Ministry Sciences and the Wedding Day

Henry Reyenga

Yeah, so today we're going to talk about something maybe some of you have never heard of: ministry sciences and the wedding day.

Now, as an Advanced Wedding Officiant and wedding minister, we're leaning into the science of ministry. I love to talk about ministry sciences.

So first of all, what are ministry sciences?

From a biblical perspective, we see all of reality as inspired by the Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is our foundational reality. His Word is a lamp unto our feet.

So the Word of God becomes the glasses by which we study and interpret reality. Even when secular authorities, education, and studies are involved, the Bible becomes the lens through which we view all reality.

Ministry is the understanding that everything out there, from your perspective as an officiant or minister, relates to ministry. Sciences is how you study both creation revelation and how the Word of God applies to creation revelation.

What that does is allow us not to be over against, let's say, a hospital's institutional chaplaincy policies. Instead, we study how the Bible's role in your life as an officiant connects to the study of chaplaincy and the hospital's guidelines if marriages occur in the hospital or in a corrections facility.

We study what the guidelines of an institution are through the eyes of a ministry perspective.

We don't feel over against a counselor or a therapist. We study how our role as a biblical officiant or minister connects to all of these things.

So we welcome what the field of psychology has advanced when it comes to studying family systems.

We acknowledge how local state family laws connect to marriage.

We welcome studies that honor God's design for organic male and female.

We also understand the difference between the philosophy of postmodernism and how it treats a person versus the philosophy of Christianity.

Christianity sees male and female as designed by God, and each gender is a gift.

We study these things. We know the terms. We know how they operate.

So ministry sciences and the wedding day have that kind of feel as well.

When we're looking at that, we're basically bringing the presence of Christ, guided by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, into our leadership.

Ministry sciences helps us notice how ministry actually works in real settings.

People are affected by systems.

Family systems.

A church is a system, so we study how a local church connects to a wedding.

If we're a wedding officiant serving at a local church, we're interested in asking the pastor what he thinks and what the policies are.

We study that from the perspective of: How do we bless the couple? How do we bless the church?

That's ministry—blessing others and serving.

A venue is a system.

A chaplaincy institution is a system.

A Soul Center, if you set one up with Christian Leaders Alliance, is a system.

A wedding party is a temporary system.

There are dynamics that happen there.

If the system is unclear, stress increases.

Think about the rehearsal.

If no one knows where to stand, who is walking with whom, who has the rings, who signs the license, who cues the music, or who makes the final decisions, the emotional temperature rises.

The wedding minister may not be the venue coordinator, family therapist, or legal expert, but the minister should bring calm structure to the ceremony.

Again, this is true even if you only do one wedding.

Ministry sciences builds repeatable wisdom.

You begin to see patterns.

You learn how to reduce confusion.

Even if you only do one wedding, you become sensitive.

In many ways, it's like people-smart thinking, but you understand and study all of these things.

You know what?

Taking this course is participating in ministry sciences.

You are part of studying ministry as it relates to your role.

Maybe you're a church staff minister.

Understand clearly your church's perspective on doctrine.

Understand your church's perspective on the building.

Study what the janitor desires.

All of those things become part of ministry sciences.

As a chaplain, definitely.

If you're a corrections chaplain, you're studying what is considered an appropriate wedding in a correctional facility.

Whatever chaplaincy parish you're in, you're studying the ministry sciences approach and connecting it to your role as a studying minister.

If you're a Life Coach Minister, you study how your role as a wedding officiant differs from your role as a life coach and minister.

It's not just about communication goals.

A common mistake in wedding ministry is to think, "I just need to be nice."

Kindness matters.

But kindness without structure can bring confusion.

I have seen that.

Honestly, speaking transparently about myself, there were times when I had not studied enough.

I have done many weddings where somebody came from an entirely different Christian tradition than my own.

Ministry sciences would say that I better study what that particular tradition means.

Sometimes people come in and tell me they found something on the internet that they want incorporated into the wedding ceremony.

I study it.

Sometimes I have said, "You know, I'm a Christian Wedding Officiant, and that's a pagan ceremony. I don't feel comfortable including that in the wedding."

Sometimes somebody asks a question and I study the conversation.

They'll bring up something and I wonder, should they see a therapist?

Maybe.

So I'm going to study that.

Maybe a conversation or a referral to a website is enough.

That's great.

But it's that passion to study your craft as a skilled wedding officiant and as a minister.

One thing about Christian Leaders Institute is that we are committed to empowering ministers.

Christian Leaders Alliance provides credentials of ordination to those who have gone through study-based programs and are recommended within their communities.

Even that discussion is a ministry sciences discussion.

So ministry sciences is about becoming a faithful wedding officiant.

Knowing when to officiate.

Knowing how to provide essential pastoral care or referrals when needed.

Knowing when to coach and when not to coach.

Understanding the various situations that come up.

Don't get stuck in the concept that, "I do what I do, and I don't engage in these real conversations."

Study.

Yet stay in your lane.

Become someone who, when a couple comes to you, they know that you are interested in biblical, Spirit-led conversations.

Conversations that are sensitive to the world around them.

Conversations that see weddings, marriage, and relationships through the lens of Scripture.

As imperfect as you are, they see you as someone with inquisitive, biblically informed, study-oriented leadership.