Every marriage has visible and hidden stories. While we often publicly share the joyful moments, the stories marked by hurt, misunderstanding, and unmet expectations frequently remain unspoken. Yet these narratives can strongly influence how we love, communicate, and experience one another.
What if the stories quietly directing our marriages are not the ones God intended? Too often, assumptions and repeated negative thoughts distort our perceptions, fuel conflict, and weaken connection. God invites us to reorient our thinking around his truth instead.
JOY Narratives™ is a Christ-centered, neuroscience-informed workshop that helps couples identify and examine the stories influencing their marriage. Through self-reflection, one-on-one spousal exercises, group discussions, and practical tools, couples learn to slow down, examine their stories, and realign them with God’s truth for deeper clarity, compassion, and spiritual growth.
This transformative workshop experience helps couples:
- Identify the positive and negative narratives shaping their relationship.
- Reframe unhelpful stories through Scripture using our Whirlpool‑Whirlwind Narrative Flow™.
- Reset and revive communication before it flatlines with our Communication Resuscitation™ tool.
- Create personalized narrative battle plans to continue growth long after the workshop ends.
For ministry leaders, JOY Narratives equips your marrieds ministry to move beyond surface‑level workshop enrichment by helping couples self-discover and address the spiritual and emotional roots of their own stories. It fosters a culture of truth, grace, connection, and accountability—strengthening marriages and, in turn, the wider church community.
“One of the workshop’s greatest strengths was its interactive format. The guided activities gave couples the opportunity to pause from the pace of everyday life and engage in intentional, meaningful conversations with one another. Rather than simply listening to a presentation, couples were invited to reflect, share, and better understand each other’s perspectives. Those moments of purposeful conversation were among the most valuable aspects of the day.”
– Johnny and Glorimar Rivera, Central Jersey Church of Christ
“My husband and I had the privilege of participating in the very first JOY Narratives marriage workshop, and it was truly transformative. We left encouraged, challenged, and equipped with practical tools that have continued to strengthen our marriage years later.”
– Zainabu Cunningham, LA Church of Christ
To learn more about JOY Narratives, visit our website at joynarratives.com. If you are interested in bringing JOY Narratives to your congregation, complete our contact form to explore whether it is the right fit for your ministry. For direct questions, email us at: [email protected].
About the creators: Koya and Donise Olubamowo created JOY Narratives from lived experience after years of successes and challenges with the stories that shaped, strengthened, and often strained their marriage over time. Koya and Donise have been married for 22 years and have two children. They currently serve as shepherds in the Mercer County Church of Christ in New Jersey and are being trained for eldership.
