Digital Learning Intensive: Ministry Marriages That Flourish
When: April 9, 2025 | Noon–1:30 PM EST
Who: Lead pastors, staff pastors, elders, and spouses
Cost: $25 per screen (invite your spouse or team to join you!)
Format: Live digital cohort with teaching, Q&A, and conversation
Led by Thabiti & Kristie Anyabwile, this session will be recorded and available for later viewing.
A major pain point in pastoral ministry is the toll it takes on marriage—the most important relationship that too often gets the leftovers of your time, energy, and attention.
Ministry can take a unique toll on marriage. The demands are unending, the scrutiny is real, and it's easy for your most important relationship to get lost in the urgency of caring for everyone else.
You feel it every week—the guilt of canceling date night again, the exhaustion that leaves nothing left for your spouse, the loneliness of carrying ministry burdens that feel too heavy to share. The weight of leading a church while trying to love your spouse well can feel impossible.
Join Thabiti and Kristie Anyabwile for an honest, grace-filled conversation about nourishing your marriage through every season of ministry life.
Thabiti and Kristie Anyabwile have been married for 30 years and have navigated church planting, pastoral transitions, and the daily rhythms of serving together at Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC. They understand both the challenges and the joys of ministry marriage—the unique pressures, the beautiful opportunities, and the constant need for grace.
Kristie, a Bible teacher and author, brings her heart for discipling women and her refreshing perspective on being a pastor's wife who isn't interested in being a "first lady." Thabiti, an experienced pastor and author, will share wisdom on watching your soul while serving your family and church well.
Together, they'll help you see that your marriage doesn't have to be a casualty of ministry—it can be a source of strength, joy, and gospel witness.
In this Digital Learning Intensive, you'll explore:
How to stay connected when ministry pulls you in a thousand directions
Nourishing your marriage through the highs and lows of church life
The importance of accountability and genuine friendship as a couple
Remaining faithful to your calling to each other amid ministry demands
Creating rhythms that protect intimacy and cultivate joy together
This isn't about having a perfect marriage—it's about finding grace, growing together, and discovering that your marriage can be a source of strength rather than stress in ministry.
What to Expect
This 90-minute digital gathering creates space for teaching, interaction, and honest conversation. You'll leave with:
Relief from the pressure of doing ministry marriage perfectly
Practical wisdom for protecting and nurturing your most important relationship
Encouragement that you're not alone in the unique challenges you face
Connection with other ministry couples navigating the same tensions
Recalibration for leading your family and church with greater joy and peace
Harbor's Digital Learning Intensives are designed to be intimate, accessible, and interactive—small enough for real conversation, affordable enough for your whole team to join.
About Thabiti & Kristie Anyabwile
Thabiti Anyabwile is a pastor, author, and church planter who currently serves at Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC. With decades of pastoral experience, Thabiti is known for his thoughtful leadership, commitment to biblical faithfulness, and heart for the local church. He is the author of numerous books and a trusted voice in the pastoral community.
Kristie Anyabwile is a Bible teacher, author, and passionate advocate for women's discipleship. With a heart for helping women grow in their faith and understand their identity in Christ, Kristie brings wisdom, humor, and grace to conversations about ministry life. She is refreshingly honest about the realities of being married to a pastor—the challenges, the joys, and the ways God meets couples in the midst of it all.
Together, Thabiti and Kristie have been married for 30 years, raised their children in the context of church planting and pastoral ministry, and learned that a thriving marriage in ministry requires intention, grace, and a whole lot of dependence on Jesus.