MERCI

MERCI - Marriage Education Resource Center of Indiana is a Christian based marriage ministry founded in 2014 by Bob and Carol Esham. The first 15 years of their marriage were awful with numerous people telling them they should get divorced. Over time the Holy Spirit began to change their hearts towards one another. September 19, 1999 changed their marriage and lives forever when the boat they were on, blew up. Needless to say, the Lord got their attention! From that point forward they began to draw closer to Jesus and intentionally invest in their marriage which eventually led to the creation of MERCI. MERCI started out of their home, but they soon were able to purchase and renovate a beautiful old barn (picture below). This is now the main location for all workshops, events, and mentoring. (To hear their story, watch their interview with 700 Club below)

MERCI’s mission is to offer encouragement, support, and mentoring to help couples discover and embrace God’s design for marriage through workshops, 6-week bible study sessions, 6-8 week marital curriculum sessions, 6-8 week couple to couple mentoring, and fun date nights/fellowship opportunities.

Strong, Christ-centered marriages ripple outward shaping children’s futures, strengthening communities, and blessing schools and society for generations. We’re humbled and overjoyed to see how God continues to use MERCI to nurture these marriages, and by His grace, this ministry has flourished.

Ryan and Brittany Naville, the directors of MERCI, have a deep passion to help couples see that when they put God first (choosing to die to self, turn from sin, and follow Christ) they become free to love each other the way God truly intended. This isn’t just a theory to us; we’ve lived it and experienced His power firsthand.

Our journey with MERCI began at the very first workshop in 2014. We’ve seen firsthand how MERCI strengthens marriages and creates lasting impact, one that echoes through families and generations.

By God’s grace, we’ve had the privilege of serving in many areas of ministry since getting married: leading small groups, speaking at events, mentoring couples, and guiding marriage workshops and other gatherings at MERCI. We’re grateful for how God has used us, how He continues to work through us, and how He will lead us in the future.

As we grow, MERCI remains committed to removing financial barriers for couples seeking mentoring and support. Funds raised through this campaign will help with the partial salary of the Naville’s and support programming and facility costs.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has partnered with us in this journey. Your prayers and support mean the world as we step forward in faith to bring MERCI to this generation and the generations to come!

MarriageAtMerci.org