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Couple Care |
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| What is Couple Care? |
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A comprehensive ministry that involves the entire congregation - a ministry of caring for couples in Christ. Couple Care is an outreach to all couples, of all ages and in all of life's stages. A congregation's "full service" approach with couples includes work with youth and singles on "what is a healthy relationship", intentional marriage preparation beginning even before engagement, mentoring, celebration of milestones, small groups for enrichment and skill building, work with step families, and leader training for offering reconciliation and restoring of relationships. Intentional care for couples can literally give life to a couple, renew life for an entire family and change the life of a community. It takes a congregation to support a couple, in the daily offerings of grace and forgiveness and a life-long, faith-filled relationship in Christ. |
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| What is a couple? |
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• The animals that Noah brought on board by twosy, twosy,
• A "tween" on first school dance date,
• High schooler in one of a series of serious relationships,
• Young adult in a committed relationship,
• Two 30 somethings co-habitating,
• Two 70 somethings co-habitating
• GLBT individual and partner,
• Pregnant young woman, named Mary, and her betrothed,
• Two working parents with 3 school-age children,
• Divorcee (2x) and fiance, each with children,
• Two separated by one's work or service to his/her country,
• Active church member and non-churched spouse or partner
• Empty Nesters celebrating 25 years together,
• Widow and widower dating,
• Two with gray hair and wrinkled skin celebrating 62 years together.
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| Couple Care Possibilities: |
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• "My Body is Gift" Milestone Class for 5th graders taught by the Couple Care Leadership team,
• "What is a Healthy Relationship?" class for high school youth, utilizing those married 50 years or more as guest presenters,
• A comprehensive congregational Marriage Policy for all couples who desire to be married by your pastor or in your church,
• Marriage preparation, at least 6 months prior to the wedding, with assessment of a couple's strengths and growth areas,
• Mentors matched to each couple for first 3 years of their life together,
• Skill based communication courses utilizing some of the best, researched national resources available,
• On-going couple enrichment and small groups to meet the varied needs, stages and ages of couples,
• Forums, retreats, date nights, conferences, seminars,
• Gift of a first Bible to couples and classes on how to live and grow in faith,
• Study of the Theology of Marriage and the writing of a Couple Mission statement,
• Classes on faith and finances,
• "4-Keys" to a Heart Healthy relationship,
• Parenting classes,
• Step family care,
• Divorce recovery,
• Reconciliation and restoration of hurting relationships,
• Blessings of one's dwelling place: house, casa, apartment, condo, trailer, 5th wheel, or room,
• And many, many more . . .
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| About the Trainer . . . |
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Linda Staats, The Institute's coordinator for Couple Care, is available to assist your congregation or group of congregations in establishing a comprehensive Couple Care Ministry and a Marriage Policy. She will help you assess your needs and areas of interests and match them with your leaders' gifts and the multitude of nationally recognized resources and training available. Most importantly, Linda will convey the TYFI mission and vision: to equip couples to share and pass on faith and live out their baptismal call into the world.
Linda has been a trainer for Prepare-Enrich for the past 25 years. Prepare-Enrich is a recognized pre-marriage and marriage assessment tool utilized by counselors, clergy, and chaplains around the world. Prepare-Enrich provides an excellent foundation for a congregation's work with youth, engaged and married couples. You may schedule her to lead a one-day Prepare-Enrich training for clergy, counselors and equipping lay leaders who wish to serve as mentors.
Make it a two day event: Combine Couple Care & Marriage Ministry Comprehensive Planning with a Prepare-Enrich training for your clergy and mentor couples.
Call TYFI to schedule a consultation, training or coaching contract with Linda.
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CHURCH CHATTER or FAITHTALK?
On the way home from church Michael tells Trish, "Lots of people in church today!" In Couple Communication* this is called small talk. If Trish were to say to Michael, "This week I have a church council meeting on Tuesday night, we have supper Bible Study Thursday, and a work day on Sunday," this would be shop talk, information that's more essential. Neither of these is FaithTalk.
When Robin, whose husband died not too long ago laments, "I've made it through these past weeks because I know that Tom is with Jesus, but I am still struggling - I miss Tom so much," this is FaithTalk. When shopping in the produce section of the grocery store and Matt pauses to appreciate the awesome array of God's good fruits and vegetables, that's FaithTalk going on inside him. It's family FaithTalk when parents tell their children, "Jesus loves you no matter what you have done, and so do I."
Many couples have religious beliefs and practices as one of their relationship strengths, but are not yet comfortable discussing their faith with one another. Couples can use a set of FaithTalk Cards from TYFI as a non-threatening and fun way to begin. If children are present, use the FaithTalk Cards with Children. Couples who share and engage in FaithTalk in the midst of daily life truly enjoy God's love for them in Jesus. Some sample questions:
• What traditions or rituals did your family have at Easter time? What did they mean to you?
• What gives you a sense of wonder and awe? Why?
• Which parent had the most influence on your faith development?
• Tell about a time when you helped a neighbor, friend or stranger.
(* Shop Talk and Small Talk are TM phrases of Couple Communication)
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