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Marriage Course

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

The participants are paying for the course (usually 16 dinners so not a negligible amount) so they do not simply walk away. From unpublished statistics and personal experience I know the dropout rate sounds right. I wonder whether the fact that the course is paid should be clarified? I do not, however, see a case of this being "extraordinary claim". Please advise. Jakub.cz (talk) 12:43, 21 February 2023 (UTC)
Added a brief sentence as a reminder that the course is paid, hence perhaps the low dropout rate. Jakub.cz (talk) 13:57, 26 July 2023 (UTC)


The Marriage Course is a relationship counseling course designed to help couples build a stronger marriage.[1][2] Each session consists of three parts: a dinner at a table for two, a talk on a particular topic and a private conversation between the couple.[3]. The same course is run by different organisations in different countries and in different settings (most often churches, cafés or homes).

History[edit]

The course began in 1996 at the Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican Church in London.[2][4] It was created by Nicky and Sila Lee.[5] In 2009, the talks for the course were recorded on a DVD.[6] International development of the courses is done by Alpha International. By 2013, Marriage Courses were organised in 1038 locations in the UK, translated into 40 languages and running in 109 countries.[7] In 2016, it was 127 countries in 46 languages with 1.5 million participants, and the Marriage Course has been endorsed by a number of Christian denominations including senior leaders within the Catholic Church.[8] In 2017, this has risen to 1.7 million.[9] By 2020, The Marriage Course has been run in over 120 countries for over 2 million couples.[1] In 2020, it also started to be run online.[10]

Description[edit]

The course consists of seven sessions[11], often seven evenings over the course of seven weeks. Its stated aim is primarily not to counsel struggling couples,[1] but according to course founders, to "be proactive in preventing people from needing counseling. It's about prevention rather than cure. To help couples grow closer."[4]

Each session consists of 3 parts: a dinner at tables for two, a talk, and private conversations:

  • A meal (about 30 minutes long).[3] The couples sit separately during the whole course. The meal is one of the things that course leaders are encouraged to organise in order to create a welcoming romantic atmosphere and make it easier for the couples to talk intimately.[4]
  • The talks (about 45 minutes long) are either given live by a presenter, played from a DVD or streamed online. They may include interviews with live guests, video footage of couples from around the world sharing about how they deal with the different topics, or presentations by experts on the topic.[4] Topics include e.g. communication, conflict resolution, sex, forgiveness and finances.[5]
  • Private conversations (about 60 minutes). Each couple gets two "journals"[4][5] and as a couple, in privacy, they go over the discussion questions or checklists about the topic. For example, a conversation called "Taking stock of your marriage" includes rating statements such as "we are able to apologise and forgive when one of use has hurt the other", "my partner listens to my point of view even if we disagree" and "I am happy about the frequency of our lovemaking", and then discussing them.[4] Each session also includes a "continuing conversation" suggested for further discussion at home.[4]

The authors of the course emphasize the idea of spending time together as a couple and learning to communicate[4] as the most important principles of the course. Course content includes tools, principles and sometimes video interviews with authors of The Five Love Languages, Reflective listening, nurturing fondness and admiration (from The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work), Emotionally focused therapy and Personal boundaries.[4]

Intended audience[edit]

  • Most courses around the world invite both guests who are married and who are cohabiting.[3]
  • The course is not intended for any specific age group,[4] however in 2017, 76% of guests were under age 35[12]
  • Guests include those who have a strong relationship (60% of guests in 2017[12]) and those who are struggling (32% of guests in 2017).[12] Interviews with couples have shown that many of them realize the weaknesses in their relationship only during the course.[11] About 10% of guests use the option to seek professional counseling after the course.[5]
  • The course is based on Christian principles but designed to be suitable also for couples without a religious background.[3] The Christian content is a "largely peripheral presence. Focus is on the practical, not the spiritual."[4] In 2013 about 50% of the couples who have attended the course in London were not religious[7] and in 2017, only 36% of guests heard about the course in their church.[9]
  • The course is most often not free and requires the guests to pay for meals and materials.[4][5]

Reception[edit]

In 2017, global research on the courses by The Barna Group based on feedback from 1000 guests from UK, Mexico, China, USA, Argentina, South Africa and other countries[12] has shown that:

  • 85% of the courses are run in churches, including (ordered by number of courses) Catholic, Pentecostal, Non-denominational, Reformed, Anglican, Baptist, Free Evangelical, Alliance and Presbyterian. Of the 15% courses run mostly in homes, many were self-run courses with no church affiliation.
  • 73% of guests experienced "significant improvement in their relationship after the course".

Marriage Courses partner with Marriage Week[13] and The Marriage Foundation[14] in the UK.

In 2014, the course was endorsed by Vincenzo Paglia, the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family.[15]

Course drop out rate is usually 5-8% of guests.[5] This may be due to the fact that the course is payable.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Denyer, Lucy (16 April 2020). "Why I've signed up for an online marriage therapy course". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Coromance is blossoming". The Spectator. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Try The Marriage Course". The Marriage Course. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Lott, Tim (13 October 2011). "Can you learn the secret of a happy marriage?" (PDF). The Times. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Carey, Tanith (29 May 2014). "Can going on a date with 100 other couples save your marriage?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Alpha Shop: The Marriage Course DVD". shop.alpha.org. Alpha International. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Moore, Anna (28 December 2013). "A mission to save marriages". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Alpha Annual Review 2016". Issuu. Alpha International. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Alpha International Annual Review 2017". Issuu. Alpha International. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  10. ↑ Kruger, Danny. "Why no mention of marriage in the domestic violence debate? - The Post". UnHerd. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Vaňková, Marie (2011). "The Marriage Course as a means of strengthening and renewing the marriage relationship". MA thesis (abstract in English) (in čeština). Palacký University Olomouc. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "The Marriage Course: A global impact study on how the course strengthens relationships". cited in Alpha International Annual review 2017, page 54-57. The Barna Group. 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "Partners of Marriage Week". Marriage Week. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Partners of The Marriage Foundation". Marriage Foundation. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  15. ↑ "Marriage Course Endorsement (Italian)". manzelskevecery.cz. Pontifical Council for the Family. Retrieved 10 June 2020.

External links[edit]

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