Pastor Ron planted Highpoint Church in 2000 with a handful of people, growing today to a multi-site church reaching thousands in the western suburbs of Chicago. Ron's sermons airs on over 500 stations across the United States and with his wife, Jody, they speak on family related topics in many churches every year. Together they wrote the book, "The Knot of Marriage," which shares their story and the choices every couple needs to make to keep their marriage knot tight and secure. Pastor Ron is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Ron and Jody live in Wheaton, IL and have three daughters Allie, Erin, and Emily.
Cristian Barbosu is the Senior Pastor of Harvest Church Arad, a church dedicated to winning our contemporary generation for Christ. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute (BA), Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) and Trinity International University (PhD). His experience with youth ministry goes back to 1999. He is married to Anne and together they have three daughters: Fiona, Tara and Eden. He is passionate about reading, mountains, movies and traveling.
Rei Abrudan, Pastor of Via Church, Cluj-Napoca; graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Cluj-Napoca, has a Master's degree in European Studies and PhD in Political Science, Babeș-Bolyai University. Ramona Abrudan, educator and counselor in Via Church, Cluj-Napoca; graduated from Babes Bolyai University, Faculty of Economics, Finance and Banking department; For over 30 years she has been actively involved in the life of the church through personal, premarital, couple, family and parenting counseling. Rei and Ramona have two sons, Paul and Marc, married to Rebeka and Eliza, and have two grandchildren, Erin and Seth.
Emil Bartoș is a pastor and professor of systematic theology, historical theology and apologetics in several schools in the country and abroad. He lectures frequently on various contemporary and practical theological topics. He is married to Tatiana, a pediatrician, they live near Timisoara and are both passionate about books and traveling.
Adi and Ema are marriage counselors, actively involved in mentoring premarital couples, couples in their first years of marriage as well as those who have celebrated several wedding anniversaries together. Their latest activity is a family podcast which aims to encourage families and family relationships.
Teodor Dobrin (60) is the Dean of Timotheus Theological Institute, Bucharest, teacher at Betania Baptist Theological High School, Sibiu, pastor of Biruința Church, Sibiu. Victoria Dobrin (64), former secretary of Betania Baptist Theological High School, Sibiu, dental assistant, leader in women ministry in Biruința Church Sibiu. Teodor and Victoria have 3 children: Paul, Raluca and Adelina, and a grandson, Levi.
Clara and Laurențiu are the coordinators of Family Life department and have been involved as speakers at conferences for married couples/parenting conferences, leading small family groups, and trainings on using the The Art of
David has a degree in Automatic Control and Computer Science while Mihaela has a degree in English philology. Since 2007 they run Elpis (formerly known as Ellel Romania) and Elpis Publishing House, focusing on discipleship and healing. They have two daughters. Their passion is to see their neighbors engaged in a process of Christian maturity that includes both discipleship and healing. They desire to share, in realistic and practical terms, the truth of God - truth that brings deliverance from the deep wounds that hinder us from living our destiny.
Cristi and Lacrima Mariț live in Timisoara where Cristi pastors Harvest Church in Timisoara (VCE) and Lacrima coordinates the biblical counseling ministry. They have been married since 2010 and they have three children: Noah, Leah and Asher. They enjoy nature walks and vertical conversations.
Raul is the pastor responsible for discipleship and small group ministry at Harvest Church Arad, having been actively involved in pastoral ministry for 23 years. He graduated from Emanuel University in Oradea and recently completed his doctoral studies (DMin) in the Christian discipleship field. Dana is involved in the women’s ministry and translation department in Harvest Church Arad. They regularly lead a group for couples in their first year of marriage. They have been married for 24 years and have two children: Elias 17 and Zara 12.
Doru and Ema majored in theology and serve in Harvest Church in Arad, Doru as VCE coordinator and Ema in biblical counseling. They have been married for 22 years and have 3 children.
Claudiu is the senior pastor of Vertical Mamaia Nord Church, a graduate of Emanuel University in Oradea. Alina is a biblical counselor and worship leader at Vertical Mamaia Nord Church. Alina is passionate about people, design and all that God has created beautiful in human relationships. They have been married for 24 years and they have a son, Mateo who is 14.
Founding Pastor of the Vertical Church in Yeovil, England in 2012, Ciprian is a graduate of the Victor Babes Medical School in Timisoara and a Primary Care Physician in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Dorset County Hospital, UK, specializing in Trauma and Obstetrics. He is married to Veronica and they have three sons, Lucas, Marcus and John. As a pastor he is passionate about expository preaching and counseling, and his hobbies include gardening and traveling.
