Expert to hunt down truth
Kylie Saari — Staff WriterArticle Photos
FAIRMONT - In order to keep a car running in top condition, manufacturers recommend routine maintenance - oil changes, tire rotation and more. Many will even void a warranty if such items are not attended to.
But how many people put as much time and effort into their relationships to keep them running like a well-oiled machine?
Laura Petherbridge, a divorce recovery expert is coming to Fairmont to teach people how to protect their relationships from divorce. She will appear 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Red Rock Center for the Arts.
Petherbridge says her presentation, "The Pursuit of Happily Ever After: Revealing the Truth about Relationships," will address eight myths people believe about relationships that ultimately cause their destruction.
The presentation is open to both singles and married couples.
"Part of the program is to help singles make good decisions in dating," said Cyndi Jensen, coordinator of the event. "And target things that effect married couples."
"This is not about how to save your marriage," Petherbridge said. "It is about the reasons that relationships fail."
Petherbridge's expertise lies in divorce recovery, step-parenting and building healthy relationships.
She began speaking and writing on these topics after experiencing divorce in 1984. She started ministering to people suffering through a divorce, seeing patterns of behaviors that lead to relational breakdowns.
She has spoken on the topic all over the world, including engagements at the Billy Graham Training Center.
"A lot of people ask me why the divorce rate is so high in the church," Petherbridge said. "The church is not addressing the real reason people are getting divorced. It is addressing surface issues. That is all fine and good, but it isn't reducing the divorce rate. I go beneath the Venus and Mars issue, go down to the issues beneath that. Often couples don't even realize the reasons their relationships fail."
Petherbridge says the format for the presentation will be a teaching workshop.
"This is not a lighthearted talk," she said. "It is real and practical, and for people who seriously want to work on their relationships."
Petherbridge's message will take a couple hours, but she says the work of keeping a relationship on track takes much longer.
She says she will help singles and couples identify what is getting in the way of their relationships, and then it is up to them to put the her "practical solutions" into practice, or in some cases, get professional help.
"(Some things) you can't wish away," she said.
Petherbridge said one of the reasons her first marriage failed came from her deep-seated fear of being poor. Her spending habits created a problem that ultimately led to larger problems.
"Most people never would have linked those things together," she said.
Despite the seriousness of her topic, Jensen said Petherbridge's message is humorous and tells the truth.
"She creates an environment in which there is healing and hope," Jensen said. "This isn't going to be more of the same. It is fresh and truth and a life-transforming thing."
The event is sponsored by East Chain Evangelical Free Church.
To register for the event, go to www.eastchain.com and download the registration forms. Cost of admission is $25 for singles, $45 for couples and includes coffee and dessert.
For those who mention this article on their registration forms, admission is $15 for singles, $25 for couples.
Childcare for the event is available at the Salvation Army at no charge for pre-registrants. Attendees must indicate their need for childcare on their registration form.
