The marriage retreat to me was one of the best weekends of 2019 for my wife and I. When Cydney asked if the retreat would be something I would be interested in, I was unsure of what a weekend like this would be like. Let me just tell you, it was the biggest breath of fresh air! We were in a room with about 15 couples. Each couple had their own story. Each couple also had a method to their madness. This helped immensely, because it took a lot of pressure off myself and provided me with new techniques. I learned through the Scripture and our leaders that the covenant bond made between a married couple is God’s way of showing His love relationship to us. My favorite part of the weekend was the overall fellowship. I looked around the room several times that weekend and saw brothers and sisters in Christ. I didn’t see strangers or just people who worship at the same place that we do. Marriage certainly has its ups and downs. However, it is a bond that is not to be taken lightly. Our bond was formed stronger through that marriage retreat weekend. I learned so much I had been missing. I can’t thank Hebron enough for leading this weekend and look forward to many more! – Justin Ballew
For me, the retreat as a whole was amazing! We never really got premarital counseling since we got married in under two weeks. To be given the chance to go through this, after (almost) 2 years of marriage, was exactly what we needed. The opportunity to learn what we learned was all the Lord’s doing. God was behind this marriage from the beginning, and now, we know He provided this retreat for us to grow our marriage. Having the breakout sessions to allow us the time to talk was greatly needed for us. Communication has not always been our forte. We worked on a lot of worksheets and met with an older couple for conversation. Currently, we have the “covenant vs contract” and also the “How To Fight Fair” handouts in our bedroom and on the fridge! Being taught that marriage is to mirror the love God has for us, was an incredible thing to be shown. It helps me remember that during upsetting times, God is not a God who holds on to what I have done to hurt Him, so I shouldn’t hold on to what my husband has done either. Learning that marriage is not about us, but about God first - and then our spouse, was a much needed reminder. Lastly, I will say one of my FAVORITE things I learned, was to remember that marriage is the most important (after God) thing in the household. Children almost always tend to come first, and that isn’t how it should be. We have started to address each other as husband and wife instead of mom and dad. It’s been such a subtle but important change. Thank you, Hebron!- Cydney Ballew
“The retreat helped us to reset how we think about our marriage and understand more fully what God intended it to be - a reflection of His one-way, decision-based, eternal love for us. We went away from the weekend with a lot of practical ways of how to implement this covenantal (as opposed to contractual) based thinking.” – retreat participant
“The secular world/culture/media speaks loudly about what marriage is (and isn't), so we need to be intentional about seeking out the voices that are speaking to us about what a Christ-Centered marriage is (and isn't)...and the Hebron Marriage retreat weekend was just that. It was well-run, jam-packed, and so incredibly fruitful for our marriage. "Unilateral" has become the favorite new buzz-word (and a loving inside joke) in our house!” – retreat participant
