Franco Bosio strides through the crowded corner near Naples, Italy, brushing against cars jammed in rush-hour traffic, oblivious to honking horns and setting sun. Something else is on his mind. "The reason I am involved with FamilyLife," he declares, "is because it has made such a difference in my own marriage!"
FamilyLife transformed Franco's ability to communicate with Luisa, his wife of 16 years. "For the first time I understood that Luisa's way of speaking was a gift from God to strengthen our marriage and help us resolve problems," says Franco, associate pastor at the Evangelical Church of the Reconciliation in Caserta, Italy (near Naples). "This has made our marriage much happier, and I want to spread the vision."
Franco and head pastor Giovanni Traettino had long had a vision for such a ministry, for they believed that one of the chief needs of Italy was to rebuild the family. "Many people have traditional Christian values," says Pastor Giovanni, "but don't how to live them out. They feel a need but don't know where to find help. FamilyLife is an intelligent approach to sharing the gospel."
Social scientists say that 40 percent of new couples in Italy will break up. "Italian families used to have a patriarch who would give advice and counsel," explains Pastor Romulo Ricciardelli of Salerno. "If a couple had problems, he would tell them what to do, and they would obey. But not now. The modern family must always be working, and they don't have time or respect for their elders."
So Pastor Giovanni, Franco and their wives hosted a marriage conference in their church. They found it so helpful that Giovanni asked Franco to spread the ministry throughout their denomination. Franco plunged in, going so far as to travel to America for FamilyLife training. In 2003 he organised a marriage conference attended by nearly every pastor from the Church of the Reconciliation–72 couples in all.
God had plans far beyond what Franco imagined. The ministry quickly jumped denominational lines, and in less than two years FamilyLife conferences were multiplying throughout Italy, with networks of contacts from Alpine valleys to Sicilian beaches. "This is remarkable," comments Donald Malcolm, of Agape Italia. "It's a true moving of God's Spirit, and not something that happened because Agape laid out a detailed plan."
Franco would agree wholeheartedly. "God is the one who is doing this," he emphasises. "I feel like Luisa and I lit a small flame, and it has grown into a huge fire!"
"FamilyLife touches the whole culture and society. I suspect FamilyLife is going to be more effective for us in actually reaching and discipling youth and students than our traditional approaches."
Donald Malcolm, Director of Agape and of FamilyLife in Italy 
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