Todd & Deven Smith

Over 13 years ago we attended our first FamilyLife Marriage Conference, and it was then that we really got a glimpse of what God has in store for marriages. Since then we have attended three more, encouraged and sponsored couples to attend, and supported a FamilyLife couple for many years, all the while wishing we could do more; but we had no idea what God had in store.

In February of this year the husband of the couple we support died suddenly. They asked me to speak at his funeral, and as I looked out at the audience, I was struck by the number of lives this one man had touched. As we both listened to the other people also express their appreciation for the way God used this one man to impact them, we realized the time we have here is so short. During this God confirmed His calling on our lives for full time ministry with FamilyLife, knowing that if God could use us to make a difference in just one families life for Him, this is what we were put here to do.

Matthew 9:36-38, "Seeing the people, He felt compassion on them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'"

There are so many people who get married and have no idea what to do. Marriage does not come with an instruction manual. The decisions we make here affect everything else in our lives.

The Bible is the instruction manual. Its principles can help every man and woman understand what true love is, and how to love one another, and to leave an example of this for their children.

There is such a vacuum here in our society today. The divorce rate is now over 50%, and climbing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people." The current path of erosion and unravelng of the family unit will soon lead to the fall of our nation. This family unit is the basis for our country, and is the strenght of our society. Our belief in God, and the foundation of a Christian family is what sets this nation apart from any other. Our society needs to hear this message before it is too late. Our children are the product of our decisions. The fate of our country will fall on the next generation. What model will they have? The time is so short.

This is why this crazy family of eight is heading to Little Rock AR to be apart of FamilyLife!!

FamilyLife, a subsidiary of Campus Crusade For Christ, is successfully impacting our society in so many ways, and on so many levels. The international marriage conference, Weekend To Remember, trains more than 92 thousand couples annually, there are now more than 9 million listeners weekly for its seven radio shows, including the award-winning FamilyLife Today broadcast, and the best selling small group study Home Builders, has helped train families in over 100 countries around the world. These are just a small sampling of numerous and diverse ways God is using this ministry to make a huge affect on our world today.

A few months back we sponsored a couple to attend a Weekend To Remember conference and after attending the dad's comments were, "I have heard from several different places what I needed to be, a good father, good husband etc., but I have never had anyone give me the necessary instructions on how to do it. This conference has given me the practical help to become what I know I need to be."

To know that God is calling us to make a difference in peoples lives as a full time occupation is a privilege we, and our children, are thrilled to embark on.

Like many other missionary organizations, Campus Crusade staff members have the responsibility to develop a team of financial partners who provide the necessary finances for their outreach, including their salary and ministry related expenses. FamilyLife’s president and most of the staff have the same responsibility.

Please join us in our quest to see God's plan for the family fulfilled in our world today!

Click on the Give A Gift icon on the top right, for a quick, easy, and secure way to join us in this pursuit, or call us at 972-636-3693. All gifts are tax deductible charitable contributions. Tax receipts will be mailed.

Please pray for us as we embark on this journey.

The Smiths