Pastor's Circle - Ted Cunningham

Today in the Pastor's Circle: Ted Cunningham, author of a brand-new book entitled Young and in Love and pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, MO. Cunningham talked about why people should get married younger, which is the focus of his new book.

 

The trend of marrying later has taken over in this country. Is that a good thing? 

Absolutely not.

 

Time magazine had an article last month that said 39% of Americans think marriage is unnecessary.

Promote younger marriage? 

Oh absolutely.

 

We had someone come up to us not long ago and ask to do purity classes. I said, "We don't do purity classes, we do marriage classes."

 

We don't want our children growing up fearing love and fearing marriage.

 

Most people want their independence far longer than they need it.

 

They want to live the good life free from the responsibility of marriage.

 

Then, they're also telling us that if they marry too early, they're worried they'll end up with their parents' marriage.

How do you promote marrying younger? 

You start in adolescence.

 

There have been five milestones for growing up in any culture.

 

In every previous generation you did those five milestones in a very short time if not simultaneously.

 

We've put those milestones on a 10-15-year track.

 

The first thing you need to be doing is making sure your kids leave home as adults.

 

Marriage is a responsibility that we begin preparing kids for as teenagers.

 

Teenagers need to learn responsibility more than privilege as they begin to leave home.

Do people ask you for a biblical case for it? 

The first place I go is Genesis 2:24....for this reason a man will leave his father and mother.

 

Nothing will make you more like Jesus than marriage.

 

The problem with a lot of our marriages today is that marriage is turning our children into adults.

Is there a difference between evangelicals and the secular world on marrying age? 

It depends on a lot of factors.

 

The average age is 28 for men and 26 for women today.

 

A lot of Christian parents look at their children who are going off to college, and they say, "No way you're ready to get married."

 

What I tell Christian parents is, you had your  child take the college entrance exam eight time....you've given them everything to try to get that good start, except for the tools they need to be great fathers, great husbands, great wives, and great mothers. 

What's your story on marriage? How old were you? 

I was 22 and my wife was 21.

 

It has nothing to do with age.

 

There are a lot of books out there that are challenging kids to wait until they're 25.

 

Age has nothing to do with marriage. It's all about maturity.

 

I am exhausted with the 33-year-old who is focused on getting the next level of Halo.

What age would you say is too young? 

In the book I put there are necessary delays to marriage like high school.

 

I think early 20's is the time to think about marriage.

 

If the trend of late marriage continues, we're going to wipe out one of our greatest assets - grandparents.

 

Grandparents have been an asset to our country and to our culture.