Couples for Christ sessions |29 July 2006

The sessions, held during the weekend of July 8-9, were organized by the Association for the Promotion of Solid Families (APSHF), with the assistance of Couples for Christ, a church movement originated in the Philippines with the aim of renewing and strengthening Christian family life.

According to the organisers, these sessions have been approved by Catholic Bishop Denis Wiehe, who has blessed the start of this movement in Seychelles.

"After years of living together couples fall in routine with their various responsibilities and problems. These sessions are meant to help them better understand each other's needs and take the necessary steps to have a better family life," says a press release from the organizers.

The sessions also saw exchanges of experiences among the couples which further enriched the process, adds the press release.

According to the press release 44 people, including 14 couples as well as singles, attended the sessions.

Noting that weekly meetings are being held in the household and other convenient places, the press release says that new sessions will start in September and to which everyone – regardless of their marital status – is invited to attend.

Couples for Christ began in 1981 in Manila, Philippines when a local Christian community tried a new approach in evangelizing married couples. The method used consisted of bringing together a small group of prospective couples in a private home. There they were brought to a living relationship with Jesus Christ and to renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit through a series of weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social environment.

Soon, Couples for Christ became a Christian family life renewal programme made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active supportive relationship with one another.

Through the years, CFC has blossomed into a worldwide ministry, becoming a major force for the renewal of the Christian family life and also of the church.