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Eric & Nerry Graefen

Kansas City Marriage Ministry Leaders

Help Us Bring the Hope of Christ to Marriages and Families Across Kansas City

Hello, and thank you for visiting our page!

We’re Eric and Nerry Graefen, and we are blessed to serve the Lord as missionaries with Cru. Our passion is to help fulfill the Great Commission in the power of the Holy Spirit—to see people come to faith in Jesus Christ, grow in their relationship with Him, and become equipped to help others do the same.

Today, God has called us to serve as Marriage Ministry Leaders for the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Kansas City is home to approximately 2.25 million people and more than half a million married couples. Behind those numbers are real people and real families—couples who are thriving, couples who are struggling, and many who are searching for hope and answers. The challenges facing marriages and families today create tremendous opportunities to share God's design for marriage and, most importantly, the transforming hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Investing in Marriages. Multiplying the Gospel.

Our ministry centers around the belief that strong marriages can become a powerful platform for the gospel.

One of our primary responsibilities is leading the local effort to reach couples through the local Weekend to Remember marriage getaway, one of over a hundred held all across the country each year. But the conference is only the beginning.

Our year-round ministry includes: 

• Helping couples take meaningful steps toward healthier, Christ-centered marriages
• Providing spiritual follow-up to couples who attend our events
• Discipling couples and individuals in their faith
• Shepherding and equipping affiliate staff and volunteers
• Training leaders who can multiply marriage and family ministry
• Partnering with local churches to develop and expand marriage ministries
• Sharing the gospel and helping people take their next steps toward Jesus 

Our vision is not simply to reach couples through an event. It is to see lives transformed by Christ, marriages strengthened by God's design, and those couples equipped to influence their families, churches, and communities for generations to come.

Serving Beyond Our Formal Ministry Role

Our ministry doesn't stop when the conference ends—or even when the workday does.

We are actively involved in our own community, looking for opportunities to share the gospel, disciple individuals and groups, mentor others, and train leaders. We are continually amazed at the doors the Holy Spirit opens and the opportunities He gives us to have spiritual conversations with people who may be searching for truth, hope, and purpose.

We believe Kansas City is a strategic mission field, and we are excited about what God can do as we invest deeply in the people and churches of this city.

Would You Join Us?

Because we serve with Cru as missionaries, we depend on the generosity of ministry partners who believe in this mission and want to participate in what God is doing through it.

We would love for you to join our ministry partnership team.

Your partnership can take several forms. You can pray for us and for the marriages and families we are seeking to reach. You can encourage us along the way. And you can help make this ministry possible through a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support.

When you give, you aren't simply supporting Eric and Nerry. You are investing in the mission of reaching people with the gospel, strengthening marriages and families, and multiplying Christ-centered ministry throughout the Kansas City area.

We are deeply grateful for everyone who chooses to stand with us. We consider it a privilege to serve, and we would be honored to have you as part of the team.

To become a ministry partner, simply click the “Give a Gift” button below and follow the prompts.

To learn more about what it means to partner with and support a Cru missionary, please visit our FAQ page.

We'd Love to Hear From You

If you have questions about our ministry, would like to learn more about becoming a partner, or simply want to connect with us, please reach out.

Eric Graefen
913.980.9820
eric.graefen@familylife.com

Nerry Graefen
913.244.5308
nerry.graefen@familylife.com

Thank you for praying, giving, encouraging, and joining us in this mission. We are grateful to have you with us!