Privacy Policy Vimeo Instagram Facebook

Bless Your Community with The Marriage Course

About Us

Marriage Relationships: A Picture of Jesus & His Bride, A Man & His Wife

In 2010, my wife, Suling and I were shocked and saddened to hear that parents we knew (our children attended the same elementary school) were breaking up. We befriended this family through the rhythms of school activity. What happened?  As we listened to their story, we came to understand that good looking marriages on the surface often do not translate to health deep down. Marriages journey through different seasons. Some get entrenched in brokenness, pain, bitterness, contempt, etc. from a progressively hardening heart. Break ups ensue.

After pondering and praying, we were led to “not just sit around idly by and do nothing … let’s not just idly watch the marriages of folks as some deteriorate into unhealthy ones or default to autopilot … let’s do something – something positive and proactive – to bless our community.”

A persistent impression from the Spirit sprung into a movement. A core team of volunteers (greeters, set up, registrars, cooks, hosts, technical) birthed the idea of bringing The Marriage Course by Alpha Canada to a mall. In the early days, we wanted to host the course in a safe, neutral space. People frequented Oakridge Mall (right on the Canada Line with ample free parking) and we were able to connect with its Oakridge Senior’s Centre. We rented that space as our “relationship central” for the community. Since then, we’ve hosted courses in church chapels, large halls, and in our home. A former intern and alumni from our first course, now a chaplain to the city, has hosted courses at a Waves Coffee shop in downtown Vancouver.

Couples of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds are invited to come out for a “date night” every Wednesday evening for 8 weeks. We turn the place into a restaurant.  Lights are dimmed, love songs play in the background. Each couple is shown to a beautifully set table for two – complete with tablecloth, roses, & candle. There is ample time and space to chat privately and reconnect in a fun, relaxing, and music filled atmosphere over a lovingly prepared meal. Quality food is key. Suling hails from an iconic restaurant family in Halifax, NS;  she brings that restaurant DNA to bless many eager appetites and we also have a professional chef on our cooking team. “What’s on the menu tonight?” is often on the mind of couples driving to the course.

Each of the couple uses a guidebook to interact with each other and the DVD teaching of Nicky and Sila Lee (Holy Trinity Brompton, UK). There is no group discussion. Response is always overwhelmingly positive as couples learn and grow in their relational and spiritual health. The time carved out of their busy schedule is never a waste and is strongly encouraging for each couple and also for us. After the course, many couples really miss Wednesday date nights.

Subsequent to hosting The Marriage Course (8 weeks), we have run The Marriage Preparation Course (5 weeks), The Parenting Children Course (5 weeks) and The Parenting Teenagers Course (5 weeks). These 4 courses make up what is known as “Relationship Central.”

In 6 years of hosting The Marriage Course and Marriage Preparation Course, over 90+ couples and 50+ couples respectively, have participated. In the weeks together, strangers and acquaintances become friends. Many invite others to the next course offering. After each course, we have evaluation and feedback from the couples, giving them opportunity to meet up with us after the course ends. We have discovered that the weeks following each course is a natural and organic opportunity for my wife and me to engage in deeper conversations about relationship issues and spirituality. Some have experienced genuine life change and have come to Christ in new found faith. Regardless of where couples are in their faith journey, we believe many have taken one step closer to the Father. We still count many couples as close friends and connect with their families regularly.

The course is full of substantive material, practical takeaways, and biblical principles.  Many couples do return and do invite others …

“My husband and I cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are for having taken The Marriage Course … During that time we learned about the importance of respecting each other, and not taking each other for granted. Most importantly, we learned that despite our busy, sometime chaotic lives, we need to make time to re-connect with one another. When we found out that we had the opportunity to take this course again, we jumped on it! This time around we knew that we were getting some very valuable tools. The Marriage Course has provided my husband and I with the skills to “fill each others’ love tanks.”     ~ K & P (Seekers)

We would encourage you to consider blessing your community through one of these Relationship Central Courses. Perhaps begin with The Marriage Course or The Marriage Preparation Course. If you are interested in hosting a course, we would be glad to offer any assistance you require. We are regional Relationship Central coaches for Alpha Canada and it would be a pleasure and joy to serve you with a conversation, and, if needed, training later on.

Blessings,  Lawrence & Suling Yuen

tmc1 tmc2 tmc3 tmc4

Carmen Kinniburgh

District Children’s Ministry Partner

Children’s ministry involves developing leaders, discipling children and families, exercising creativity, with an emphasis on fun and building relationships that help others to experience God’s love as they are loved by people who know God’s love. Carmen has served in children’s ministries as a volunteer, coordinator, curriculum writer, camp speaker, and pastor. Her desire in ministry and life is to help others (whether they be children, youth, or adults) to hear God’s voice and to experience the freedom and fullness of love found in knowing Jesus and living kingdom lives. Whether your children’s ministry is led by volunteers or a pastoral leader, Carmen would love to connect, build networks, support, resource, pray with, and provide care in whatever areas are needed.

Carmen lives in Vernon with her husband, Jeremy, and their two teenage kids. She loves playing soccer, hiking, camping, and theatre. She and Jeremy have founded two new ministries called Threshold Initiatives and Contributing Pastor.

Terry Ann Opperman

Official Worker

David has served at Lakewood Alliance Church since the fall of 2002, first as an associate, then as Lead Pastor starting in November 2005. David has been on various committees including DEXCOM, District Nominating Committee, a few General Assembly Committees, and the Rules Committee for District Conference. David has an interest in church governance and seeing healthy leaders serving on healthy boards in order to better equip and serve the church.

