Marriage
seminars & resources ♦ intimacy ♦ premarital & newlyweds ♦ parenting years ♦ transition years ♦ divorce / remarriage
Marriage seminars and resources
Family Life: A Weekend to Remember
There are several Weekends to Remember this fall and winter in our area. To register or for more information, go to their website www.familylife.com.
www.familylife.com/familyroom You can read great articles on marriage and family, find out their radio broadcast schedule, and subscribe to their free e-newsletter.
www.intimatemarriage.org - Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. seeks to help individuals learn the skills and develop the Christ-like character necessary for them to sustain a committed, satisfying, intimate marriage with their spouse. We accomplish this through professional marriage therapy, a variety of teaching formats and various resources for couples and individuals.
www.4-womenonly.com. This website offers two great resources for women and men.
For Women Only offers great insight into the inner lives of men. What women are really thinking and feeling. For Men Only offers an easy way for men to understand that woman in their life. It will help a man love his wife in the way she needs to be loved.
This page offers important information and biblical resources regarding God’s design for sexual intimacy. Gain insight into your spouse’s needs and consider the significance of sex within the marriage relationship. Depending on the strength of your marriage relationship these should be fun and helpful, or they may cause additional stress. Therefore, please be wise in determining whether you would benefit from visiting with a pastor or counselor to discuss your relationship.
Wise and engaging, The Book of Romance digs deep into the Song of Solomon and what it says about the Bible’s most passionate lovers. As you learn about their relationship, you’ll discover how you, too, can experience the deep emotional, sexual, and spiritual satisfaction that God created to be enjoyed by marriage. www.songofsolomon.com
True passion thrives only in Christ-centered marriages. The Passionate Marriage focuses on sexual intimacy in marriage and how it is a picture of God’s romance with us. The four areas are: a picture of what married love should be; why total intimacy can be experienced only in marriage; how infidelity begins in the heart and emotions; and how God desires to unite with us in spirit. www.cbd.com
Get ready to make beautiful music together. Dr. Leman’s practical guide will help any couple stay “in tune” for an active God-designed sex life. Addressing a wide spectrum of individuals with positive, negative, or no experience– his frank descriptions, line drawings, and warm friendly tone will help couples find greater harmony through intimacy. www.cbd.com
Couples traumatized by an affair will find this to be the perfect handbook for rebuilding their marriage. The Dance of Restoration goes beyond a simple intent to restore; it’s designed to help them avoid two common relational errors that can affect reconciled couples for a lifetime. Because this book intermingles fiction with counseling guidance, difficult issues are easy to understand by readers in crisis. www.cbd.com
www.familylife.com - Family Life’s mission is to effectively develop godly marriages and families who change the world one home at a time. Check out the Romantic Tips link on the home page.
www.songofsolomon.com - We recommend you to sign up for their bi-weekly email devotional
www.dnaofrelationships.com - This organization was begun in 1979 to help families of all ages and life stages. Recommended resource: The Secret to Sexual Intimacy.
www.intimatemarriage.org - Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. seeks to help individuals learn the skills and develop the Christ-like character necessary for them to sustain a committed, satisfying, intimate marriage with their spouse. We accomplish this through professional marriage therapy, a variety of teaching formats and various resources for couples and individuals.
www.troubledwith.com - Sometimes life and its troubles seem overwhelming. Maybe you think no one cares and you feel out of control. Maybe it has been a bad day or a bad year. This website doesn’t promise “quick fixes.” It offers credible advice, practical solutions, and hope for tomorrow.
At Calvary Church we believe that marriage has been instituted by God and symbolizes the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church. Healthy marriages are so important that we want to do all we can to ensure couples enter into marriage with a strong biblical foundation.
2 to 1 Premarital Ministry
If you are presently engaged or seriously dating someone, we invite you to explore you relational areas of strength and growth through our 2 to 1 Premarital Ministry. Click here to find out more or to register.
Before You Say "I Do" by H. Norman Wright
This is a great resource for couples desiring to make their relationship pleasing to God. This devotional includes topics such as expectations, sex, in-laws, roles, and many others. There are sections for you to do together as a couple and those for each of you to read individually. You can purchase this book at www.devotionalresources.com.
Starting Out Together by H. Norman Wright
This 60-day devotional can help you and your spouse get your marriage relationship off to a great start. Through this book, H. Norman Wright offers you quality time to spend together learning about marriage success. You can purchase this book at www.devotionalresources.com.