Călin is the pastor of Betania Church in Dublin and a licensed counselor/psychotherapist in Ireland. A graduate of the European Theological Seminary ETS-Kniebis, Germany and a Master's degree program in Theology at the Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad. Călin holds a Bachelor Degree in Integrated Counselling from the Dublin IICP Institute of Integrated Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Master's degree in Counselling Science and Psychotherapy from the IICP College. In addition to pastoral ministry, he runs the Designed for Freedom Counseling Center in Dublin and also teaches a two-year Christian Counseling course called VitalConnexions. His desire is to see more and more people find the freedom that Christ can offer through the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Andrei is a husband, father of two boys and is currently in charge of the Teen Challenge Foundation's prevention program. He was addicted to drugs for 13 years until 11 years ago when his personal encounter with Jesus brought him deliverance, meaning to his life, and gave him the strength and love to work with people with addictions. He graduated from the Teen Challenge program, where God fully restored his life.
Titus Păștean serves on the pastoral team of Vox Domini Baptist Church in Timisoara. After about 15 years of involvement in biblical financial education, in 2021 he started a Financial Association to promote biblical stewardship principles through preaching, conferences, seminars, radio programs, biblical financial discipleship, etc
Our marriages are meant by God to be a place of blessing and often suffer from unhealed wounds that come to the surface in this context. In this session, we will share God's truths that bring healing to our hearts so that we will be able to have deeper relationships.
How important is communication in our family? A proverb says: "I didn’t speak to my wife for six months. I didn't want to interrupt her." Love does not resort to verbal abuse. Who has the final say in the family? In this topic on communication, dialogue and not monologue, we'll be addressing effective communication in which each partner has something to gain.
When God brings a man and a woman together in marriage, He also gives a spiritual purpose to the newly formed entity. There are individual callings according to each one's gifts, but there is also a common mission of the Christian couple to make ministry an integral part of the family. There are challenges, there are sometimes exhausting seasons and limited weekends off for a family involved in ministry. But no other setting can provide a healthier and more meaningful spiritual growth than ministry. (we will speak on principles but also from personal experience)
When children are born into the family, whether we like it or not, it will add pressure on the couple's relationship and force a new dynamic. How do you maintain the balance between idolizing your children or treating them as a burden?
'He's not a priest in his family', 'She doesn't take care of the house', are two of the most common accusations of our times. Some responsibilities are so clear and non-negotiable, but there are some that belong in the grey area. How do we distribute these and how do we hold to those clearly assigned by God to men or women? What are the dangers that arise if we don't respect the God-given roles in the family? How can I be what God asks me to be? These are some of the questions we want to answer in this workshop, where we'll talk about roles and responsibilities in the family.
Did you know that, according to some statistics, 70% of couples fight over money and 57% of couples divorce for the same reasons? Did you know that the BIBLE talks about financial stewardship more than any other subject? In this seminar we we’ll talk about personal stewardship patterns and their impact on the joint stewardship, we’ll learn what the Bible says about some of the important aspects of responsible stewardship (tithing, saving, resource planning, expense control, avoiding debt, generosity, etc.) and share practical tips on how we can help our children become faithful stewards in their turn.
One of the best investments two young people can make before marriage is active participation in premarital counseling sessions. One of the best investments that two young people can make in the early years of marriage is participating in a small study group with other couples in the church.
Do you know someone who would like their spouse to change? Have you wished he/she would change? How does the word 'change' or 'transformation' make you feel? What about when this word refers to your spouse? If you would like to find out how two very different people being in the process of sanctification can enjoy a beautiful family life, join us at the workshop.
Are you in a marriage, where your spouse knows your needs, but doesn't fulfill them? Are you tired of always begging for the same things from your spouse? Do you get disappointed because of it? Does the Bible have anything to say in such situations? In this workshop we will discover some principles that will help us survive and even enjoy these kinds of marital relationships.
We all have expectations... higher and lower ones. What do we do with them? How do we express them? It's a good idea to ask myself as often as possible: are my expectations reasonable or am I putting pressure on my spouse? In which areas do I have the highest expectations? Expectations sometimes lead to grief, anger and even resentment. Some desires are left unsaid, and others are communicated improperly because of emotions. Our workshop will help you clarify some of your expectations and address them in an effective way that will lead to unity in your relationship.
Every marriage has its seasons, with joys and hardships; how do you cope with the winter season in your relationship?
