Marriage Savers Ministry
First Congregational Church has been a leader in the development and support of The Grand Traverse Area Community's Marriage Program.
The mission of the G. T. Area Community Marriage Program is to strengthen marriages and to promote the well-being of families. The program aims to help clergy, congregations, organizations, and other professionals provide marital support through premarital preparation, enrichment opportunities, and assistance in times of stress.
As a participant in the "T.C. Area Community Marriage Program"
we commit to:
- Encourage a courtship of at least six months, and recommend a courtship of one year.
- Sexual abstinence prior to marriage
- Faithful marital relationships
- Expect a thorough marriage preparation process including at least four premarital counseling sessions (or equivalent)
- Relationship education
- Religious instruction
- A marriage readiness inventory
- Create a positive climate in which all marriages are helped to succeed through training mature married couples to serve as mentors to engaged and newlywed couples
- Providing marriage enrichment opportunities
- Providing intervention services for stressed marriages
- Sharing resources among congregations and organizations
A new course is being offered within the Marriage Savers Ministry.
THE MARRIAGE COURSE is being offered by the Marriage Savers Ministry at FCC. Written by Nicky and Sila Lee and developed at Holy Trinity Brompton (the same church that initiated the Alpha Course), it has reached over 600 couples since 1996 in Britain alone.
The aim of The Marriage Course is to enable married couples to build a healthy marriage that will last a lifetime. Over seven evenings spent together they find out new things about each other, and new things about themselves. They have the opportunity to talk about issues that have been swept under the carpet in the rush of daily life. They discover what makes their partner feel loved. They have the time to discuss ways they have caused each other pain and discover how to heal the hurt. They recognize the sources of pressure on their relationship. Some learn new skills for communicating and resolving conflict. Others make changes in their lifestyle in order to nurture their marriage. And they grow closer to each other and to God in the process. Their privacy as a couple is always respected. There is no requirement to disclose anything personal to a third party, but they are expected to talk to each other.
The Marriage Course is for any married couple who wants to build a strong and lasting relationship, especially:
- Those who want to enhance their marriage
- Those in the first five years of marriage
- Those at a challenging stage in their marriage (the birth of a child, a career change, teenagers at home, the ‘empty nest’)
- Those struggling with issues in their marriage
The cost of the course is $30 per couple which covers materials and the graduation dinner. Scholarships are available.
The next Marriage Course will begin in January 08 and will meet Saturday mornings at 9:00. Childcare will be available.
Registration is required because of limited enrollment. More information and registration forms may be obtained by calling the church office at (231) 947-6698.
