Renewal of Vows
By Ps Dev Menon
Two weeks ago, several couples renewed their wedding vows. Most had been married for around 5-10 years and decided that this was a good time to refresh their marriage – before things became stale or went downhill.
What most of these couples did before this, was attend a 7-week long ‘Alpha Marriage Course’ over the course of seven Saturday evenings (we arranged babysitting for those who had young children). The course comprises topics such as communication, conflict resolution, intimacy, forgiveness, family of origin impact, etc. It was conducted in a ‘romantic dinner’ style in the Living Room, where each couple only discussed these issues with their spouse (i.e. not in a group), over a nice meal.
After the course ended, we conducted the ceremony. It was like a normal wedding service, with a walk-in (kids in tow), songs, and a marriage-focused sermon. The couples repeated the same vows they made during their wedding service all those years ago, but this time added a personal sharing of how things have been (both good & bad) and their willingness to renew their commitment despite all that has happened. They also wrote a couple testimony of how God has been faithful to them over the past few years. It ended by getting someone significant in their life to pray for them for the years ahead.
The reason we wanted to do this, is not just because we believe in healthy families, but we believe that every Christian marriage is a sign of the gospel – is meant to reflect Christ and the church, and so the overall health of every marriage matters to the whole church. We need to use every opportunity to build up marriages, and to highlight through these marriages – the gospel – to our friends and family. I believe many of the guests invited that day were moved and even inspired to do the same for their marriages.
We intend to conduct the Alpha Marriage course at least twice more in 2026 and have a vow renewal ceremony each time. If you are keen, please approach either myself (dev@zionbishan.org.sg) or Dn Junaidi Nyoto (96651621) or Dn Kemp Aw (90489977) for more information.
