The Marriage Course

What is it?

The Marriage course is a seven session course set in a fantastic atmosphere. You will be served with a candlelit meal and/or coffee, tea and dessert at a romantic table for two while listening to practical talks that are informative and fun, played on DVD.

There is never any group work and you will never be asked to share anything about your relationship with anyone other than your partner.

The talks are interspersed with filmed clips of couples talking about their experiences of marriage and street interviews from around the world.

Over seven sessions of the course you will discover practical tools to help you:

  • understand each other’s needs
  • communicate more effectively
  • grow closer through resolving conflict
  • heal the ways you’ve hurt each other
  • recognise how your upbringing affects your relationship
  • improve relationships with parents and in-laws
  • develop greater sexual intimacy
  • discover each other’s love languages and much, much more!

We are planning on runing this course again during 2012. If you would like to take part then please get in touch.

Course Details

Building Strong Foundations
This session helps couples to look at their lifestyle and its effect upon their marriage, and to discover more about each other’s needs and desires - particularly on an emotional level.
The Art of Communication
Listening is a vital skill for a strong marriage. In this session couples practise communicating their feelings and listening effectively to one another.
Resolving Conflict
In this session we look at how couples can increase their intimacy by expressing appreciation to each other, recognising their differences, learning to negotiate disagreements and praying for each other (if they feel comfortable doing so).
The Power of Forgiveness
this session adtresses the ways we will inevitably have hurt each other and how to resolve these so we don’t create a backlog of anger and resentment. we look at the process of healing through identifying the hurt, saying sorry and forgiving.
the impact of family
past and present - this session focuses on helping couples to recognise how their family background affects the way they relate to each other. they also consider how to build a good and healthy relationship with their parents, in-laws and wider family, and how hurt from childhood can be healed.
good sex
sexual intimacy needs to be worked at and developed. it isn’t just the icing on the cake; it’s a vital ingredient of the cake itself. in this session couples are encouraged to talk about their sexual relationship and to recognise where they need to make changes.
love in action
this session looks at five ways of expressing love - through words, time, touch, presents and actions. couples discover which expression of love is most important for their partner and how to put this into practice.

Who is it for?

  • Are you married or in a long-term cohabiting relationship?
  • Have you been together for over a year?
  • Would you like your relationship to be the best it can be?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions then this course is for you!

The Marriage Course is for any couple, whether you have been together for one year or 61 years and whether you feel you have a strong relationship or are struggling.

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.

Whatever your situation, the practical tools you learn will help improve and strengthen your relationship.

While The Marriage Course is based on Christian principles, it is designed for couples with or without a Christian faith. Many couples who are not churchgoers have commented that the Christian content was presented in a way that did not make them uncomfortable at all.

What have couples said about the course at Haddon Hall?

A couple married for over 15 years said: “I was a bit worried at the beginning as we're not churchgoers, and I felt there might be too much Christian content on the course. I also doubted whether Haddon Hall could be turned into the 'cosy and romantic' setting the organisers had promised. But I was wrong on both counts. I was also impressed by how well thought out the sessions were - the mixture of having a meal, watching a video and discussing with my husband this week's topic as it related to us. I am really glad we did the course; it has given our marriage a real boost. We were leading quite separate lives before. Now we're talking more, going out together and having fun. I enjoy planning our ‘dates’".

"The Marriage Course provided a safe environment for us to look at where we are in our relationship at the moment; not all is rosy but we learnt that through good communication you can work through your problems. I came away thinking that the Marriage Course and Haddon Hall Baptist Church are providing a very valuable service, one that is not provided by our schools and society - how to have a long term successful relationship with your partner." Jane and Shaun