Celebrating Marriage
Encounter Ministry launched initially as a men’s ministry. A few years later it expanded to serving both men and women.
Yet, if you ask Encounter Ministry Co-Founder Richard Wenschlag what he believes is the most important ministry focus of the organization today, his answer might surprise you.
“I love men’s ministry, and our Men’s Encounters,” Richard says. “I’ve been blessed to work with thousands of men through the years. Yet…still…our Marriage Encounters are the ones I get most excited about. What God does during these gatherings is amazing.”
His wife and ministry co-founder Shelli Wenschlag agrees. “From the first evening of these Marriage Encounters, you begin to see these couples enter this room of restoration and peace.”
The Wenschlags are open about their early marriage struggles. Richard shares his testimony often of how he walked down a dark path of infidelity and deep depression.
Ultimately this path led to repentance and a seeking of forgiveness. God was able to transform his failings into a profound healing of his marriage, and then he received a calling to launch what would eventually become Encounter Ministry.
The beauty of the Marriage Encounter model is that you share the experience with others who are eager to bring healing and strength to their relationships. Just as Men’s Encounter is shared with other men, and Women’s Encounter is experienced with other women, couples come together for Marriage Encounters.
Each of these couples arrive with their own stories, and their own challenges.
“Many are coming in with infidelities, whether it’s romance, work addiction, or financial in nature,” Richard says. “Financial infidelity is probably the most common one in marriage.”
The prayed up, and supportive environment of the Marriage Encounters set in beautiful Lake Tahoe allow these couples to communicate openly, and to heal in difficult areas that have never been reached in their relationships before.
“Often, women are struggling with family issues,” Shelli says. “Many times these are hurts that they had from their childhood that they never resolved. They bring these into the marriage. These Encounters allow them to release the pain and the shame.”
One of the most important elements of these Encounters is they provide a fresh restart, or spiritual reboot for the marriage. That’s whether it’s a heavily challenged relationship, or even for those marriages that are doing fairly well.
Both Richard and Shelli encourage attendees to return to these Encounters again and again.
“This is about making your marriage a priority,” Richard says. “Life is going to step right back in (after an Encounter) and try to knock you back down. Both husband and wife have to continue working together in prayer and scripture. How healthy your married life will be is directly tied to how strong your walk is with Jesus.”
If you’ve never attended a Marriage Encounter, maybe now is the time. And if you have experienced one of these transforming events, don’t be shy about making a return engagement.
