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                      What is Couples for Christ?


         Couples for Christ (CFC) is a movement intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. It is an association of Christian couples who have committed themselves to the Lord and to one another, so that they may grow into maturity as men and women of God and fulfill their primary vocation of raising up their families under the lordship of Jesus Christ and for the service of the Kingdom of God. Couples for Christ is a work of Christ which raises up Christian couples and establishes Christian families committed to the work of evangelization and winning the world for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It grows mainly through the establishment of localized units in different parishes.

                                  Where and how did CFC begin ?

         CFC began in 1981 in Manila, Philippines when a local Christian community tried out a new approach in evangelizing married couples. The method used consisted of bringing together a small group of prospective couples in a private home. There they were brought to a living relationship with Jesus Christ and to renewal of the power of the Holy Spirit through a series of weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social meeting.

         Soon, CFC became a Christian family life renewal program made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active and a supportive relationship with one another.

          Through the succeeding years, CFC has blossomed into a worldwide ministry, becoming a major force for the renewal of Christian family life and also of the Church.

                              Why is such a ministry necessary ?

          It is God's plan that the family be the basic unit of society, such that the condition of families determine the condition of society. However, there are many forces in the world today that would wittingly or unwittingly, destroy the very foundation of the family. CFC wants to rise in defense of the family which is God's work. CFC wants to bring God's strength and God's light to those who are struggling to be true Catholic Christian families in the modern world.

                How does Couples for Christ intend to work for
                        Christian family renewal?

Couples for Christ intends to carry out its works and its mission by focusing on three specific objectives:

         A. Individual renewal. Before one can even consider the whole family, the husband and wife first need to renew their commitment to God. CFC first takes the basic message of Catholic Christianity and proclaims it anew so that those who hear it can make a renewed commitment to God in a way which will allow them to receive a fuller experience of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

         B. Family renewal. As couples renew their commitment to God, they also renew their commitment to one another and to their Christian family life. Gradually, the new life that they find in the Lord filters down to all their family relationships.

         C. Church renewal. As individual families are renewed, they form a network of equally committed Christian families who not only support one another but also strengthen the Church of which they are members.

Families in the Holy Spirit Renewing the Face of the Earth