Couples for Christ GMFI Information

Couples for Christ (CFC) is a Catholic movement intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. CFC couples have committed themselves to the Lord and to one another so that they may grow in maturity as men and women of God and fulfill their primary vocation of raising families grounded in Christian values, in the service and love of God. WHERE AND HOW DID CFC BEGIN? CFC began in 1981 in Manila, Philippines, when Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (Joy in the Lord), a covenanted Christian charismatic community, realized that to effectively renew society, a conversion of both spouses, and consequently families, to Christ was necessary. 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 a series of weekly informal discussions of the gospel in a social environment. Beginning from the first 16 couples who joined the weekly gathering, CFC became a Christian family life renewal which was later made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active supportive relationship with one another. The growth of CFC stemmed from its heart for mission and evangelization and its commitment to sharing God's love with others, beginning from the basic unit - the family. It did not take long for CFC to realize that while a couple renewal was essential, it would be incomplete without family renewal.