What does the Cultivate Your Marriage Project do?
That's a great question! The project preventively strengthens marriages that aren't in distress or crisis. That means that all of the participants in the Cultivate Your Marriage Project are stronger marriages, not weaker ones.
Research shows that some marriages that exist near crisis easily move into deep crisis, not slight crisis, because there is little drawing them the other way. Other marriages appear resilient until major turbulence occurs in their relationship, caused by a variety of triggers. Many of those marriages turn suddenly toward the slippery decent into deep crisis. Crisis seems to affect marriages in our area suddenly, without respect to the age of the spouses or the length of their marriage. Parenting makes marriages even more vulnerable to the erosion of crises. Parents with young children are the largest population group in our area.
The project specifically targets non-crisis marriages and seeks to strengthen them in two areas that emerge over and over as weaknesses. Addressing these issues in advance will make couples more resilient to crisis. The two issues are (1) certain practices of a spouses spiritual foundation (i.e. their relationship with God) and (2) certain specific communication skills. The Project workshops and materials goes into them in great detail.
Having been strengthened at the weak points, our hope is that fewer marriages among our congregation will slip into deep distress when crises hit. We understand that every marriage has its ups and downs. Every marriage is unique. But, certain foundations are essential to every marriage, those are where the Project focuses.
Initially, a first group will be chosen to test the project's effectiveness and to provide important input to refine the sessions, the encouragement provided, and the materials used. The project is custom designed specifically to address needs at First Baptist Church. Of course, we believe that the two key issues the project address are important and will strengthen any marriage.
The project is not a marriage class. It is a marriage strengthening process. Participants learn through five sermons, attend two five-hour workshops, then use personally selected strengthening practices in their marriage over an eight-week, supervised practicum. During the last eight weeks, constant encouragement and contact keeps couples moving forward toward integrating their chosen new practices into life. It's a process that aims to create a new normal within their marriage relationship.
Research shows that some marriages that exist near crisis easily move into deep crisis, not slight crisis, because there is little drawing them the other way. Other marriages appear resilient until major turbulence occurs in their relationship, caused by a variety of triggers. Many of those marriages turn suddenly toward the slippery decent into deep crisis. Crisis seems to affect marriages in our area suddenly, without respect to the age of the spouses or the length of their marriage. Parenting makes marriages even more vulnerable to the erosion of crises. Parents with young children are the largest population group in our area.
The project specifically targets non-crisis marriages and seeks to strengthen them in two areas that emerge over and over as weaknesses. Addressing these issues in advance will make couples more resilient to crisis. The two issues are (1) certain practices of a spouses spiritual foundation (i.e. their relationship with God) and (2) certain specific communication skills. The Project workshops and materials goes into them in great detail.
Having been strengthened at the weak points, our hope is that fewer marriages among our congregation will slip into deep distress when crises hit. We understand that every marriage has its ups and downs. Every marriage is unique. But, certain foundations are essential to every marriage, those are where the Project focuses.
Initially, a first group will be chosen to test the project's effectiveness and to provide important input to refine the sessions, the encouragement provided, and the materials used. The project is custom designed specifically to address needs at First Baptist Church. Of course, we believe that the two key issues the project address are important and will strengthen any marriage.
The project is not a marriage class. It is a marriage strengthening process. Participants learn through five sermons, attend two five-hour workshops, then use personally selected strengthening practices in their marriage over an eight-week, supervised practicum. During the last eight weeks, constant encouragement and contact keeps couples moving forward toward integrating their chosen new practices into life. It's a process that aims to create a new normal within their marriage relationship.
How were the first participants chosen?
A careful process of elimination slowly narrows the potential participant group down to thirteen participant couples.
Step One is the completion of a Couple Quiz. The Quiz is designed to provide "ball-park" accuracy. It quickly eliminates couples with severe crisis or difficulties and couples whose strong marital health will make evaluating the effects of the Project very difficult. Couples in severe crisis will be referred to counseling, because their needs lie beyond the scope of the Project. Those meeting Couple Quiz requirements will be invited on to step two. Step Two requires that both spouses of a couple complete the Enrich Marital Profile and the Marriage Project Evaluation survey. The latter is a brief, eight-statement survey. The Enrich Profile is a professional marital diagnostic tool used by many counselors. These more scientifically accurate diagnostic tools will verify that couples fall within a pre-selected range of marital health. Those within that range will be invited to step three. Step Three orients potential participant couples to the requirements of the project. Because the Project is part of a doctoral study project, certain commitments and guidelines must be followed by all participants. From those who agree to participate, thirteen couples will be chosen and invited to be the first group in Cultivate Your Marriage. |
What is the future of the project past the first group?
The Cultivate Your Marriage Project was designed to be used over and over as a ministry of the First Baptist Church of Aztec to married couples. Sermons and workshop sessions will be recorded for future use by Project facilitators.
The Project's development in our Pastor's doctoral studies is only a first phase. Future implementation will require training facilitators, scheduling future training sessions and workshops, and guiding others through the practicum process. The Cultivate Your Marriage Project was conceived to significantly reduce the number of crisis vulnerable couples in the church family. Future plans include offering the Project to participants from outside our church family. Our dream is that the title of the project become a description of our ministry to marriages. Cultivating marriages helps spouses, families,and the church. The destruction of marital crisis wreaks havoc on them all, but stronger marriages benefit everyone. |