Marriage Prep
Perhaps one of the most overlooked areas in marriage in America today is the preparation for the marriage itself. Most of the effort goes into the preparation for the wedding that lasts but a few hours at best, and the marriage that God designed to last a lifetime, is too often ignored. We believe that every couple should have at least a year of dating that precedes engagement, and that the engagement period and preparation should be well organized and unrushed. Four to six months is the recommendation by marriage experts. Many churches today mandate that, in order to use church facilities and pastors. During that time, wise couples seek pre-marital books, mentoring and coursework to help prepare them for their early years of marriage.

If you are contemplating engagement, or are ready to plan a wedding, please go to the Walk Worthy Bookstore on the Scottsdale Bible Church South campus and pick up a copy of Bobb Biehl's book—"Getting to Really Know Your Life-Mate-to Be". You will find it invaluable in helping you to see your own marriage expectations and those of your soon to be spouse. It's required reading for all of our Marriage Preparation classes.

The Marriage Preparation teams work with the entire Marriage Ministry to provide the most powerful education and awareness classes for those entering marriage. We gear the material to help stabilize and give spiritual and emotional growth in those early years of marriage, where personalities often clash, adjustment gets rough and society encourages divorce. Our vision is that couples will be resistant to society’s traps, and turn instead to Christ and the church to learn how to make a godly marriage; one that becomes a model for their peers.

We provide thought-stimulating classes and in class mentoring, giving new couples greater understanding of the early months of marriage. We recruit and train gifted, caring couples to work with those contemplating marriage in two marriage preparation classes and ongoing mentoring through the Marriage Mentoring Ministry.

We recognize that re-marriage is inherently more difficult in those early months than first marriages; even more so when there are children involved, making family blending a significant challenge. With a 65 to 70 percent failure in second marriages, our goal is to see those couples take greater deliberation before marriage, such that the failure rate falls precipitously.

We have a cadre of volunteer couples who understand the dynamics of both first and second marriages and blended families. We work with couples considering remarriage to encourage them to make wise, thoughtful choices. The materials we provide will give those couples the tools they need to make good decisions.

We recommend and offer Life Innovations Prepare Relationship Inventory, to couples who are interested in discovering the areas of strength in their relationship. It is administered in conjunction with the Re-Marriage Prep class, and to those couples who have been unable to fit their schedule into one of our preparing for marriage classes.  It is also available to all married couples who want to take their relationship to a deeper level. Send an email to kbaker@sbcaz.org and ask for details.

Listed below you'll find the calendar for the remainder of our 2008 Marriage Preparation courses.

Marriage Prep—for those couples of any age where neither has been married before. If you are engaged or thinking about marriage this class is for you.

Marriage Prep Class begins on Saturday, Sept 13. It will meet from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. that Saturday, and then during the third worship hour on the following day (Sept 14), and the next five Sundays. A link to the PDF registration form is below, and the "how to" register details are also on the form.

The cost of this class is $110. Register before August 21 and take a $10 discount. Those who attend Scottsdale Bible Church regularly may take an additional $10 discount. This fee includes an online relationship assessment, breakfast on September 13, the classes, and a session notebook.

Download Marriage Prep Form

Re-Marriage Prep—for those couples where one or both have been previously married, or there are children.  If you are engaged or thinking about marriage this class will give you insights you'll need to move forward with confidence.

Re-Marriage Prep Class begins on Saturday, October 18. It will meet from 8–4 p.m. that Saturday, and then during the third worship hour on the following day (October 19), and the next six Sundays. A link to the PDF registration form is below, and the "how to" register details are also on the form.
 

We recognize that re-marriage is inherently more difficult in those early months than first marriages; even more so when there are children involved, making family blending a significant challenge. With a 65 to 70 percent failure in second marriages, our goal is to see those couples take greater deliberation before marriage, such that the failure rate falls precipitously.

We have a cadre of volunteer couples who understand the dynamics of second marriages and blended families. We will work with couples considering remarriage to encourage them to make wise, thoughtful choices. The materials we provide will give couples the tools they need to make good decisions.
 

The cost of this class is $110. Register before September 21 and take a $10 discount. Those who attend Scottsdale Bible Church regularly may take an additional $10 discount. This fee includes the Prepare Relationship Inventory, lunch on October 18, the classes, notebook and book.
Download Re-Marriage Prep Form

Marriage Preparation Retreat at Pine Summit Camp in Prescott

November 14, 15, 16.

Escape to the cool pines of Prescott for an unforgettable Marriage Prep Weekend offered by the Marriage Ministry at SBC. The Marriage Prep Weekend is designed to be a relationship altering event, a retreat of sorts for you and your spouse or fiancé. Both nearly and newly married couples (1–2 years) are welcome at this event. While this weekend retreat meets the qualifications and requirements for you to be married at SBC, it will also provide a wonderful opportunity for you to truly connect with each other and with other young couples involved at SBC. The weekend will include fantastic sessions covering relevant early marriage topics, mentoring opportunities, and plenty of interaction and fun. The weekend begins Friday evening at 7 p.m., and will conclude after lunch on Sunday. The cost for the entire weekend is $150 per couple. This includes 5 meals, lodging for 2 nights, an online relationship assessment (with 3 follow-up sessions back in the Valley), the classes, get-to-know-you events, and a session notebook. Contact Kim Baker in the Marriage Office at 480.824.7241 for additional details.

Download Marriage Prep Retreat Form