A little over a year ago, I sent this email to Melanie…”Today I will weep with God and with a gathering of friends. Tuesday’s class has been a constant confirmation that this [Awaken-Love] class is powerful and that there are so many women out there that need to attend. And I weep because I have no idea how to do it. I told God today that He is going to have to figure it out and open up doors. “
Three days later, I received an email from a woman I had never met before…
“My friend is currently in the Awake-Love class you are teaching on Tuesday nights. While I was visiting her in MN last week I heard about the class and was able to glance through the class outline. I am very interested in going through the class myself, but live out of state. Would it be possible for me to view the skype videos? She said you recommend watching them with a friend.”
To be honest, Melanie and I had already wrestled with whether Awaken-Love should be a video class. We just could not imagine your typical video women’s Bible study model working well for the class. You know the one – where you all meet in one big room for a 50-minute video and then shuffle off to your classroom to talk about – SEX? No way!!!
But when this woman ended up taking the class by meeting with a friend to stream homemade videos – it was as if a light bulb went on.
“My friend and I meet once a week at the local library in a study room to watch and discuss the video lectures you put together. We both LOVE the class and truly feel challenged as we learn about how sex can be in marriage. Each week, my friend and I anticipate our class time together, sharing freely how the previous week has gone. We will both walk away knowing more and working toward changes in the bedroom with our husbands. Both of us feel as though we are forever changed.”
Melanie and I suddenly realized we were supposed to make the videos feel just like the live class – casual and interactive. Small groups of women could meet to stream the Video Class in living rooms or church class rooms. We would provide the bulk of the teaching, prompt the women to share, discuss and pray – and we would trust God to fill in the gaps.
This fall when the Awaken-Love videos were done, we sent an email to people interested in the Video Class. Guess who signed up first? The same woman that took the class using the lousy homemade videos a year earlier.
“I decided to lead a group through the Awaken-Love video curriculum because of the responses I received when I shared the first time I took the class. Most of the women expressed great interest and some even begged me to lead a group. I am a busy momma of three kiddos with another on the way, I don’t have time to teach, but God has equipped me to facilitate a group.”
She has since completed the first Awaken-Love Video Class with a handful of friends. We are tickled pink and asked if she would share a little bit about her experience.
“In reflecting on the last six weeks, I am so thankful for the opportunity to lead a group of women through Awaken-Love! The videos were very well done and I appreciated how they were divided up into short sections to allow for transition and discussion. Going through the course one time changed my view on sex in marriage and what it can be, but going through it a second time brought even more to light as I picked up on things that I hadn’t picked up the first time.
It was also such a joy and honor to see how God worked through each woman individually. There were a couple of marriages where things were going okay, and taking the class caused the women to think more about sex and changed their mindset so they were having more frequent relations with their husbands, further deepening their relationships. There were also some marriages that were struggling and after several weeks, hearts and minds were being transformed, bringing change in the marriage. While things were not completely perfect or fixed by the time the class was over, God was growing and transforming these marriages.
Some of the things that impacted the gals most were the daily articles that were sent. The women said they enjoyed reading them as it brought new thoughts/ideas to their minds and kept the topic of sex at the forefront of their mind. They also liked the balanced approach that Melanie & Ruth take in this class, in addition to the recognition that what works well for one couple, may not work well for another. Another highlight for the women was the mixer questions as they enjoyed hearing from other women in the class and each one appreciated the openness and honesty of everyone present. I think each woman who took this class with me would agree that it was well worth their time and they will forever be changed.”
What if instead of waiting for our pastors to lead the charge, married women from all walks of life simply invited other wives to join them to discover God’s best for their marriage beds?
The Awaken-Love Video Class provides the curriculum, the videos, the marketing, the daily articles – everything you need. You provide the hands and feet, the prayer, and a safe environment full of compassion. And together we set God loose do what He does best – change lives.
Sometimes Melanie and I reflect on what God has done in the past year and we are just in awe. God is powerful and His truth transforms us. In the year to come, we hope to have many more stories to share about what God has done with the Awaken-Love Video Class.
Please pray about facilitating an Awaken-Love Video Class in your neighborhood.
The Author
