RUN

Here in the UK currently 42% of marriages end in divorce*. The Marriage Courses are an incredible tool to meet this very real need in our communities. However, our courses also help to strengthen strong marriages and provide a way for couples to invest in their relationships.

The Marriage and Marriage Preparation Courses act as a bridge between the church and local community by recognising the need to go beyond the social, as well as physical, walls of the church to help couples with their relationships.

In this video, hear Nicky and Sila Lee, founders of The Marriage Courses, talk about using the courses and how they can have an impact in your local area.

*ONS, 2015

How to run a course

You will need either The Marriage Preparation Course DVD or The Marriage Course DVD with Leaders' Guide and two Guest Manuals per couple available here

Step 1

Plan your course

Plan the dates and find a venue to run your course.
Purchase course materials: The Marriage Preparation Course or The Marriage Course DVD with Leaders’ Guide and two guest manuals per couple.
Decide what/if to charge guests attending your course and create a budget.
If you are running The Marriage Preparation Course, Couple Survey is a great tool to help couples understand one another and it can highlight issues that couples need to discuss before getting married. Find out more about the Couple Survey and how to use it here

Step 2

Register your course

Create an Alpha account with us and add your course details. Once you have done this, you can download extra resources and promotional materials.
You can choose whether or not to promote your course on our website. If you do promote it, when couples are looking for a course running near them, your course will appear on the searchable map.
The Marriage Preparation Course: Once you have registered you can access the Couple Survey and purchase credits for couples to do it.

Step 3

Step 4

Prepare

Invite guests

Watch the training videos below.
You can buy personalised promotional materials here.
Think of ways to make your course feel like a fun 'date night' for your couples.

Think of who you can invite and ways to publicise your course in your community. See below for some ideas.

Sometimes couples need more help. Do a little information gathering ahead of time to find a counsellor in your area to whom you will you feel comfortable referring couples, if they need more specific professional help. We have some organisations that we recommend here.