More than 350 couples attended the "Passionate Love: Building a Cross Centered Marriage" event Friday night at Lynwood Baptist Church.

The program was presented by the staff of the Men at the Cross Ministry, which was founded in 2008 by Dr. Joe White of Branson, Mo. The organization puts on stadium events where thousands of men get together to learn to not pass down bitterness and inactivity to their sons.

"Men at the Cross are just men at the cross. It brings men together just to teach them to be Pauls in a fatherless world," White said while explaining the ministry's mission statement. He told a story about the apostle Paul mentoring Timothy and training him in faith so he would have the ability to teach others. White hopes to give men around the nation the ability to do the same thing.

Before starting his own ministry, White spent three decades working with other men's groups but wanted to start a movement where denomination labels could be dropped and all men could unite under one banner.

"The organization usually just deals with men and teaches them what their roles are in the home and in society," said Jimmy Wilferth, vice president of the ministry. "We decided to create the Passionate Love event so we could also bring in the spouses of these men and all learn together as couples building stronger relationships and letting it radiate from the inside out."

Greg Kassing of St. Louis said the thing he liked most about the organization was the ability to mentor men who want to bring other men closer to the cross. He attended the function with his wife, Lyn, who helped coordinate the event held earlier in the year.

Speakers included White, Ted Cunningham and Mark Anderson, pastor of Lynwood Baptist Church.

Friday was the second time that Brian and Jessie Monda of Cape Girardeau had attended the event. They said they had no doubt that what they had learned played an important role in helping them build a strong Christ-based marriage.

"The speakers opened our eyes to so many things we hadn't previously thought of," Brian Monda said. "We did have walls built around ourselves, and the advice they gave us let us find a way to break them down and improve the communication with each other. We attended the first event in St. Louis while we were engaged, and now we are seeing it again after we are married to look at it from a different point of view."

Pertinent address:

2935 Lynwood Hills Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO