Marriage Enhancement Course

What is it?

Each week you are given the opportunity to enjoy a special meal together and listen to a talk. Then there is plenty of time to discuss the topic as a couple. There is no group work involved at any stage of the course.

The Marriage Course is now being run in 60 countries and has proved helpful and supportive to thousands of couples.

Who designed the course?

The course was started by Nicky and Sila Lee in 1996. The Lees are on the staff at Holy Trinity Brompton – the London church that started the Alpha course. They have been married for over 20 years and have four children.

They have spoken to thousands on the subject of marriage and are the co-authors of The Marriage Book which has sold over 52,000 copies since it was published in 2000.

Who is it for?

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been married for less than two years or more than thirty.

If you have a strong marriage this course will help you make it even better and will reinforce your good habits.

If on the other hand your marriage is in difficulty, the course will help provide you with very practical tools to help you

work through the issues. Some couples who are separated have used the course as a way of trying to get back together. While the course is based on Christian principles couples are welcome with or without a church background. Many couples who are not churchgoers have enjoyed and benefited from doing the course.

What’s involved?

Each evening starts with snacks and drinks. There’s an opportunity to spend time together as a couple or with other couples.In addition, each evening a talk is given. Sometimes  videos are used for the talks and at other times a couple will give the talks themselves.

There’s a coffee and discussion time. During the talk there are exercises for you to do together as a couple. Every effort is made to make sure your conversations aren’t being overheard and music is played in the background. During the longest exercise you are served coffee or tea and cake.

At the end of each session you will be given some homework to do together before the next session. It isn’t looked at by anyone else and is just for your own benefit to help you continue your discussion at home.

Talk titles

• Building Strong Foundations
• The Art of Communication
• Resolving Conflict
• The Power of Forgiveness
• Parents and In-Laws
• Good Sex
• Love in Action
• The Marriage Course Party - What makes a Marriage Work?

What’s the cost?

A basic charge is made to cover the cost of the meals and materials.

Jim and Lisa

'We were like two people living in the same house leading separate lives.' Lisa

'It really helped us to learn the tools for communicating. You think you know how to communicate but sometimes you just know how to talk. We were able to break through that surface level of communication and really share our lives together and get back the intimacy and closeness that makes marriage so wonderful.' Jim

'I can’t express the drastic turnaround this course has done for us.' Lisa

'I couldn’t recommend it enough. You arrive and they have dinner by candlelight ready for you. You work through real issues. You make real progress. It’s an important relationship and I think everyone should devote time to it.' Jim

Inger and Henrik

'We 'd been at crossed purposes with each other and we needed to learn how to express love for the other person in the way that is most meaningful for them. It’s   a process and you have to keep learning. I think we’re getting better at it and it’s made a big difference.' Inger

'It is  like a date night. They make you feel very special…you don’t have to share with anyone else. You have a sense of privacy which is important.' Henrik

      © 2008 Preston Baptist Church                                                                                           Designed by David Lloyd-Hoare Bsc(Hons)

Miles and Deborah

talking about an issue to do with sex

'It would have been a much bigger issue later on in our marriage if we hadn’t dealt with it.' Deborah

'For the first time we had a chance to talk about the issue without it really getting nasty and turning into an argument. Because The Marriage Course provides such a great environment to discuss these things in a civilised way we could actually start to understand each other’s point of view. It was actually fun doing The Marriage Course and working this issue out.' Miles

The Marriage Book

The Marriage Book by Nicky and Sila Lee is full of practical advice and is designed for engaged and married couples. The Marriage Preparation Course and The Marriage Course are based on The Marriage Book. You don’t need the book to run a course, but we do recommend it as an overview of both courses.

ISBN 1.904074.55.3

Price: £5.99

Marriage Course Registration Form

It would be a great help if you could fill in this form to let us know that you would like to attend.

You may also contact the Church office directly by telephoning :

01803 522541 (Mornings Only)

We can be contacted by post at the following address:

Preston Baptist Church
Old Torquay Road
Paignton, Devon
TQ3 2RB

How to buy the Marriage Book

By phone:

08457 581 278 (UK)

+44 (0) 1228 611 749 (International)

By email:

alpha@stl.org

What couples say.

Mark and Katie

We had areas of conflict in our marriage…we were a couple of hotheads. The course gave us some really good tools and practical help mainly in the area of listening. We learnt how to listen to each other and just to reflect. We learnt to respond in a healthy way.' Mark

'I have to say doing the course has given us tools which have made things better, and it does work.' Katie

It is for any married couple who wants to work together at and invest in their relationship.