2026 TriState Marriage Retreat Has Concluded

A Lifelong Love: How to Have Lasting Intimacy, Friendship and Purpose in Your Marriage (Video Presentation)

by Gary Thomas

Download 2026 Event Brochure

About Gary Thomas, Author and Video-Based Presenter

Gary Thomas is a bestselling author and international speaker. He unites the study of Scripture, church history, and the Christian classics to foster spiritual growth and deeper relationships within the Christian community. His writings have established him as a thought-leader in the areas of marriage, parenting, and spiritual formation.

Gary has spoken at conferences, retreats, and college campuses in 49 states and eight countries, including appearances at the Focus on the Family National Marriage Simulcast, the Gaithers’ Praise Gathering, and several National Pastor’s Conventions.

Gary has also brought thousands of married couples closer together through his popular Sacred Marriage seminars. He holds a Master’s degree with a concentration in systematic theology from Regent College in Vancouver, B.C., where he studied under Dr. J.I. Packer. He and his wife, Lisa, have three grown children and live in Houston, Texas.

Meet Your Hosts, Jim and Robin Harper

As your hosts for this conference, we want to welcome you! We are simply a local couple who, by not following God’s design for marriage, have personally learned how important it is to keep investing in your marriage, and we’re grateful for the restoration Christ has brought to our relationship.

Because of this renewal, we are committed to challenge other couples in the tri-state area to make an intentional yearly investment in their marriages. We invite you to join us in discovering how to build your marriage on a firm foundation through this video series.

Learn More About Their Marriage & The Start of the TriState Marriage Retreat

Highlights From Our 2025 Event, ‘House or Home? God’s Blueprint for a Great Marriage’

We wanted to thank you for the vision God gave you to facilitate marriage retreats! You have a God-given vision for marriage and we wanted you to know how much we appreciate all the work you put into making this happen – again! We thoroughly enjoyed the weekend (our first in 25yrs), and bless you for our passion for the sanctity of marriage and keeping it healthy and pure! We have been married nearly 40 years but felt God calling us to regroup, renew, and “tune-up” our relationship. This weekend was just what we needed, and we pledge to continue working on everything we learned from Jimmy Evans this weekend! It was an incredible experience and we thank you for all the time, effort, and prayer you put into making this retreat an incredible success and a lasting memory for all!

Bill and Chris King

God’s Instructions for a Great Marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33, NIV)

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;

26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.

28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;

29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

30 because we are members of His body.

31 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.

32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.

Past Attendees Say…

Have attended Family Life and enjoyed it. Loved this much more. So many sweet touches and love put into it. Loved the individual tables…I enjoyed being able to solely focus on my husband. Thank you!

M. Lewis

I cannot say thank you enough Jim and Robin for doing this much needed event, to promote healthy Christian marriages!

2022 Attendee

Jim & Robin did a great job getting everything together. I could tell they have a heart & honest concern for people to have a valuable marriage. We will come again next year!

C. Maze

My husband and I had never been on a marriage retreat before…so glad that we did this. I definitely want us to do this again.

2022 Attendee

We praise God for this yearly opportunity to be intentional together about our relationship. God is doing miracles in our family!

L. Teach

Thanks to everyone who had a part in making this such a fun and educational time. The materials were interesting and enjoyable. We truly appreciate your time and effort.

2022 Attendee

The room, food, and venue was absolutely the best! You guys really do a great job, very organized.

L. Eberly

I loved the individual tables, helpful content, the smooth schedule and the amount of processing/down time.

2022 Attendees