Marriage promotion and education initiatives are comprised
of a wide variety of programs, classes, materials, and counseling services that
are based on the idea that couples can learn how to have successful marriages,
thereby improving their well-being and that of their families. They encompass
marriage preparation, counseling for married couples, or crisis intervention. A
unifying theme in faith-based programs is the incorporation of tenets of
religious faith into their operating principles regarding issues of marriage
and family life. A program or curriculum may be designed for couples of a
specific religious faith or denomination or may be more generally based (e.g.,
marriage and family life within the Judeo-Christian ethic). Often, faith-based
programs enlist assistance from members of a congregation or community to meet
their objectives.
Generally, the programs and services aim to teach practical
skills that can assist couples to communicate more effectively, to prepare for
marriage, or to work together to improve their family’s ability to function
productively. Programs may be tailored by individual trainers and counselors
for particular audiences, such as families with step-children or mixed-faith
marriages. Approaches typically include discussions of topics such as finances,
parenting issues, conflict resolution, anger management, and sexual relations.
Services are delivered through a variety of arrangements, including classroom
sessions, weekend retreats, publications, and community activities. The
examples below illustrate the diversity of approaches among faith-based
marriage promotion and education programs and organizations.
Marriage Savers is a nationwide ministry
that works through religious congregations to help couples prepare for and
strengthen their marriages. Its principal strategy is to establish a community-wide
marriage policy in which ministers, priests, and rabbis work together and
devote resources to strengthen marriages and decrease the community's divorce
rate. With the help of participating clergy, Marriage Saver trainers recruit
mentoring couples to help engaged couples prepare for marriage or to help
married couples strengthen their existing commitment. Trained mentoring couples
also provide ongoing guidance and support to couples facing marital problems.
Marriage Savers encourages clergy to require at least four months of marriage
preparation, including a premarital inventory. The program also recommends
clergy-led weekend retreats for married couples who are seeking to improve
their relationship skills. For more information about the program, visit the
website at http://www.marriagesavers.com .
Catholic Engaged Encounter, a marriage
preparation program delivered during weekend retreats, is designed to give
engaged couples an opportunity to talk privately about their goals, family
finances, sex, children, and their role in the church and society. A team
of two couples and a Catholic priest leads the retreat and encourages the
engaged couples to examine their own relationships. The format includes questions
for individuals to answer privately and time for couples to discuss their
thoughts with each other. Although initiated as a Catholic program, it is
open to all Christian faiths and is available nationwide and internationally.
For additional information, visit the website at http://www.engagedencounter.com .
PAIRS is a program designed to teach couples practical "how-to"
skills to help them sustain committed and loving marriages. Historically PAIRS
has been taught by licensed mental health professionals or ordained clergy.
Program options range from a one-day workshop to a 16-week mastery course
and may be focused on issues ranging from premarital preparation to the problems
of deeply troubled marriages. The curriculum can be adapted to the ideas and
cultures of different faiths and has been used by Jewish, Baptist,
Like PAIRS, PREP was designed to
teach communication skills and conflict-resolution in a secular format but
also has Christian and Jewish versions available. For additional information,
visit the website at http://www.prepinc.com
.
Originally designed to provide an
alternative to enduring or ending a troubled marriage, the Third Option can
also be used for premarital preparation and marriage enrichment.
Developed in Judeo-Christian tradition, this program is non-denominational
and typically offered for free through Catholic Charities. Program is unique
in its on-going support of couples. Manual-driven; no training in the curriculum
is necessary. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.thethirdoption.com/
Caring Couples Network is an ecumenical
ministry initiated by the
For married couples experiencing
serious problems in their marriage, Retrouvaille
offers weekend retreats led by a priest and mentor couples. Though a Catholic
program, couples from other religious faiths are welcomed. For more information,
please visit the website at: http://www.retrouvaille.org/index.html.
Additional Information: For more
information, or to request technical assistance, visit the ACF website at
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/key.html,
or contact Bill Coffin, Special Assistant for Marriage Education, at bcoffin@acf.hhs.gov or (202) 260-1550.
9/2003
Resources mentioned here are not all inclusive. Their mention
should not be construed as implying, in any way, that the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services or its Administration for Children and Families
endorses or favors any organization, company, institution, person, activities,
products or services.