Building Resilient Families
A teacher by trade, Letty Craig knows firsthand the influence that a safe and secure home can have on a child. Likewise, the impact of a tumultuous home often leaves scars into adulthood. Craig is the Southwestern Union family ministries director. Letty and her husband, Carlos, who is the Southwestern Union president, are passionate about ministering to families and empowering them to protect the sanctity of their homes.
“The family is like a kingdom,” says Craig. “We need to keep it united by the grace of God.” The Craigs conduct family ministries seminars throughout the Southwestern Union territory, providing helpful tools for families of all shapes, sizes and stages. Together, they have developed these seminars in both English and Spanish: The Family Designed by God and La Familia Diseñada por Dios.
In their seminars, the Craigs help participants understand the four stages of marriage identified by author Gary Chapman: spring, summer, autumn and winter. “Marriages are in a perpetual state of transition,” Chapman says, “continually moving from one season to another—perhaps not annually, as in nature, but certainly and consistently. The cycle repeats itself many times throughout the life of the marriage.”
Craig helps couples identify what stage they’re in and respond appropriately. For example, she reminds those in the winter season that spring is coming and that they still need to have a little spice in their lives.
In addition to the seasons of marriage, the Family Designed by God seminars discuss families in crisis and how to repair them. They explore the challenges and opportunities presented by integrated families, blended families, teen parents and single-parent households. They discuss the needs of men and women, how to be a forgiving person and how to operate with emotional intelligence.
The Craigs have been married for 40 years, are the proud parents to three grown children and are doting grandparents to six grandchildren. They worked in youth ministries for many years, driving their desire to see children, teenagers and young adults make Jesus their best friend, because these young people grow to become parents, pastors, teachers and leaders in their communities and churches.
“I’m family oriented,” says Craig. If you step into her office you will know that to be true. The joyful smiles from the photographs of her family greet you as you walk in. “I believe every family should have that, a focus on being family oriented.”
If you would like to know more about how your church can foster and grow healthy families, we encourage you to contact your local conference family ministries director. If you’d like to host a Family Designed By God | Familia Diseñada Por Dios seminar, contact Letty Craig at lcraig@swuc.org.
By Lori Futcher, Record Managing Editor
