Overview

Overview

Overview of Twin Cities Marriage Ministries

The mission of Twin Cities Marriage Ministries is to have a united effort to minister to marriage and family, by empowering, challenging, encouraging and affirming others to share their gifts and graces through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Twin Cities Marriage Ministries is based upon the following beliefs:

A. Belief in the importance of providing marriage-related programs and education to couples at each step in their marriage. This includes programs at each of the following relationship stages:

1. Engagement (marriage preparation courses),

2. Newly Married Couples,

3. Marriage Enrichment (a combination of ongoing programs and "special events"),

4. Marriage and Family Support (support groups and classes),

5. Troubled Marriage Interventions, and

6. Post-Separation Reconciliations.

All of the programs directed to any of the above listed stages are to have a strong emphasis on teaching strong communication skills, and may be supplemented by "special events" and other courses / programs.

Twin Cities Marriage Ministries initial emphasis in 2005 will be on encouraging churches and community organizations within the Twin Cities area to develop, deliver, and encourage participation in programs for Marriage Preparation, Marriage Enrichment, Marriage and Family Support, and Troubled Marriages.

B. Belief in supporting networking within the churches and community organizations so that not every church or organization has to provide a full spectrum of courses/programs to its members. Rather, the idea is that a range of programs will be available somewhere in each community or neighborhood, and the information about all of the courses/programs will be available on a website managed by Twin Cities Marriage Ministries (www.TwinCitiesMarriageMinistries.org). This way pastors, therapists, and community leaders will be able to refer their couples to the program(s) which best meets their needs and is offered in reasonably close proximity to the couples who are being referred.

Twin Cities Marriage Ministries will assist churches and community organizations within the Twin Cities area who want to offer any of these programs to their members and/or the broader community. For 2005, this assistance will focus primarily on the core marriage stages of Marriage Preparation, Marriage Enrichment, Marriage and Family Support, and Troubled Marriages.

The key assistance focus will be communication between and among Twin Cities Marriage Ministries and the churches and community organizations in the Twin Cities area. This will be facilitated by this website and the monthly newsletter emailed to all interested parties. This website will provide a forum for churches and community organizations to publish marriage and family events.

The goal of the Twin Cities Marriage Ministries is to strengthen marriages and reduce the number of divorces within the Twin Cities area. Objectives for 2005 include:

A. Increase the breadth and depth of Marriage Preparation programs offered within Twin Cities area to increase the participation in, and quality levels of, preparation that engaged couples receive before getting married;

B. Increase the number of Twin Cities area couples who participate in some sort of structured Marriage Enrichment program during the year;

C. Increase the number of Twin Cities area couples who participate in Marriage and Family Support programs.

D. Increase the number of, and participation in, Troubled-Marriage and Divorce-Intervention programs offered in the Twin Cities area.