Good preparation enables couples to take a first step together in facing their future challenges. While no one can smooth away all the rough spots in the marital road ahead, couples can be coached to pay attention to warning signs, see the bumps before they hit them, and deal more skillfully with inevitable conflicts. This book provides pastors with a framework and tools for this ministry. The good news is that you don’t need any formal background in counseling, because the kind of work we’re talking about isn’t counseling—it’s coaching—a coach who can help couples to respond positively to the differences between them. It’s not about having the answers; but is it about helping couples manage difficulties before they become serious threats to the marriage.

This comprehensive program offers couples the guidance and groundwork necessary to assist them in evaluating their readiness to make a permanent life commitment. Each of the eight chapters deal with critical topics that are addressed in several ways: His and Her pages; Couple and Group discussion questions; Issues of Special focus; and more. Also comes with a complete wedding liturgy planner with Scripture readings.

Guidebook for engaged and newly married couples will lead the way to the life-long marriage we all dream about and envy when we see it happen to other people.

Are You Planning a Wedding or Preparing for a Marriage? Like most engaged couples, you’re researching venues, trying on dresses and picking out tuxedos or suits, tasting sample dishes, dreaming of honeymoon destinations, and doing everything to ensure your wedding day is the event of a lifetime. But as more seasoned couples will tell you, there’s more to a marriage than a wedding. A lot more. How do you build a marriage that you’ve dreamed of? Dr. Greg Smalley, vice president of marriage at Focus on the Family, and his wife, Erin, along with 14 marriage experts, serve as your marriage guides as you prepare for life beyond the wedding day. From how to handle those everyday conflicts to how to better connect on a spiritual level, they’ll show you how to get ready for a lifetime of commitment. When the flowers have faded and the last morsel of cake has been eaten, you’ll stand with your new spouse, ready to face life together. Equip yourself for a marriage that lasts by learning: How to leave your parents (while still honoring them) and cleave to your spouse Why spiritual intimacy is key to a lasting relationship Why the language of love is communication (and how to build it) How to manage conflict in a healthy, God-honoring way Why sexual intimacy in your marriage will be the gift that keeps on giving Invest in a marriage that will last for decades. Are you ready?

Research and common sense indicate that engaged couples will eventually have stronger, more successful marriages if they get good premarital counseling. Many churches now require such counseling, yet many Christian couples still enter marriage without that preparation. Countdown for Couples will fill that void. It will help couples learn about each other, and themselves individually, as well as their relational skills and compatibility as a couple.

Describes what marriage should be according to the Bible, arguing that marriage is a tool to bring individuals closer to God, and provides meaningful instruction on how to have a successful marriage.

Before ?I Do? ? Preparing for the Full Marriage ExperiencePre-engaged, engaged, and newlywed couples learn what it takes to go the distance and experience all marriage has to offer. Before ?I Do? engages couples through its interactive layout and in-depth content packed with practical insights, Scriptural principles, and must-have relationship skills. In eight interactive sections, couples ?Build the foundation for a lifelong marriage.Eliminate common relationship obstacles and barriers.Frame their relationship with God?s insights from The Message and N.I.V.Obtain practical skills to make divorce a non-factor.Read, write, and discuss on all things marriage.Explore vital issues: money, future goals, faith, and sex.Essential book for any couple contemplating marriage, planning for marriage, or who just began their marriage.Ideal pre-marital tool for pastors, counselors, small group leaders and mentor couples.