The very first new ministry I started when I was at College Hill Presbyterian Church was a Pre-Marital Preparation series. We all knew that some 50% of all Marriages were ending in divorces and we wanted to do something to prevent that from happening.
What we came up with was a series of classes on key topics with a follow up by one of the mature couples in our church to Mentor the newbies in the cold, hard realities of keeping a long-term relationship alive.
One of the best things that happened as a result of our series was some decided to cancel the plans to marry. When several people complained about the breakups, I said it was good to split BEFORE the marriage ceremony not after.
If you know a couple that is madly in love, ask them to answer on paper privately key questions about married life. Then share them with you present. Some are copied from Dennis Cole, Pastor of Lifegate Church in Northern Kentucky.
1. What are the greatest memories of your home growing up? (That is what they will want in the marriage.)
2. How many children do you want?
3. Which of you gets up at 2:00 AM to feed the baby?
4. How much money do you give to the church?
5. How much money do you want to save each month?
6. Where do we go on holidays like Christmas?
7. How do we discipline our kids?
Any other stormy issues?
Get my books on healthy relationships and avoid Toxic Conflict!
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