Marriage, ministry, and parenting comes with a learning curve

Michael Bratun

Bratun Family | Mission Viejo CA

I married into a ministry family. My wife had also been a pastor’s kid, but she had been married before. That relationship was pretty traumatic for both her and her daughter. So when we got married, I not only became a husband, but a dad as well.

I grew up as a pastor’s kid too, and there were always a lot of outside opinions about how I should live and who I should be. I had a really good relationship with both my mom and dad, but the pressures of ministry and the hurt that came from the church took a toll on all of us. It took years for our family to recover and find our footing again. Only in the last ten years have my dad and I really grown close. Our relationship today is strong and healthy, and I’m thankful for that.

Marriage, ministry, and parenting came with a learning curve, but we were committed to each other and to the process. Our family grew as we had two more children. Both pregnancies came with major health scares. My middle child, my son, was born with autism and a lifelong autoimmune disease. My wife has also courageously battled health issues that began in childhood and still affect her today, even as she juggles motherhood, our business, and church life. These experiences have taught me patience, faith, and how fragile and precious life really is. Together, we face whatever life brings us with joy, courage, and perseverance.

It’s one thing to want to be a great husband and father, but another to have a clear plan to get there. Without intentionality, those goals just slip through the cracks. Dad Academy helped me learn how to parent on purpose. It gave me the tools to set specific goals, plan ahead, and grow into the godly father I’m called to be. Because of that, our family celebrates life every day — knowing that every day matters.