1. Find leadership (couple or individual) to champion the process.
2. Schedule a member of the Marriage Matters team to train the couples selected by church or organization leadership.
3. Provide minor support at the administrative level to the lead person or couple.
How can we find a lead couple or individual?
Think of a couple or individual in your organization that has a heart for marriage, invite them to learn more about the program, and ask them if they are interested in helping to build strong marriages.
What kind of couples will we be serving?
Marriage Matters trains couples to mentor in three areas: premarital, enhancement, and restoration.
Premarital: We devote time and effort to premarital couples because we believe strong foundations are needed in order to produce strong marriages that will last a lifetime.
Enhancement: Couples do not have to be at the point of desperation to seek help for their marriages. Often marriages just need a “tune-up” to help make the marriage the best it can be.
Restoration: Marriage Matters equips couples to handle mentoring of couples who are in deep pain and in desperate need of restoration.
Is there a DVD for training couples who can’t make the general training session?
No, we believe mentoring is a relationship program and feel face-to-face training is most effective.
How much time will our staff spend on this program?
With adequate volunteer leadership, the time involvement by staff should be minimal. It depends upon the strength of the volunteers and leadership involved in your program.
We don’t have enough staff as it is – how can I justify adding another program?
We see it from the perspective that a marriage program is one of the most important programs in a church or organization. Rather than think of it as another “program,” think of it as an opportunity for relationship building.
How much does it cost?
There is a charge for the initial mentor training and also a minimal charge for scoring each marital inventory. Marriage Matters can help you with ideas to help cover the costs. Call the Marriage Matters office at 877-866-4372.
How long is the mentor training?
The mentor training lasts about eight to ten (8-10) hours over a two-day period.
Who does the mentor training?
A Marriage Matters mentor trainer conducts the training in your church or organization.
What kind of resources can we expect from Marriage Matters?
Marriage Matters provides mentor training, training manuals, marriage enrichment events, follow-up training, and materials to help promote marriage mentoring within your church or organization (i.e. brochures, DVD’s, announcements, etc.)
What if we don’t have any mentoree couples?
Word of mouth advertising is very powerful and there will be a natural referral system built in when pastors or leaders suggest mentoring as a first step before counseling. Perhaps you can consider requiring premarital mentoring for all engaged couples in place of traditional premarital counseling.
Who is my key contact from Marriage Matters?
Your key contact from Marriage Matters will most likely be the Regional Coordinator assigned to your organization.
How are couples placed with other couples?
The placement process is covered in the training. Our intake forms for both mentoree couples and mentor couples help pair the couples based upon similar interests, backgrounds, and issues.
Does Marriage Matters offer other services besides marriage mentoring?
Yes, we offer marriage enrichment events and Extreme Marriage Makeover Weekends.
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