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'Lame' site is anything but

What's the story behind www.mylamelovelife.com? In a nutshell, it has worked, unlike many a relationship.

By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published October 7, 2006

SAFETY HARBOR - The signs are everywhere, on lawns, cars and fences: www.mylamelovelife.com.

If you live in the Safety Harbor or Clearwater area, you may have seen them. In neon yellow, they're hard to miss.

They certainly are provocative.

Is it a online dating service, you might wonder?

A strange porn site? A blog detailing someone's disastrous hookups?

Nope. Although this may disappoint some of you, it's none of the above.

It's a church Web site.

The forward-thinking 450-member Cypress Meadows Community Church, at 2180 McMullen-Booth Road, launched the site to get people interested in a six-week Christian-based program to help save lame relationships.

If you're saying oh, yeah, forget it, just listen for a minute, says the Rev. Douglas Poole, the church's senior pastor.

He said that through his research, he found that 85 percent of Floridians probably will not be in church this Sunday - or any other Sunday.

"That knocked us back on our heels," Poole said. "We tried to find (out why), and (discovered) mismanaged relationships and sexuality have caused so much pain within families. This causes a lot of shame."

Too much shame, perhaps, to face the Lord.

"Mismanaged sexuality brings such regret," Poole said. "Sometimes momentary pleasure brings long-term regret. They wake up and say, 'Wow, I wish I didn't do that.' "

"But God is a God of amazing grace," he said. "He can help us bring resolve to the baggage we carry, help us to get it right and have hope for the future."

There's a whole lot of baggage in the Sunshine State. More than 81,000 couples divorced in Florida last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The six-week Cypress Meadows program was created by Christi Mahar, director of small groups and community life, executive pastor Tim Walters and Poole.

Starting last week and continuing through Nov. 5 at the 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday services, Poole will tackle a different relationship problem with a discussion. There will also be a short drama presentation to drive the point home.

The first topic looked at 10 red flags signaling a possible struggle with impurity. (Do you channel-surf hoping to glimpse something racy on TV or "lock on" when you see an attractive woman?")

"We noticed a bump in attendance by 25 percent," Mahar said of the first day of the series.

She boldly helped draw attention to the program by lying in a bed with her husband, Jeff, at the entrance to the church on McMullen-Booth Road and waving at passing cars a few weeks ago.

Poole offers advice on healing, maintaining sexual integrity, betrayal, forgiveness, conflict and communication.

If you are having problems in your relationship, the church has a list of Christian counselors who can offer professional help.

It is also planning a three-week relationship workshop facilitated by Mahar starting at 7 p.m. Oct. 23.

How many more people will respond to the program is yet unknown, but the Web site has been, well, a hit.

"There have been over 2,000 hits in the past 30 days," Walters said.

Times researcher Carolyn Edds contributed to this report. Eileen Schulte can be reached at schulte@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4153.

Future topics

- Sunday - "What Happens in Vegas Won't Stay in Vegas" what consequences can look like

- Oct. 15 - "For a Good Time Call ..." (dating/choosing the right mate)

- Oct. 22 - "From Roommates to Soulmates" (how to have a good fight and come out stronger)

- Oct. 29 - "The Greatest Sex You'll Ever Have" (God's design for marriages/sex)

- Nov. 5 - "On the Couch With Tom Cruise" (only God completes us)

Cypress Meadows Community Church is at 2180 McMullen-Booth Road, Safety Harbor.

Services in this program are Sundays at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Call (727) 725-4570 or see www.mylamelovelife.com.

[Last modified October 7, 2006, 06:48:35]