Scottsdale Bible’s Marriage Ministry exists to encourage and equip couples to pursue a loving, vital and Christ-centered marriage. We believe that great marriages never happen by accident, but through a vision of Christ at the center, intentional effort and the right tools. We offer many opportunities to grow and strengthen your relationship, such as marriage preparation classes, community and friendship, education classes, and Bible studies. Information about our current marriage resources are listed below. For more information, please contact marriage@scottsdalebible.com or call 480.824.7271. For information about weddings or pre-marital counseling, please contact our Weddings Coordinator at 480.824.7238.
For married couples seeking additional support, although we are unable to provide ongoing marriage counseling sessions, SBC can offer couples an appointment with a Marriage Ministry pastor or volunteer who can provide biblical principles and pastoral care for your marriage, as well as recommended next steps for continued community and support. If you are interested in an appointment with our Marriage Ministry pastor or one of his associates, please contact Sonia Cleverly at scleverly@scottsdalebible.com or 480.824.7271. Referrals to outside professional counselors can be obtained through our Counseling Ministry by calling 480.824.7239.
The dates for our next two Preparing for Marriage classes have been scheduled. The first class begins Sunday, September 22, 2019 and the next class on February 16, 2020. Please select the class that works for you in the registration below.
If you are thinking of marriage, are engaged, or have been married less than two years, this class is for you. Preparing for Marriage is an eight-session experience for couples that will equip you to live together in dynamic connection for life. The sessions include thought-stimulating teaching by marriage professionals, in-class mentoring, and materials to foster spiritual and emotional growth in the early years of marriage. Topics include spiritual and sexual intimacy, communication and conflict resolution, finances, roles and expectations, and more. Participating in all sessions is vital to you gleaning all the information covered in this class. Each session covers a different topic that will help strengthen your relationship as you move toward marriage.
Our vision is that couples will turn to Christ and the church to learn how to build a godly marriage—one that becomes a model for their peers.
In addition to all you will learn during each class session, each couple will complete an online relational assessment before the start of the class. This assessment will be reviewed with each couple by class mentor couples.
Important Registration Information
To register for Preparing for Marriage, please complete these two steps:
1. Fill out the Preparing for Marriage Application.
2. Fill out the online class registration form below and pay for the class. You will be directed to a payment page to complete your registration after filling out the form. You may also drop off or mail a check to Scottsdale Bible Church, 7601 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ, 85260. The registration fee is $175 per couple. If your wedding will be at Scottsdale Bible, the Preparing for Marriage class fee is included in the wedding package.
Included in the registration fee is an online relational assessment, which helps you understand the strengths and growth areas in your relationship. After your registration is complete and your payment has been received, you will be set up to take this online inventory. It will then be reviewed with you as a couple by one of our Life Innovations certified individuals or couples.
To read testimonies of couples who have attended Preparing for Marriage, click here.
Marriage Is More Than a Wedding
Your wedding is more than just a ceremony! Marriage is a covenant intended by God to be a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, and it’s sacred because He ordained it. Throughout God’s Word, we see the importance and valuable benefits of the husband-wife relationship.
We want your wedding day to be all you desire it to be as you celebrate your covenants and vows together with friends and family. We also want to help you begin this new journey on the right foot, by helping equip you with biblical principles to strengthen your relationship.
Weddings at Scottsdale Bible Church
We believe in the sacredness of marriage as described throughout the Bible, and are committed to providing a biblical foundation for each marriage. Couples who plan to marry at Scottsdale Bible are asked to participate in our Preparing for Marriage classes.
Our church facilities are offered year-round, subject to availability. If the bride, groom or a member of either immediate family (father, mother, brother or sister) is an active member or regular attendee of Scottsdale Bible, the couple can qualify for member fees. You can view our different wedding venues and get more information about them in our Wedding Book.
Steps for Scheduling Your Wedding
We look forward to helping you plan a beautiful wedding day celebration!
We offer many opportunities to help you and your spouse grow and strengthen your marriage – community groups, discipleship, and small group studies.
Sundays | 9am | Shea A9
Leaders: David & Julie Dickerson, 602.757.3998
First 5 is the place for young (20s and 30s) engaged and newly married couples (in their first 5 years) at Scottsdale Bible. Through every other month Sunday morning teaching modules (3-week series), regular home group meetings, social activities, and special events (retreats, conferences), couples gain encouragement in their marriages and build lasting friendships.
We hope you will join us for our kick-off teaching series on establishing healthy boundaries in relationships and how to practically apply these principles to your marriage, your parents, your in-laws, and others. If you’ve ever struggled with deciding whose parents to spend holidays with, whether you should lend money to your brother again, or whether you are too rigid or too flexible with your spouse – this series is for you! We hope you will join us for some encouragement in this area and an opportunity to build supportive relationships with other couples!
Class will meet in A9 at 9am during the 2019-20 season for the following teaching modules:
September 8, 15, and 22 – Relationship Boundaries
November 3, 10, and 17 – TBD
January 5, 12, and 19 – TBD
March 1, 8, and 15 – TBD
May 3, 10, and 17 – TBD
Please join us in A9 from 10:15 to 11am on the following dates for social gatherings:
October 6
November 3
December 1
January 5
February 2
March 1
April 5
Sundays | 11am | Shea A4 (resumes on September 8)
Leader: Bill Cavness
Contact: Sonia Cleverly, 480.824.7271
Family Connections is a place for couples to be encouraged, equipped, and strengthened in their marriage and parenting through weekly teaching of biblical principles and authentic community with others in the same season of life. Our Discovery Kids and Youth Ministry offers programming for your children at this time. Join us!
We will begin the semester with a 5-week series designed to help couples see the value and reap the rewards of going deeper – in their relationship with Christ and in Christian community with other couples.
Below is a collection of videos and podcasts designed to be a resource for couples who want to invest in their relationship. Each study can be completed at your own pace, in the comfort of your home. We believe couples who are intentional about learning together will reap the benefits of a healthier, stronger marriage
Scottsdale Bible Church has partnered with Right Now Media (RNM) to offer you more than 10,000 incredible video resources free of charge. If you have a RNM account, click on any of the links below to be directed to their website. If you would like to purchase books to accompany these studies or have questions, call the Marriage Ministry at 480.824.7271.
If you don’t have a RNM account, click here to set up your free account. RNM is available on your computer as well as many phone apps.
We especially recommend the following studies:
The Art of Marriage
Grace-Filled Marriage
You and Me Forever
Changes That Heal
Fill out the form below to receive our monthly email designed to encourage you and your spouse grow closer to God and to each other. This letter will give you biblical and practical ideas to ponder and will help you draw closer to God and your spouse. Each letter will also list upcoming marriage-related events and opportunities from the Marriage Fitness Center.
Write your prayer request below. If you would like someone from the Marriage Ministry to call you, please include your phone number. This form is submitted to the Marriage Pastor and Marriage Ministry Coordinator, and confidentially shared with the Marriage prayer team (no names or personal details are shared).
All relationships take vision, intentional effort and the right tools to stay healthy and grow. These can be fostered through intentional quality time together in prayer and focused effort on specific areas of the relationship that a couple agrees upon. With literally thousands of books available on the topic of relationships, we’ve tried to narrow the field to some that the leaders in the Marriage Ministry have found helpful over the years. The listings below are those that we believe address each subject best.
General
Devotionals for Couples
Before You Marry
Before You Remarry
The First Years of Marriage
Sexual Intimacy
Stewardship and Finances
Addictions – Abuse – Infidelity
Parenting