Couples Bible
Published by Zondervan House Staff, this Bible provides a full year’s worth of devotions specifically for engaged or newlywed couples. It is designed to help you communicate, grow spiritually, and build a solid foundation for a lifelong marriage. You can purchase this book atwww.devotionalresources.com
Check out these other websites for additional resources and information about marriage and families. Click on the marriage links from the home page or browse through their internet site.
www.family.org — This is the website for Focus on the Family. The home page will offer you many different options dealing with marriage, parenting, internet safety, and many other specific topics.
www.amfmonline.com —This is the website for The Association of Marriage and Family Ministries. The homepage offers links and resources for you as a husband or wife.
www.familylife.com —A ministry devoted to godly marriages and families. They offer great resources, tips, and radio broadcasts to help strengthen your family relationships.
www.allianceformarriage.org - Educate yourself and stay up to date on how marriages are effected by what happens in Washington DC and around the country.
Audio Resource—Protecting Your Marriage During the Parenting Years
Many couples find their marriage taking a backseat to the constant demands of parenting. It’s easy for couples to drift apart during the parenting season as intimacy wanes and emotional needs give way to the responsibilities of parenthood. Debbie Cherry offers practical advice and encouragement from her book “Childproofing Your Marriage.” www.family.org
Audio Resource—Nurturing Your Marriage After Baby Arrives
When expecting their first child, many couples prepare for parenting without realizing they’re about to face new challenges in their marriage, as well. Once baby arrives, life takes a dramatic shift. How can couples constructively deal with the marital tensions that come with parenthood? Glenn and Natalie Williams offer practical advice and encouragement for couples facing the transition from “husband and wife” to “mom and dad.” www.family.org
YOUR MARRIAGE CAN SURVIVE A NEWBORN Be prepared for the “baby-bomb” - the effects of a newborn upon your marital ralationship- - with tips from those who’ve been there. Learn how to strengthen your marriage as you face one of the most challenging times of your life: parenthood! www.family.org
Audio Resource—The Empty Nest
You thought the day would never come. But now that it has, you’re feeling a tidal wave of emotions—about something you thought you’d dealt with long ago. Find encouragement for the empty nest with insightful thoughts from James Dobson and a panel of parents as they discuss the vast range of emotions when a child leaves home. www.family.org
THE SECOND HALF OF MARRIAGE Your children have left the nest to face their future, pursuing college, career, and family. But what about your own future? This one-of-a-kind book will help you grow closer as a couple and find new meaning together during this very special time in your lives. www.marriagealive.com
WEEKEND TO REMEMBER This weekend marriage conference teaches God’s design for marriage and family. The environment is fun, non-threatening, and sometimes hilarious. It’s a wonderful time for couples to refresh good marriages or heal troubled ones. There are over 150 conferences in cities all across the U.S.
10 GREAT DATES FOR EMPTY NESTERS It’s just the two of you again and it’s time to renew your relationship. You can reconnect and reclaim that same spark, excitement, and creativity your experienced before you had kids. This book give you 10 innovative, fun dates guaranteed to spice up your marriage.
www.marriagealive.com
LOVE IS A DECISION When you’re in love, the sun shines brighter and the birds sing sweeter. What happens when the chemicals subside and the feelings wane? When disappointments accumulate and conflicts grow deeper, what motivates us to stay and work it out? Dr. Gary Smalley contends that genuine love is a decision. Furthermore, like any worthy undertaking, it requires a plan. While that may sound less than romantic, consider the statistics of divorce. www.dnaofrelationships.com
Calvary Church offers Divorce Care with Thursday night support groups along with DC4Kids and The Big D for teens.
For more information click here.
Calvary also has a ministry for Single Parents. We offer opportunities every other month or so to get together with other single dads and moms for fun, support, and encouragement. Check out the Single Parent link under Adult Ministries on Calvary’s web page.
Some recommended reading:
Hope for the Separated, by Gary Chapman >Can be found at www.cbd.com
New Life After Divorce, by Bill Butterworth > Can be found at www.cbd.com
The Single Again Handbook, by Thomas Jones > Can be found at www.cbd.com
Recovering From the Losses of Life, by H. Norman Wright > Can be found at www.cbd.com
Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts, by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot > Can be found at www.cbd.com
The Blended Marriage, by Gary Smalley > Can be found at www.family.org