David and Tara are in the process of launching their three young adult sons and enjoy seeing the trajectories their lives are taking. David enjoys woodwork and getting out cross-country skiing in the winter.

Steve Schneider

Lay Person

Steve is a layperson and a member of Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey. He has been married to his wife Brenda since 1984. They have two adult daughters. He is an engineer by background and holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University. He works in the paper industry and is also the President of SGS Consulting Ltd. He has recently become a licensed worker in the CPD.

Steve has served in varied ways over the years but has more recently been focussed on church board work. He served on his first church board 36 years ago. Since that time, he has served on four different church boards and the District Executive Committee of the CPD. Over the last 12 years Steve has actively been teaching and consulting with church and not-for-profit boards within and outside of The Alliance Canada to help them develop healthy governance practices.

Keith Cheung

English Lead Pastor at Burnaby Alliance Church

Keith was also an active member at Westside Calgary Chinese Alliance Church before moving to Vancouver to begin full-time pastoral ministry. After a brief stint pastoring in a church from another denomination, Keith began serving as the English Lead Pastor at Burnaby Alliance Church in 2017 where he continues to serve today.

Keith is married to Cecelia (20 years this year!) and they are raising 2 beautiful daughters (11 and 6) who they adopted from Taiwan and Korea respectively. He loves, in no particular order, cooking and eating and conversations, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, road cycling, family reunions, and good movies and music.

Carol Goh

District Chaplains Committee Chair

carol@mycac.ca

Carol Goh has chaired the District Chaplains Committee and served on the Association for Alliance Chaplains (AAC) National Committee since 2018. She completed her Masters degree in Chaplaincy in Spiritual Care from Trinity Western Seminary and is the Neighborhood Chaplain and Pastor for Seniors at Chilliwack Alliance. As a chaplain, Carol invests in the neighborhood (parish) around the church through connecting with those who live, work, and go to school there. She intentionally supports the local public elementary school and other local organizations so that together they can weave together the fabric of care for the inhabitants. The Goh household includes her husband Andrew, their three teenage sons, Andrew’s mother, and their golden doodle.

David Driedger

Board Leadership Training Partner

dave@lakewoodalliance.com

David has served at Lakewood Alliance Church since the fall of 2002, first as an associate, then as Lead Pastor starting in November 2005. David has been on various committees including DEXCOM, District Nominating Committee, a few General Assembly Committees, and the Rules Committee for District Conference. David has an interest in church governance and seeing healthy leaders serving on healthy boards in order to better equip and serve the church.

David and Tara are in the process of launching their three young adult sons and enjoy seeing the trajectories their lives are taking. David enjoys woodwork and getting out cross-country skiing in the winter.

Daren Wride

Transitional Pastors Network Coordinator

dwride@shaw.ca

Daren Wride has been serving in transitional roles since 2011. He has been on the ground as Transitional Pastor in multiple churches around the province and has engaged as a Transitional Coach with several other churches. Prior to his transitional work, Daren pastored three churches in Alberta and BC for a total of nearly 20 years. Daren has also spent time in the professional speaking and internet marketing worlds and usually has a related project on the go.

Geoff Stewart

District Youth Ministry Partner

geoffs@peaceportalalliance.com

Youth ministry is among the most demanding ministries in the church from a relational standpoint, serving young people who are defining the ever changing culture we live in. Leading in youth ministry is best not done alone, and Geoff desires to help our youth pastors serve and encourage one another through the sharing of resources, wisdom, experience, and perspective. In the ever-changing world of today’s high school student, it is vital for us as youth pastors to be changing with them to understand the world they are navigating and share with them the life changing truth of the Gospel.

Geoff has been a youth pastor for 6 years at Peace Portal Alliance Church and volunteered for 10 years before that in the same church. He is passionate about seeing young people transformed by Jesus and becoming leaders in their school and community. He and his wife Lavonne live in South Surrey with their cats Norman and Puff Daddy.

Andy Lambkin

Team Lead - Property Development & Nest Housing Society

andy.lambkin@gmail.com

Andy wears two hats in the Canadian Pacific District. He serves as our New Venture implementer, helping new communities of faith emerge across our province, and he also leads the Nest housing Society, a non-profit affordable housing society working with local churches to utilize their land for social good while fulfilling critical ministry priorities. If you have questions about either of these areas, please reach out.

Personally, Andy is married to Jolie and they have four kids. Residing in North Vancouver, they call simplechurches, a network of house churches, their church home.

Carmen Kinniburgh

District Children’s Ministry Partner

jckinnib@telus.net

Children’s ministry involves developing leaders, discipling children and families, exercising creativity, with an emphasis on fun and building relationships that help others to experience God’s love as they are loved by people who know God’s love. Carmen has served in children’s ministries as a volunteer, coordinator, curriculum writer, camp speaker, and pastor. Her desire in ministry and life is to help others (whether they be children, youth, or adults) to hear God’s voice and to experience the freedom and fullness of love found in knowing Jesus and living kingdom lives. Whether your children’s ministry is led by volunteers or a pastoral leader, Carmen would love to connect, build networks, support, resource, pray with, and provide care in whatever areas are needed.

Carmen lives in Vernon with her husband, Jeremy, and their two teenage kids. She loves playing soccer, hiking, camping, and theatre. She and Jeremy have founded two new ministries called Threshold Initiatives and Contributing Pastor.