Scot and Michelle Buchanan have been serving as Foundation Group leaders to newly married couples for the last 15 years. Through their time helping others navigate how to have Christ-centered marriages, they’ve seen the benefits of serving together as a couple and have learned a lot about their own marriage and relationships with Christ.
How has your life changed as you’ve learned more about Christ?
M: “I recognized at a young age through a backyard Bible study that I was sinful and needed Jesus. In junior high, I learned that being a Christian was more than just being saved and going to Heaven; It was about having a personal relationship with the Lord. I didn’t spend much time in His Word until I was a mom of young kids, but with adding that to my life, I grew to know Christ more deeply.
“God has really changed my need for control and grown my ability to trust Him. He’s given me the confidence to walk without fear. I’m thankful for the ways that God has changed me and for the ways He will continue to change me.”
S: “I wasn’t raised in a Christian home, but as a junior in high school, I heard the gospel through Young Life events. I had a leader who loved me unconditionally. He was so open to talk about Scripture and his relationship with Christ. Growing up I felt like I had to achieve or stand out in everything I did. I learned that God is most interested in my heart and my faith in Him; He’s not interested in my achievements.”
How did you get involved with Foundation Groups?
S: “We recognized this was a way to create new relationships and to serve together as a couple. The first ten years of our marriage weren’t great. It wasn’t horrible, but by no means was our marriage the hope that God intended for a husband and a wife. We’re able to guide other married couples to learn the biblical roles in marriage, how to talk about hard things, and how to think about and plan to steward the resources God has provided.”
How have you seen the Lord’s faithfulness as you serve with Foundation Groups?
M: “God loves people and wants the best for us. When there is a covenant with God through marriage and both husband and wife submit their hearts to Christ, I believe any and every marriage can be an example of God’s love to the watching world. We have been able to see the Lord be faithful to heal people of addictions, control issues, anger, pride, insecurity, and selfishness. The Lord has changed hurting couples into marriages that thrive and shine.”
S: “God has always been in the business of redeeming His people. One place God is at work is in your marriage. The only thing that can redeem two sinners joined together in marriage is the truth of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. We have had a front-row seat to life-change through God’s work in marriages here at Watermark. It’s so fun for us to be part of His redemptive work when a couple changes because of their love for Christ.”
What have you learned through your time serving together?
S: “I never really appreciated the way God has wired Michelle and her spiritual gifts. It’s very true and obvious after serving together. I know where her strengths are and how God has allowed her to influence other women. I’ve learned that God has a design that is perfect for His people.
“There is a lot of growing that happens when you serve together over 15 years: growth in our communication, stewardship, and emotional intimacy. There’s a lot to be said about teaching and how it improves your own marriage and your relationship with Christ.”
M: “In the first ten years of our marriage, when it was difficult, I often thought, ‘I guess I have to be married to him, because divorce isn’t an option.’ But as we have grown in our marriage, served together, and have led these couples as we study God’s Word together, I now realize that it is a privilege to be married to him. I am so thankful. We’ve always been very different, but now we recognize that those differences help us effectively serve the Lord together. The commonality of our hearts is to honor the Lord and love others.”
Watermark’s marriage ministries offer opportunitiesn to prepare nearlyweds, establish newlyweds, and enrich and restore all marriages through spiritual encouragement and biblical counsel. watermark.org/marriage