Date Night is back!

Meet Our Entertainment

Mark Schultz

Listeners have come to expect inspiring and remarkable stories in songs from Mark Schultz, a 14-time Dove Award nominee and platinum-selling artist who touches hearts whether he sings about parents praying for a sick child (“He’s My Son”), or writes in honor of his great-grandmother’s sons who fought in World War II (“Letters From War”).

And with his latest effort, All Things Possible, Schultz continues to tackle matters of the heart and spirit with uncommon craftsmanship–though the past five years have impacted this artist in ways he could’ve never predicted or expected. He’s lived in Europe, started the Remember Me Mission with his wife to help orphans (Schultz himself is adopted), and became a father in 2012 to a boy, Ryan Samuel Schultz.

 For more information, visit www.markschultzmusic.com

 Follow Mark on Twitter: @mschultzmusic

Michael Jr.

Once in a generation, a comedian comes along who speaks to everyone. Today, that comedian is known simply as Michael Jr. Watch him onstage and you’ll see a man at ease…with himself, his audience, and his message. Listen to his voice and you’ll detect a comfortable, conversational style that hides a sly sense of mischief. Hear his words and you’ll laugh at the universal themes that connect us all.

Hailed as one of today's most gifted comedians, Michael’s entry into comedy was almost preordained. Years ago in a crowded Grand Rapids, Michigan movie theater, the projector malfunctioned. The film snapped, the house lights came on, and acting on a dare, young Michael jumped in front of the restless crowd and took center stage. When the theater manager tried to usher him out, the audience demanded he stay…and Michael Jr. discovered his gift. On the home front, Michael is happily married. He and his wife are the proud parents of five beautiful children.

Ted Cunningham

Ted Cunningham is the founding pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, Missouri. He is the author of Young and In Love: Challenging the Unnecessary Delay of Marriage and coauthor of four books with Dr. Gary Smalley: The Language of Sex; From Anger to Intimacy; Great Parents, Lousy Lovers and As Long as We Both Shall Live. He  enjoys teaching on marriage and family straight from Scripture.

Ted is a graduate of Liberty University and Dallas Theological Seminary. Having met his wife, Amy, on a blind date at Liberty University, Cunningham determined to marry her that night. Although he didn’t ask her then, she said “yes” to his proposal one year later. Now married for 15 years, they both love taking road trips and boating with their children, Corynn and Carson.

 For more information on Ted Cunningham's ministry and speaking schedule, please visit www.woodhills.org

Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley

Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley recently celebrated 20 years of marriage! They are the proud parents of four children. Together, they make their home in Colorado as Greg is the Executive Director of Marriage at Focus on the Family. In this role, Greg helps prepare individuals for marriage, strengthen and nurture existing marriages and provides support for couples in crisis.

Greg is the author of twelve books including The DNA of Relationships, The Wholehearted Marriage and Fight Your Way to a Better Marriage. He earned his doctorate at the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University and a counseling degree from Denver Seminary, and Erin earned her master’s in clinical psychology from Evangel University.

 Hear about Greg's strange conversation with his wife.

Free Resources

Now is the time to get the word out!

Here are all kinds of free materials to promote the event to your congregation and community. We have even provided you with a Child-Care Kit to help keep the little ones busy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why host a Date Night Challenge event?

Let's face it, everyone loves a good time. The Date Night Challenge is a fun way to strengthen marriages and families in your congregation and an inexpensive opportunity to reach out to your community.
Use the event to jump start your marriage strengthening activities for 2013, and then drive couples to other enrichment activities in your church!

• It's a great evangelism opportunity and way to reach out to your community — invite them to have an evening on you!
• It's customizable based on the needs of your church: choose the date, provide daycare, make it a dinner, or just host an evening of fun entertainment after couples go out on the town.
• It's a proven way to strengthen relationships!
• It's a simple way to get couples starting to invest in their marriage.

Who can host a Date Night Challenge event?

Get involved by hosting the Date Night Challenge event at your church. If you are a pastor or lay leader that is organizing this event, register your church. If you aren't a pastor or leader, send this page to your pastor(s) and encourage them to participate. If you're willing, tell them that you will even help champion the event!

Who is the event for? Who can attend?

This event is for all couples in your church and community. They don't have to be married, just interested in growing and deepening in their relationship!

Why is the price so low ($125 early-bird; $150 regular)?

We want this to be affordable and accessible to churches of all sizes. By keeping the cost low, you are then able to invest additional resources in your couples by providing childcare and possibly dinner, dessert or other fun things for the event. We want to empower and equip you as much as we can for this event and program to be a success.

What is included in the DVD or digital download?

You will laugh with a premier comedian and enjoy our special musical guest—like a personal concert! You will also get to hear fun marriage tips and teaching from Pastor Ted Cunningham and Dr. Greg Smalley. This is pre-recorded, so you will be able to show this when and how you want. You will also receive marketing materials that you can download to promote the event. And, as an added bonus, childcare materials are available- all can be downloaded on our "Promo Kit" tab above.

How do we make this a successful event?

The two most important things you can do to make this successful are:

• Provide childcare for your couples.
• Provide a venue to show the webcast.

Click here for a Downloadable PDF with great tips!

It really is that simple. We're taking care of the entertainment, and you just take care of your couples. If you want, you can provide dinner, or take care of their kids so the couples can do dinner before or after they come to the event. You know your couples and community, and we want you to be able to have the flexibility and freedom to make this a success. With the marketing materials, you will also have different ways of promoting the event, both in your church and throughout your community.

What is National Marriage Week?

Focus on the Family invites your church be part of a nationwide Date Night movement to encourage couples — young and old, singles and married couples, parents and grandparents, Christian or not — to put their relationship on the top of their priority list again. The worldwide goal is 5 million dates during the month of February. Instead of celebrating for one evening (Valentine's Day), we want to encourage couples to use the entire month of February to rejuvenate their marriage.

Here’s what host churches are saying:

“People are looking for an enriching and fun evening out with their spouse—and this provides it for them!”

“It is informal. We had food, childcare, and a good laugh. Couples were able to relax.”

“It is unique—specifically for couples and fun.”

“The name ‘Focus on the Family’ communicates it is well done.”