We'll answer questions, offer practical solutions and useful advice for families facing the addiction of a loved one. Together we’ll explore some key steps to recognize the problem, and ways to provide support in a biblical manner. We’ll discuss concrete ways that facilitate the healing process, strengthen family relationships, and foster a healing environment.
Sex has become a god in our society. In this session Pastor Ron shares how the church has fallen victim to misconceptions and misunderstandings when it comes to sex and marriage and how each married couple can honor God and each other as they understand what the Bible teaches about physical intimacy.
This seminar does not aim to examine in detail all the theoretical and practical aspects of suffering in the lives of believers but will focus only on the effects of suffering in the Christian family. Why must the Christian family (also) suffer? What does it mean to suffer along with others in your home? What are the benefits and the harms of suffering in the family? The seminar will seek to combine theological answers with life experiences to stimulate an edifying dialogue among participants.
In this workshop the two marriage partners will learn what they got into when they married, but they will also take an x-ray of their marriage by filling in a questionnaire to discover the stronger and the weaker parts of their marriage, and finally they will receive some tips to fix every aspect of their marriage.
The marriage covenant lasts until death. But we all live in the flesh, in a sin-crippled world, and with an enemy that fights against God's covenants, so what happens when one or both partners end up breaking the marriage covenant? Are there any biblical grounds for divorce and remarriage? How can we prevent marriages from getting to that point? In this workshop we’ll address this taboo topic in so many churches, through a biblical and pastoral perspective.
Given that a trauma is an experience that has caused an emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual wound, people often start their couple life carrying the symptoms of these wounds. Once these are present in the dynamics of their relationship, they cause conflict, pain, distancing and loss of mutual trust. In this seminar we will discover the trauma symptoms of everyday life, the impact they have on the person and their life partner. We will also look at the solutions available to experience healing and a relationship that is complete and in God's will.
Young couples prepare for marriage in so many ways, but do they really prepare in the most important and useful ways? Too often these preparations have to do with the wedding, the honeymoon and arrangements for their first home. This seminar is for all young people who have not yet married, but also for those who have recently married and will explore the critical and crucial points that any Christian couple should work on, at the beginning of their family life.
“Families that pray together, stay together." Worship in our family is one of the most valuable legacies we can pass on to our children and the next generation. As the author of Psalm 78 says, what we know, we teach our children, that in turn they would tell their children. As a parent, can I be a role model if I don't know the Scripture I want to teach my children and don't spend time in prayer? "Teach the child the way he should go (Prov. 22:4) .... but be sure that you walk that way," Spurgeon wrote. Do we have a plan, as husband and wife, that involves timing and intentionality around family worship? In our workshop, we will present some practical aspects related to this highly important topic in the life of any Christian family.
There are many questions, curiosities and even concerns in the lives of many Christian couples about sex and sexuality. The problem is not about questions but the lack of answers, or rather, the lack of a healthy biblical context in which these answers can be found. This workshop aims to specifically address the taboo questions that burden and trouble many Christian couples. We’ll find answers to more than 15 questions, but we’ll also create a suitable setting for further questions from the participants who’ll join this workshop.
In this session Pastor Ron and his wife Jody share the secrets they have learned to making sure that their marriage remains strong and Christ centered with the pressures and demands of serving together in ministry. If you are serving in ministry as a couple you know first hand that ministry marriages are different, difficult, and demanding, but God wants to use your marriage and ministry to grow you closer to Him and each other as you help others do the same.
Anxiety and Depression are two of the most common emotional and mental challenges adults are facing today. These emotional traumas affect couple relationships and parenting. In this seminar we will be able to understand the causes and inner dynamics of the person who is going through anxiety and/or depression, as well as the solutions and resources that can be used to walk the road of recovery and how the partner can support the process. All of this is being approached with Biblical principles on husband-wife relationship. "
“While the weather outdoors is beyond our control, the communication climates within our homes can be changed.” (Tim Muehlhoff) Communication between husband and wife, making decisions, fulfilling responsibilities, spending free time, raising children... all take place in a certain climate. Some of the problems we face are often caused by this overall atmosphere. That's why when we invest in building a positive climate in our relationship, we create an environment where effective communication and understanding become what we’ve always wanted.
You feel like you can't take it anymore. There's nothing more painful than knowing you've done your best and yet you're still being treated in a distant and cold manner. You feel rejection from your spouse and/or children. What are some weapons you can use to cope in such situations?
