MARRIAGE COURSE
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Marriage course
Every married couple needs resources - tools to help them as they grow, as a couple.
This course aims to help those preparing for marriage to look beyond the excitement of the wedding day and those first few weeks of married life together, by looking at the practicalities of shared lives and the love and patience needed to build a lasting relationship.
Listen to Angela explaining why she believes this is a useful course, then look at each of the sections in turn. Read through the accompanying documents and discuss with each other how you feel.
Marriage Myths
A lot of people believe things about marriage that just aren’t true. They are more ‘myth’ than fact and may bear no resemblance to the reality of married life. Check out the facts that help to dispel these myths.
Who Are You?
People often end up with a partner with opposite qualities to them. Opposites attract! However, opposites can also clash! Understanding our personality and our partner’s personality can really help us see why we clash, especially when we are often so different to each other.
Conflict
Marriage involves conflict. It’s bound to, as it’s about two people seeing things from their own individual point of view. Some couples say they don’t argue. However, is that because they’ve learned how to deal with conflict without arguing?
Love Languages
In an ideal world, everyone would be like us, surely? Many of the conflicts we experience in marriage are because our partner is not like us. Understanding their differences can deepen our communication together.
The Marriage Vows
A vow (solemn promise) is said in church, before witnesses and in the sight of God. This is often the part of the service which is the most moving as people say words which they will stand by for many years to come.
For Further Reading
Here are some suggested books that you might like to take a look at, to help you in your preparations for marriage.
Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Married, by Gary Chapman
The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John Gottman
The Marriage Book, by Nicky and Sila Lee
Growing Together – a Guide for Couples Getting Married, by Andrew Body
The Meaning of Marriage, by Tim Keller
Marriage Works, by J. John
Loving Against the Odds – Creating the Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, by Rob Parsons
The Sixty Minute Marriage – Transform Your Relationship in One Hour, by Rob Parsons
Boundaries in Marriage, by Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend
Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas
All books are available on Amazon.co.uk
Credit: With grateful thanks to Fr. Cliff Bowman, for some of the material used in the documents and to Gary Chapman, whose book ‘Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Married’ provided inspiration for some of the ideas and content used in some of the documents.
