This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Celebrating Marriage - Event Wrap up

 IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Celebrate Marriage Event Wrap Up!

DATE: March 4, 2014

CONTACT: Anne McKenna, anne@mrecenter.org, 410-386-9003

Find out what's happening in Westminsterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Photos Courtesy of Jenna Shriver Photography

 Westminster – Celebrate Marriage 2014 saw a wonderful crowd of attendees and special testimonies on Friday, Feb. 21, at Martins Westminster.

Find out what's happening in Westminsterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 The 8th annual event was a fundraiser sponsored by the Marriage and Relationship Education Center of Carroll County.  The organization, established in 2004, is dedicated strengthening families in the community. They accomplish this through marriage and relationship education classes and conferences, community partnerships, awareness efforts, and counseling referrals.  

The signature fundraising event, that raised over $20,000, included a popular new format this year of Tapas, music by Standard Delivery Duo, and live and silent auctions.

This year’s event also included Community Impact Awards presentations to Bishop Ross and Brenda Jackson of Mt. Airy, and TownMall Westminster.

The Jacksons lead a multi-ethnic marriage ministry which reaches into the four-county region which surrounds Mt. Airy, MD. They have hosted the annual Team Builders Marriage Conference for 8 years.

“Bill and Anne McKenna (MREC founders and directors) are our mentors,” said Bishop Jackson who is Senior Pastor of West Falls Christian Community Church in Mt. Airy, which includes Christian Heart Fellowship Ministries and Christian Heart Bible College & Seminary, an accredited bible college and seminary. “We appreciate their support of the Team Builders Conference and value the work that they do here in the community.”

MREC’s newest award, the Community Partner Award, presented to TownMall Westminster was accepted by Susan Seaman, the Specialty Leasing Manager. “For TownMall’s enthusiastic support of the successful Date Night Carroll Community Outreach Project held in October, we present our new award,” said Bill McKenna, MREC Co-Director.

DateNightCarroll.com was the first-of its kind effort in the state to bring businesses and couples together to strengthen their relationships and will repeat in October of 2014.

Seaman said, she “was excited both professionally and personally” to collaborate with MREC to create a Date Night event at TownMall.  She also noted that she has an engraved desk plate that says, “No Surprises,” but when the unexpected “surprise” opportunity to participate in this project came up, she turned the plate over and said, “Let’s do this!”

The evening’s highlight featured a young couple, Chris and Elizabeth Combs who have participated in several MREC programs both before and after they were married.  They shared an engaging testimony of learning to “fight fair” after realizing they each had a long list of “dirty fighting” tactics they used in their disagreements.

 “Take my hand,” Chris said, and turned to the audience and continued. “You see, it’s kind of hard to argue with someone when you’re holding their hand and looking at them.”  

 In 2013, MREC programs served 89 couples in their marriage education programs and referred 40   couples to counselors for help with their marriages. In the Financial Peace Seminar they served 11 couples and 3 individuals. Their parenting programs reached 188 parents while 90 students participated in teen pregnancy prevention programming.

For questions about MREC please call the office during normal business hours at 410-386-9003 or please visit www.mrecenter.org for additional programming information.  

 

                                                                                 ###

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No goods of services were provided for this contribution

Tax ID 50-5715605

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?