A group of faith-based organizations is working to create a one-stop shop for couples seeking church support and guidance to enhance their marriages.
The Marriage Resource Network also hopes to influence Oklahomans as a faith-centered advocacy group promoting marriage as a worthy institution.

"What we want to do is underscore marriage," said Jim Priest, an attorney and Church of the Nazarene lay pastor who is affiliated with Southern Nazarene University's MarriageWorks!, one of the organizations in the resource network.
"Marriage should be honored. We dishonor it at our peril."

Donna Edwards, founder of Living Well Ministries and a former Scope Ministries counselor who has conducted premarital classes with her husband for many years, said Marriage Resource Network wants to get the word out that churches are doing many things to combat divorce, cohabitation and other things that place marriage at risk.
She said statistics indicate as many as 80 percent of Oklahoma couples get married in a church.
"Right there out of the chute, we've got an opportunity to influence couples," Edwards said.
Priest agreed.
"Churches are the doorway for most marriages, so we get them for a moment, and there's that window of opportunity to at least keep them in faith," he said. "As they draw closer to God, they draw closer to one another."
Edwards said much of the faith community's energy in the past has been focused on helping couples in crisis. Now, much is being done to help couples throughout every phase of marriage.
"In the past, churches were basically trying to catch the train wrecks, those marriages that were falling apart, but the church has the opportunity -- the dynamics -- not only morally, but they have the facilities and people who care, to do more to influence Oklahoma culture."
The resource network hopes to get the word out to the community about what help is being offered and where to go to get it. They are working to create a database which will probably be accessible via the Internet to give people a thorough listing of faith-based workshops, seminars and other activities designed to enhance marriage and family.
"We're trying to network the faith community, because they have the potential for the biggest impact," she said.
Edwards said groups that have expressed interested in partnering with the network and have met together to share ideas include MarriageWorks!, Oklahoma Family Policy Council, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, Christian Leadership Foundation, Family Life Ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ and the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, a taxpayer-funded project aimed at strengthening marriages.
Mary Myrick, program manager of the marriage initiative, said she is excited about the groups coming together to promote marriage.
"What we can bring to the partnership is a lot of history," Myrick said. "We want to be as supportive as we can."
Priest said he believes godly guidance offered through the faith community cannot be surpassed.
"It works better in a faith context, plus God is the author and creator of marriage, so what better source or blueprint for it than the Bible?," he said.
He said he would like to see churches and other faith-based groups, particularly those in the Oklahoma City area, partner together to ensure that couples get the help they need.
"I think there is a critical need for a kind of synergy that the churches can generate, and this is the area where they can do that with the most impact."
Both Priest and Edwards said the faith community is needed to counter the American culture's "attack" on marriage.
Edwards said she believes many people do not realize that crumbling marriages and a devaluation of marriage is wreaking havoc on almost every aspect of society.
"I don't know if many people know what a crisis we're in," she said.
Said Priest, "Marriage is the silver bullet issue in so many of the problems in society -- drug abuse, crime, nonmarital sex and nonmarital cohabitation.
"We want to make sure the Christian community can network and offer hope."
To find out more information about Marriage Network Oklahoma and how to get marriage classes listed on the organization's future Web site, send an e- mail to info@marriagenetworkok.net.
 
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