There will not be a 2024-2025 Grace Marriage Session held at St. Mary’s due to lack of registration.
What is Grace Marriage?
Grace Marriage is an ongoing, parish-based, small group approach to marriage enrichment. This exciting ministry designed to enrich, protect, and grow your marriage! Using Biblical, grace-based materials, you will have time to talk with your spouse and explore ways to enrich your relationship. Our marriage ministry is an intentional commitment to grow in your relationship with each other and the Lord. Four times a year husbands and wives meet with other couples to explore different aspects of marriage. The sessions are called marriage coaching; marriage coaching is an intentional and proactive approach to re-focus on positives in your relationship. Marriage coaching is not a lecture. It is not marriage counseling or group therapy. It is not a seminar or conference. It is not a place where you will be forced to share your deepest secrets. Quite simply, it is a Biblically-based marriage maintenance model that can revolutionize your relationship. Couples in their 20s to couples in their 80s are involved in Grace Marriage groups and have been greatly blessed by participating!
Who can attend? – Any married couple may attend. A couple does not have to be a member of our church to participate.
When and Where are the sessions held? – We are pleased to offer Grace Marriage 2024-2025 quarterly sessions, beginning August 31, 2024 and continuing on October 19, 2024, January 18, 2025 and March 8, 2025. Sessions will be held in the Parish Hall at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church from 9AM-1:30PM. A meal and snacks will be provided. Participation requires making a commitment to attend all four sessions.
Who will we be with? – You will be in a group with your spouse as well as other couples who want their marriage to grow. Couples, led by trained facilitators couples, will walk through the day’s material together. Spouses will have personal time together throughout the day to privately discuss the topics addressed. Groups will have mixed ages. Newly married as well as couples who have been married for decades will be involved. Remember, Grace Marriage is about spending time with your spouse, not about being with close friends. Although you will get to know others in your group better, the purpose is to spend time with your husband/wife and focus on your marriage.
What is the fee? – The fee covers four days of marriage coaching, including all materials, snacks, and meal per couple for the year. We encourage you to consider your participation fee as an investment in your marriage. However, we never want cost to be a deterrent for Grace Marriage. To help cover cost and make it appropriately affordable, we are offering a three-tiered pricing format. We ask that you prayerfully consider what is best for you: $100 (what we can afford, discount rate); $200 (actual cost); $300 (donation rate, to bless another couple). Please note, the fee is non-refundable.
How do we register and pay? – Registration is available on our parish website, in the Parish Office or by emailing Kara Burch at kbekebrede16@gmail.com . For more information, please contact the Parish Office at 270-233-4196 during business hours from 7:30 AM-4:00 PM. Your registration form and check can be returned to the Parish Office, placed in the drop box outside of the Parish Office or placed in a sealed envelope and put in the collection with “ATTN: Grace Marriage” written on the outside.
Deadline to register: August 23, 2024
Five Reasons to Register for Grace Marriage:
1. You will learn Biblical truths that will deepen your relationship with the Lord and one another.
2. Grace Marriage couples are encouraged to date weekly…that means less cooking at home!
3. Grace Marriage will likely increase your physical intimacy.
4. Prioritizing your marriage sets a great example for your children and the culture.
5. You will have conversations with your spouse that you might not otherwise have, increasing your closeness and enjoyment in your marriage.
To read a letter from Bishop Medley and view testimonial videos from participants from our Diocese, visit www.OwensboroDiocese.org/Grace-Marriage.