How We Got Started

In 1999, God began to make it clear that he was calling Hank and Cindy Janczyk into marriage ministry.  Just on the other side of recovery from their own marriage crisis, their pastor asked them to share what God was doing in their lives at church. It was a huge step of faith for them.

"At that time Hank and I could barely make it through two days without avoiding very painful conversation. We were far from finished, but we were stable and God took that small place of growth and used it.”

A steady stream of hurting couples began to find their way to the Janczyk’s and they started meeting with them privately. Their pastor, Gerry Stoltzfoos of Freedom Valley Worship Center recognized this as a calling and asked them to lead the church’s first marriage ministry.  They organized a small group of couples who met regularly to pray with them for 5 months, diligently asking God for His vision for this ministry.  God impressed upon this team Isaiah 61:4, “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated,” and Rebuilders Marriage Ministry became their official name.  The ultimate vision is similar to that of Nehemiah’s.  In the wake of prevalent marriage devastation, Rebuilders took up the call to rebuild the wall of our testimony as a church, one marriage at a time so the world could see the difference Jesus makes in a family.   

In 2000, Cindy began seeking the Lord for a teaching resource to use for the ministry while  following the instruction of Habakkuk 2:2 “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”  At the same time, God was beginning to reveal Himself to Cindy through the Song of Solomon.  It quickly became a source of experiencing God’s love in new depths and has become the basis for several curriculum series she has written.

“Catching the Foxes” is a study of seven foxes that are common to most marriage struggles. The course has been taught in small group settings for nearly 7 years, equipping many couples so that they are “prepared for the terrors of the night” Song of Solomon 3:8. The mission of Rebuilders also includes the population of young adult singles.  Cindy’s curriculum series, “Finding Intimacy in a Love-Starved World” is a desperate attempt to reach a generation of people who are not only giving up on church but abandoning traditional marriage.  Using the Song of Solomon love model, God has provided this tool to help young adults understand the truth of His plan for romance. Visit www.hisravishedheart.com for more details.  

Recognizing the needs of a growing ministry, Hank and Cindy became active in helping to establish Freedom Christian Counseling Services that is now housed in the church with a staff of nearly 12 pastoral counselors. With this development, Hank felt relieved to devote most of his time and attention to his coaching profession.  Although he remained involved on several levels of teaching, Cindy assumed primary leadership in 2004.

 “There’s no message more effective than ‘I know. I was there. Let me show you the way out.’  We are incredibly blessed to have a team of couples who are transparent, sacrificial and compassionate for hurting people.  When you’ve been through the fire, you know how much it means to have someone to listen and hold out hope for true change.” 

Most recently, the Lord has directed Cindy to further develop outreach efforts through writing and speaking.  Keith and Wendy Kadish have been appointed co-directors of Rebuilders and are continuing the work of ministry to married couples with great passion. They are joined by a staff of nearly 10 couples who are active in a variety of lay-ministry efforts.