The Marriage Course - Leaders' Information
Thinking of running a course?
- Do you want to help couples strengthen their relationship?
- Are you looking for material that is fun, practical and easy to use?
- Do you have experience of working through things in your own marriage?
- Do you enjoy hosting people?
If you answered 'yes' to the above questions, you could run a course!
You don’t need to have a perfect marriage and you don’t need to be an expert. You just need to have a desire to see marriages strengthened, experience of working at your own marriage and enjoy hosting couples.
The Marriage Course is:
- Easy to run - talks on DVD with instructions for when to pause for exercises and discussion times
- Effective whether held in a home or a larger venue
- Practical material that is presented in a fun and interesting way
- Welcoming, non-threatening and accessible to any couple
Becoming a leader is easy. We help provide you with all the materials and support you need to get started.
1. All guest and leader resources available for purchase through Canaanland outlets
- DVDs of the talks given by Nicky and Sila Lee
- Guest resources
- Comprehensive guidance on how to set up, run and publicise your course, including ideas for creating a great atmosphere
- Promotional resources to advertise your course
2. Support is also available from local Marriage Advisers who have run the course themselves and a training events, which are held regularly around the country.
How do we get started?
- Attend The Marriage Course yourselves. Go to find a course to find your nearest course. If there isn’t one near you, we recommend you do the course in a home with two or three other couples using the DVDs.
- Attend Marriage Course training and/or watch the ‘Leaders’ Training’ on the Leaders’ Toolkit for the relevant course. Details listed under ‘Training & Events'.
- Purchase the necessary resources. You can find more details and how to order them through Canaanland outlets.
- Find a counsellor in your area to whom you can refer couples if they need additional help. Details are available on this website under ‘Counselling’.
- Set a date and advertise your course - the Leaders’ Toolkit contains a section on ideas for promoting the course.
- Make sure you have the support of your church leaders and congregation. Build a team of volunteers to help you. If the course is large you may need people to help with setting up, cooking, serving and clearing.
- Find a suitable venue. This may be a home if your course is small, or you may need a larger venue - perhaps a church, a community hall, a hotel, a café after hours - anywhere that you can serve a meal and create a great atmosphere.
- Decide on what to charge your guests based on the cost of the food, manuals and venue.
- Register your course online under register your course. This will allow us to put you in touch with couples looking for a course in your area.
- Contact your local Marriage Course Advisers. These are couples with experience of running the course who help other leaders with advice and support. Their details are listed on this website under ‘Marriage Advisers’.
Course Resources
Leaders will need the following material to run The Marriage Course:
-
Using DVD talks
- Course DVDs which include a copy of The Leaders’ Guide
- Guest Manuals (2 per couple)
- The Marriage Course Leaders’ Toolkit (includes Leaders’ Training DVD)
-
Using live talks (recommended for very experienced leaders only)
- Guest Manuals (2 per couple)
- The Marriage Course Leaders’ Toolkit (includes session transcripts and filmed clips)
Other resources recommended:
- The Marriage Book
- Course promotional material - specifically guest and party invites.
Course Material
The Marriage Course DVD
This series of seven sessions was filmed in a studio and includes interviews with couples talking about their experiences of marriage and street interviews from around the world. There are also two additional sessions: The Marriage Course Party and an Extra Session entitled Coping with Times of Separation for couples in the armed forces and others who spend long periods of time apart. The DVD includes a copy of The Leaders’ Guide.
Leader's Guide
Provides leaders a quick reference for running the course including session timings and a checklist of recommended materials and supplies for each session. This resource is included within the course DVD.
The Marriage Course Leader's Toolkit
Based on The Marriage Conference, this 52-minute DVD is for anyone thinking of running a Marriage Course. It covers essential areas such as:
- Leading the course
- Creating the right atmosphere
- Practicalities for setting up a course
- Publicity
The Toolkit also includes a DVD of promotional films for guests and leaders as well as sample documentation to support course adminstration.
Guest Manuals
Each course guest will need a manual. This contains notes from the course, the exercises, and homework for discussion.
The Marriage Book
The Marriage Course and The Marriage Preparation Course are based on The Marriage Book by Nicky and Sila Lee. It is full of practical advice and is designed for engaged, married and cohabiting couples.
Course Promotional Materials
Promotional DVD
Contains promotional films for potential leaders and guests (guest introduction; leaders’ introduction; clips from Session 8: The Marriage Course Party).
Course invitations
Postcard size invitations to be given to potential guests with blank space on the back for a mailing label or sticker with your course details. We recommend distributing these with the Guest Introduction.
Party invitations
Postcard size invitations to be given to potential guests of The Marriage Course Party. They have been left blank on the back for you to add in your party details.
Guest Introduction
A promotional resource for potential guests of The Marriage Course. This resource describes The Marriage Course, who the course is for, and what guests can expect on a typical course. It is a good complement to the Guest Invitations, which can be inserted into the Guest Introduction for distribution.
Leader's Introduction
A promotional resource for potential leaders of The Marriage Course and The Marriage Preparation Course. It describes the two courses, who they are for, why someone should run the course and how to get started.
Advertising Posters
Available in A3 and A4 sizes and can be overprinted with your course details.
Starter Pack
Everything you need to get a course started with five couples:
1 x Course DVD
1 x Leaders’ Guides
1 x Leaders’ Toolkit DVD
10 x Guest Manuals
1 x The Marriage Book
Counselling Organisations
In our experience, about 10% of couples on The Marriage Course will require additional help. Usually, a couple of sessions talking to a support couple (a mature married couple who has done The Marriage Course) alongside the course itself will often provide sufficient support to enable the guest couple to resolve the issue.
Sometimes a couple will require additional help. We suggest that you make contact with one or more local counsellors in your area that you can refer couples to. The organisations listed below have accredited counsellors on their books that you can get in touch with. Try to speak with the counsellor(s) to make sure they hold similar views and values to you regarding marriage before referring any couples.