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 committed to the Lord and to one another so that they may mature as men and women of God and fulfill their primary vocation of raising up families under the lordship of Jesus Christ and for the service of the Kingdom of God. CFC seeks to raise up Christian couples and establish 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.

History

 * Main article: History of Couples for Christ.

CFC began in 1981 in Manila when Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (LNP), a local Christian community, tried 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 in the power of the Holy Spirit through weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social environment.

After CFC left LNP in 1993, it transformed itself as a Christian family life renewal program made available to parishes and groups of married couples and other family members who wished to live out their Christian life in an active supportive relationship with one another.

Through the years, CFC has blossomed into a worldwide ministry, becoming a major force for the renewal of the Christian family life and also of the Church. It has also gradually engaged itself in sociopolitical renewal, particularly through Gawad Kalinga. In recognition of its help to the Church, the Vatican accredited CFC as an international private association of lay faithful in 2005.

Goals and Objectives

 * See also CFC Vision and Mission.

It is God’s plan that the family be the basic unit of society. However, there are many forces in the world today that would, wittingly or unwittingly, destroy the very foundations 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 light to those who are struggling to be truly Christian families in the modern world.

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.

To fulfill its goals, CFC has a three-fold objective:
 * 1) Individual renewal. Before one can consider the whole family, the husband and the wife first need to renew their commitment to God. CFC takes the basic message of Christianity and proclaims it anew so that those who hear it can make a renewed commitment to God in a way that will allow them to receive a fuller experience of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
 * 2) 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.
 * 3) Church renewal. As individual families are renewed, they form a network of equally committed families that not only support one another but also strengthen the Church of which they are members.

Membership
Any validly married Catholic couple can become members of CFC. Although a Catholic movement/organization, CFC remains open to having non-Catholic Christians as members. CFC draws its membership from all sectors of society, young and old, rich and poor, etc. CFC transcends all cultural, economic, educational, social and other distinctions.

Today, CFC is present in about 160 countries and dependent territories worldwide. It is comprised of 900,000 members (including CFC's branches, the Family Ministries, the Social Ministries, the Special Ministries, and many Gawad Kalinga residents and partners), of which 800,000 are in the Philippines.

To become a member, a potential couple should undergo CFC's entry point, the Christian Life Program.