Premarriage Ministry, House Hunting & Ellie’s New Role

Over the last four years, something unexpected has slowly grown in our lives.

Without advertising it or setting out to build a program, we began being asked—mostly by young adults we knew through YWAM and church circles—if we would walk with them through pre-marriage counselling.

It started small. A couple here, another couple there. We noticed that many were navigating cross-cultural relationships, life transitions, and serious questions about faith, identity, and expectations in marriage. Over time, Pre-marriage counselling became more consistent, and what began as a steady part of our ministry life.

We’ve shared our own experiences—our mistakes, what we’ve learned, what we didn’t understand at the time, and what we would do differently. More than that, we’ve tried to create space for couples to ask honest questions of each other before they commit their lives together.

Questions they may not naturally ask in normal dating rhythms. Questions that sit under the surface: expectations, conflict patterns, communication styles, family dynamics, faith rhythms, and what it actually means to build a life together.

It’s been deeply encouraging to see couples engage seriously with these conversations. Not in fear, but in honesty. Not rushing past complexity, but sitting in it together. We’ve seen both challenging discoveries and beautiful confirmations—moments where couples grow in clarity, and moments where they learn to love each other more truthfully.

We don’t see pre-marriage counselling as preventing difficulty in marriage. Rather, we see it as helping couples walk into marriage with their eyes open—aware that both joy and challenge are part of the same covenant.

Currently, we have been using structured material from Alpha premarriage frameworks, adapted into one-on-one sessions rather than group formats. It has been a helpful foundation—clear, structured, and accessible.

As we continue, we recognise the need to grow in depth and training. We’re looking into further equipping through platforms like Prepare/Enrich and other established marriage and counselling training pathways. Some of the couples we first walked with are now married, with children, and entering new stages of complexity. The questions are different. The tools needed are more layered.

We don’t want to rely only on our experience. We want to be faithful and well-equipped.

So this next season feels like both gratitude and learning. Gratitude for what God has already entrusted to us. And humility to keep growing in how we serve couples well.

God has a place for us

We moved out of YWAM accommodation after many years of living within the base community. It was a step we didn’t initially plan, but over time it became clear that space and rhythm were needed—both for ministry life and for our family wellbeing.

We moved into a new home in mid-July 2025, and it became a place of rest and stability in a busy season. In particular, it allowed space for Elli to recover from burnout, with enough distance from constant ministry demand to heal and regain strength.

Recently, we received unexpected news that we will need to move again at the end of our current lease. This came as a surprise, as we had expected to stay longer.

We are currently in the process of looking for a new home again. We are steady, and we are trusting that the same God who led us into the previous house will lead us again in the right timing.

A new season for Elli

Elli carries a strong servant-hearted nature. She notices needs quickly and naturally moves toward them. Over time, that strength also contributed to burnout, as it became difficult to hold boundaries when needs were always visible in front of her at YWAM Perth.

In this new season, she felt a desire to step back into a different type of work environment, not immediately into full ministry demands, but something more structured and contained.

Around the same time, a short-term secretary role opened at Perth Bible College, covering a friend’s maternity leave. It was unexpected, timely, and exactly the kind of role she had been considering: temporary, defined hours, and a healthy rhythm.

She has now begun working there three days a week for the next few months. It has been a good step in re-engaging with work in a way that is sustainable and life-giving.

We are deeply thankful for the many people who have prayed for Elli through this season. The care, messages, and support have meant a great deal to us as a family.

We would love your prayers as we step into the next few months:

• For wisdom and peace as we look for a new home

• For Elli’s continued recovery and healthy boundaries in work

• For young couples, we walk through pre-marriage counselling so that they can grow in honesty, wisdom, and depth before marriage

• For the wider YWAM Perth community, that God would continue to send the right people into this mission space

  
  

We continue to believe that harvest is plentiful, and that God is at work in the lives of young adults who are forming their faith, relationships, and direction.

Thank you for walking with us in this season.