life Studies at Concordia University Ann Arbor.
Michael Sytsma has been working with couples in a variety of capacities since 1987. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and a Certified Sex Therapist. He is also an ordained minister with The Wesleyan Church and has served as a staff pastor for churches with attendance from 30 to over 1000. He is currently appointed to Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. Michael received his BS in Christian Ministry from Indiana Wesleyan University, an MS in Community Counseling from Georgia State University, and a diploma in Christian counseling from Psychological Studies Institute. Michael also has a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Child and Family Development / Marriage and Family Therapy where he specialized in marital sexual therapy. His dissertation was on "Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Married Couples". Michael has recently joined with 3 Christian sex therapists in founding Sexual Wholeness, Inc.
