Couples for Christ

What Is 'Couples for Christ'

Couples for Christ (CFC) 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.

Where and How Did It Begin?

CFC began in 1981 in Manila when a local Christian community tried out a new approach in evangelizing married couples — bringing together a small group of prospective couples in a private home for weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social setting. Soon CFC became a Christian family life renewal programme made available to parishes and groups of married couples. Through the years, CFC has blossomed into a worldwide ministry, becoming a major force for the renewal of Christian family life and also of the Church.

It is God's plan that the family be the basic unit of society, such that the condition of families determines the condition of society. CFC wants to rise in defense of the family, bringing God's strength and light to those struggling to be truly Christian families in the modern world, by focusing on three specific objectives: individual renewal, family renewal, and Church renewal.

Membership and the Christian Life Programme

Any validly married Christian couple can become members of CFC. It is a Catholic organisation, open to membership by Christians of other denominations, with ministries for every member of the family — kids, youth, singles, widows/widowers, separated, divorced. CFC has spread from the Philippines to 89 countries.

Those who want to join go through a seminar called a Christian Life Program (CLP): an orientation session, then 12 weekly meetings over 3 months, divided into 3 modules of 4 sessions each — the basics of Christian life, the personal response of receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and a serious commitment appropriating the power of the Holy Spirit. There are no fees; the only investment required is time and openness.

After the CLP, those who finish are invited to formally join and are placed in a small cell group called a 'household' — about 5 to 6 couples that meet weekly, under a cell leader-couple, for prayer, sharing and fellowship. Finishing the CLP is just the beginning of a long process of growth and transformation in Christ, continued through teachings, recollections and retreats.

Recognition and Parish Benefits

CFC is a canonically recognised International Association of the Lay Faithful, fully recognised by and operating under the authority of parish priests and bishops wherever it is established; it sits on the Pontifical Council for the Family and is approved through the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Strong couples make for strong families, which make for a strong parish. CFC members support their parish priest and are available for parish services — pre-marriage counseling, education in responsible parenting, work in poor areas, care for the sick, disabled and imprisoned, medical missions, and work for justice and peace. CFC is a working model of the Basic Ecclesial Community and can hasten the formation of a strong, vibrant parish community.