Premarital Counseling Retreat
Engaged couples can benefit from a premarital counseling retreat to help prepare for holy matrimony. Marriage is more than wearing a white dress, but it involves joining two distinctly different individuals in a lifelong bond. Instituted by God, it is a relationship designed to be mutually fulfilling, wholly sacred, and primarily for the purpose of producing offspring. The holy bonds of matrimony were never intended to be broken by divorce. Sadly, today's statistics indicate nearly half of all marriages will end in divorce within the first ten years. Thus, it would behoove couples to seek professional and spiritual counsel before entering into such a permanent union.
Potential partners can find information about a premarital counseling retreat near where they live by logging onto the Internet or searching the local telephone directory. Many churches, Christian organizations, and secular social services agencies offer two- or three-day events at remote locations, such as a camp site, major hotel, or resort. The purpose of hosting a session at a remote location is to offer engaged couples an opportunity to get away from family and friends, careers, and the concerns of everyday life, and focus solely on gaining an understanding of what marriage entails.
During the premarital counseling retreat, men and women will not only gain a greater insight into the institution of marriage, but also learn more about themselves and their partners. They will soon realize that dating and falling in love with someone is easy; but wedlock engages the whole individual. When dating, most people put on their best behavior and wear a pleasing facade. But behind that facade, a myriad of personality issues that may adversely affect the marriage could very well exist. By attending a premarital counseling retreat, couples are guided through a process which helps them reveal hidden character flaws and ascertain whether each of them is a suitable marriage partner. Potential mates should be open to making the necessary adjustments suggested by counselors to become better permanent partners. They will also discover that contrary to popular belief, marriage is not a 50-50 partnership. Sometimes, the relationship requires husbands to give 60 percent and wives 40 percent; while at other times, the requirements could easily reverse.
Experienced counselors or spiritual advisors conduct lectures and one-on-one interviews, and offer exercises designed to expose engaged couples to different scenarios common to holy wedlock. Advisors might also discuss the role of husbands and wives in a traditional marriage; expectations for sexual intimacy; responsibilities of each spouse in childrearing; and how to deal with marital crises, such as chronic illness, the loss of a child, joblessness, or infidelity; and more importantly, how to begin thinking as a couple and not individuals. During the two- to three-day premarital counseling retreat, counselors will try to expose couples to as much information as possible to help them realize the potential problems and solutions, blessings and burdens of the matrimony.
In a Christian setting, a premarital counseling retreat will also address issues of the pair's faith. The Bible clearly admonishes believers not to be unequally yoked, or married to, non-believers. If a Christian desires to marry a non-Christian, they can expect to encounter problems, especially an ongoing war of the wills. A born-again believer in Jesus Christ will be subject to the laws of God; while the non-believer will be governed by the god of this world system, which is Satan. In such a case, the non-believer should seriously and prayerfully consider becoming a born-again Christian prior to entering into marriage with one who believes and faithfully serves Jesus Christ. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness: and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (II Corinthians 6:14-16).
The goal is that most couples come away from a premarital counseling retreat with more knowledge, a deepening love, and a greater determination to make their marriage work. They can utilize the principles learned in the retreat to help build a solid foundation for a future life together; and they are armed with enough ammunition to ward off negative influences which might undermine a determination to succeed. Couples may decide to attend future events prior to marriage or enroll in follow-up programs designed to help newlyweds stay on the right track. At any rate, attendees will be better prepared to endure the highs and lows of married life without giving in to the trend to divorce when problematic issues arise.
Those who leave a premarital counseling retreat with the decision to separate or postpone marrying should not view themselves as losers. The decision to postpone or cancel a wedding is not a poor one, but a judicious determination which could save couples from making a lifelong mistake. Not everyone who falls in love or is sexually attracted to another is intended to marry. In spite of what one's emotional attachment, if the weekend encounter reveals serious character flaws, personality clashes, irreconcilable differences, or a lack of faith which might hinder future happiness and cause couples to divorce; the best recourse may be to wait until those issues can be resolved. If two people are meant to marry, they will. Getting to the altar may just take a little more time.
Potential partners can find information about a premarital counseling retreat near where they live by logging onto the Internet or searching the local telephone directory. Many churches, Christian organizations, and secular social services agencies offer two- or three-day events at remote locations, such as a camp site, major hotel, or resort. The purpose of hosting a session at a remote location is to offer engaged couples an opportunity to get away from family and friends, careers, and the concerns of everyday life, and focus solely on gaining an understanding of what marriage entails.
During the premarital counseling retreat, men and women will not only gain a greater insight into the institution of marriage, but also learn more about themselves and their partners. They will soon realize that dating and falling in love with someone is easy; but wedlock engages the whole individual. When dating, most people put on their best behavior and wear a pleasing facade. But behind that facade, a myriad of personality issues that may adversely affect the marriage could very well exist. By attending a premarital counseling retreat, couples are guided through a process which helps them reveal hidden character flaws and ascertain whether each of them is a suitable marriage partner. Potential mates should be open to making the necessary adjustments suggested by counselors to become better permanent partners. They will also discover that contrary to popular belief, marriage is not a 50-50 partnership. Sometimes, the relationship requires husbands to give 60 percent and wives 40 percent; while at other times, the requirements could easily reverse.
Experienced counselors or spiritual advisors conduct lectures and one-on-one interviews, and offer exercises designed to expose engaged couples to different scenarios common to holy wedlock. Advisors might also discuss the role of husbands and wives in a traditional marriage; expectations for sexual intimacy; responsibilities of each spouse in childrearing; and how to deal with marital crises, such as chronic illness, the loss of a child, joblessness, or infidelity; and more importantly, how to begin thinking as a couple and not individuals. During the two- to three-day premarital counseling retreat, counselors will try to expose couples to as much information as possible to help them realize the potential problems and solutions, blessings and burdens of the matrimony.
In a Christian setting, a premarital counseling retreat will also address issues of the pair's faith. The Bible clearly admonishes believers not to be unequally yoked, or married to, non-believers. If a Christian desires to marry a non-Christian, they can expect to encounter problems, especially an ongoing war of the wills. A born-again believer in Jesus Christ will be subject to the laws of God; while the non-believer will be governed by the god of this world system, which is Satan. In such a case, the non-believer should seriously and prayerfully consider becoming a born-again Christian prior to entering into marriage with one who believes and faithfully serves Jesus Christ. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness: and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (II Corinthians 6:14-16).
The goal is that most couples come away from a premarital counseling retreat with more knowledge, a deepening love, and a greater determination to make their marriage work. They can utilize the principles learned in the retreat to help build a solid foundation for a future life together; and they are armed with enough ammunition to ward off negative influences which might undermine a determination to succeed. Couples may decide to attend future events prior to marriage or enroll in follow-up programs designed to help newlyweds stay on the right track. At any rate, attendees will be better prepared to endure the highs and lows of married life without giving in to the trend to divorce when problematic issues arise.
Those who leave a premarital counseling retreat with the decision to separate or postpone marrying should not view themselves as losers. The decision to postpone or cancel a wedding is not a poor one, but a judicious determination which could save couples from making a lifelong mistake. Not everyone who falls in love or is sexually attracted to another is intended to marry. In spite of what one's emotional attachment, if the weekend encounter reveals serious character flaws, personality clashes, irreconcilable differences, or a lack of faith which might hinder future happiness and cause couples to divorce; the best recourse may be to wait until those issues can be resolved. If two people are meant to marry, they will. Getting to the altar may just take a little more time.
Premarital Counseling Retreat
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