It’s six-thirty, and the Fall sunshine is nearly gone. There wasn’t really that much sunshine to begin with; rain is in the forecast and, if the cold drizzle is any indication, that weatherman was right.

“I think it’s getting too wet!” he shouts over the sound of the leaf vacuum.

I’m relieved, even though I’ve kept up a smile and cheerful spirit in spite of the dreary weather. I’m cold, getting wet, and my runny nose is raw from wiping it on my flannel coat sleeve.

He pats my shoulder to break me away from my thoughts, and I set the rake in the back of the pickup. Time to go home.

It’s been a little more than three years, now, that we’ve been working in ministry together. The Bible Camp that employs both of us has been a lot more than a job- camp is our home, it’s our family, it’s nights and weekends, it’s our faith in action.

Trevor works outdoors most of the time- as the head of the maintenance department, he cares for a couple dozen buildings, the landscaping and physical property, the beach, a fleet of vehicles and a bunch of boats. I work in the office, typing and answering phone calls.

We’re together a lot.

While I don’t see him often during the workday, he’s the one I call when there’s a light bulb out, or a sewer backup, or a trip-and-fall hazard. We attend staff meetings together, have lunch together, drive to and from work together.

We do ministry together.

The Bible talks about a couple that does ministry together in the book of Acts- Aquila and Priscilla.

We first meet this power-couple in Acts, when Paul arrives in Corinth. Aquila and Priscilla are tent-makers. They not only make a life together, but they also make a living together. Paul stays with them, and his friendship leads them to Christ. It isn’t long until Aquila and Priscilla share the good news of the Gospel with Apollo, who would later become a powerful preacher and spread the Gospel to the world.

While we don’t know all the details of their story, we see Aquila and Priscilla mentioned briefly in Paul’s other letters. We know that they start churches in their homes, that they move from Corinth to Ephesus to Rome despite very real dangers.

Aquila and Priscilla are an inspiring example of a couple who worked together, in both marriage and in ministry (read more about what we can learn from this “power couple” in my post “Five Traits of a Ministry-Minded Marriage”).

There are some very clear parallels between my marriage and that of Aquila and Priscilla. Maybe your marriage looks very different. Maybe your spouse is across the world right now. Maybe you’re separated by miles and miles every week. Whatever the case, your marriage is a ministry, too.

You don’t have to be employed by a church, a charity, or a registered non-profit to be in ministry.

Some span continents, some reach across towns, and some just across the office, but the fact remains: your marriage is called to ministry.

Every marriage is called to a mission. Our faith shouldn’t just improve our marriages; our marriages should be a launching point to a deeper, more hands-on faith, to an increased passion for mission and for ministry.

Marriage isn’t about just enjoying one another’s company. Marriage is about going into ministry together.