By Cindee Johnson Relationship Champion and Encompass Partner Coming alongside another person to show the way has long proven to be of value. Coaches. Trainers. Mentors. Disciplers. No matter the title, Jesus modeled this better than anyone. He led by example. He lived what he taught. He was intentional. He was relational. He made a difference. So can we.
How do I know? I’ve witnessed it at Encompass Connection Center, again and again. I’ve even been blessed to be a part of it. As we celebrate Encompass’s 20 years of impact this month, let’s look at how mentoring and coaching are utilized to make a difference.
0 Comments
By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations We’ve all seen those annoying clickbait ads that pop up when you’re browsing online: “Improve your marriage in just 6 hours a week!“ “Lose 40 pounds by Friday!” “Florida Man Finds 20-Foot Crocodile in his Basement!” But don’t dismiss us too fast. Encompass Connection Center really can help you with one of those things. We’ll let you guess which one...
By Lavern Nissley
Encompass Relationship Facilitator The blog post theme for August is "transition", and I can't hear that word without remembering the birth of our first child, Jessica, in February of 1980. We had done the childbirth classes, and I learned how to support Ronda with a "focal point" and breathing exercises. We went to Christ Hospital in Cincinnati on the afternoon of February 18 to go through this exciting and memorable experience together. I was intrigued with the technology that measured Ronda's contractions, how you could anticipate them coming and see their relative strength. On several occasions I recall saying, "Oh, this looks like a big one!" Not really helpful or appreciated. The connection to the word "transition" is etched in both of our memories, and I am not proud of my role in what happened next. By Dr David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director In marriage, you will experience many seasons: times of joy and times of grief, seasons of good health and seasons of illness, years of parenting young children or teens, and years of empty-nesting, just to name a few. When you took your vows, you said, “...for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part,” and you will likely see each one of those in some form or another throughout your years together.
By Dr. David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director Can you achieve freedom from all conflict? No.
Can you experience freedom from unresolved conflict that can wear your relationship down? YES! Here are five skills you will need. By Kermit Rowe
Encompass Relationship Facilitator This month’s blog theme is “more than words.” So let’s take those three words and put them at the end of the following sentence to “explore the more” of a time-tested relational truth: Communication is more than words. How do we communicate besides talking? Well, we should know because we certainly do it a lot. A Psychology Today article famously reported that only seven percent of our communication happens through words. That means 93 percent of your intended message is left up to tone and non-verbal cues. Other estimated percentages may vary a bit, but one thing is clear: When it comes to communicating in relationships, it’s more than words can say. We’ve all heard the saying “actions speak louder than words.”. There are few places that is more apparent than in our intimate relationships. We may be able to talk a good game to acquaintances or on social media, but our closest loved ones are the ones who know whether we live those words out! This is why it’s so important in romantic relationships to not only be saying loving words to our partner but for our actions to back it up. Let’s look at a few practical ways this can happen!
Our theme for blog posts this month is "more than words." That may sound a bit vague or even ominous, but our writers have been given freedom to develop their relationship reflections that somehow relate any communication beyond words.
By Lavern Nissley Encompass Executive Director I opened our garage door from the inside as Ronda returned from grocery shopping. I was planning to help her unload. A tinge of concern hit me as I noticed her struggling to back into the garage in a straight line. Then her passenger side mirror lightly touched the mirror of our other vehicle parked in the driveway. She stopped, got out, and joked about the awkward position she was leaving the vehicle in. After putting the groceries away together, I thought I'd bring up her backing challenges as this wasn't the first time I had seen her struggling. So, here are the words that came out of my mouth. (You'll need to click the button below to see what they were!) By: Hollie Kowalski
Encompass Outreach Coordinator “We’re just in a rut, I guess.” We can’t seem to find joy in each other’s presence. We feel tired and frustrated with one another. Hearing this explanation from a friend referring to her marriage made me think back to a time when my husband and I were in a similar place, a “joy gap” in our marriage. Then I started to wonder, how did we get there? How did we get out? How do we keep from getting there again? By Kermit Rowe
Encompass Relationship Facilitator I’ve pastored for 18 years here in Springfield and ministered to couples as part of the Encompass Connection Center ministry for the past five. I’ve seen and witnessed the best and worst of intentions, passion that is both inspiring and misdirected, and communication that ranged from respectful to downright rude. I’ve seen hundreds of couples come through our doors in my time here, and thousands have come to us for help. And I’ve noticed they fall into three major categories... |
HostsDr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024. TOPICS
All
Archives
September 2024
|