Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors!
Marriage Preparation
Planning a Christian marriage? Learn about spiritual life, communication, finances, family planning, friendship, budgeting and more. Marriage preparation classes are offered to all Christian denominations.
Space is limited, first come first served basis. You must call 306-525-0521 to register and reserve a place in the group.
2018 Dates: January 12-13th, February 9-10th, March 16-17th, April 13-14th, May 11-12th, June 8-9th, June 15-16th, October 12-13th
2019 Dates: January 12-13th, February 8-9th, March 15-16th, April 12-13th, May 10-11th, June 7-8th, July 12-13th
Times: Friday 6:30 - 9:00 pm & Saturday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
Cost: $200.00/couple - group.
Please Download the Marriage Prep Dates Print Out HERE
Marriage and Relationships: Preparation and Preservation - Keys to Enduring Happiness
The miracle of a great marriage or even a good marriage is no accident. Preparation, planning, shoring up, rebuilding are all necessary components of a successful marriage. Nine out of 10 Canadians marry at least once; 4 out of 10 first marriages end in divorce. This book is a marriage preparation; it is also a valuable tool for marriage preservation dealing with communication and conflict resolution, sexual intimacy, blended families, financial planning and more. Written by David Sax, Jim Appleby and Vincent Murphy, this 126-page couples workbook is filled with useful information, good humour, and nuggets of wisdom with sixteen couple exercises and several handouts. This book is included with the marriage preparation session.
Marie & Martin
The class will be taught by Martin and Marie Kondzielewski who have been married for sixteen years this fall and have been teaching the marriage preparation course since their second year of marriage. According to Martin and Marie, “Leading the marriage preparation course has given [them] a stronger marriage. You can’t stand before the people and teach it unless you live it.”
The class consists of sessions that include a talk and time for reflexive exercises that get the engaged couple to start thinking about certain issues like finances or conflict and opens up a dialogue between the two partners.
When asked what factors lead to a good working marriage they state:
* A good marriage is joyous and peaceful
* Communication is key
* Sharing expectations
* Learning to listen to each other
* Being open to change
* A deep desire to solving problems that come your way
Both Martin, a television producer at Access Communication for twenty years, and Marie, an educator in the Catholic School System, have learned a lot of their communication and problem solving skills from their employment, but having a committed partner is even more critical as expressed by Martin: “You must trust in your other's love and give yours wholeheartedly.” Martin and Marie have three children: a daughter and two sons.
Wendy & Brad
Wendy and Brad met as volunteer dance instructors for the Regina Ballroom Dancing Club, but soon discovered they had alot more in common than dancing. They were married in January 1998 and soon became presenters at marriage preparation courses. They also took leadership roles in some of the marriage programs offered at the diocese. " Engaged encounters and marriage preparation courses are an excellent way to intellectually prepared for the relationship ahead but don't let your relationship training stop there. Take advantage of the many programs available to married couples to help develop your relationship to be all that it can be. I wouldn't teach for 30 years without taking some additional professional training to make me a better teacher. Why on earth wouldn't I want to do something to make me a better husband? It should be at least as important to take care of your marriage as it is your career! "
Brad and Wendy love to teach through analogies and metaphors. During their marriage preparation weekend they will share sound theoretical research and some personal anecdotes that they feel illustrate the key ingredients of a healthy relationship. They call it recipoe for a happy marriage. Understanding how each ingredient in a recipe affects the overall dish gives us the ability to adjust the proportions and add new spices to come up with the most enjoyable flavour. Wendy and Brad hope to give couples the tools to do the same in their marriages.
Brad has been an educator in the Regina Catholic School System for over 30 years. Wendy has been working as a Child Life Specialist with the Regina Qu`Appelle Health District for over 20 years. They have three boys who are active in their church and community.
Sarah & Kevin
Kevin and Sarah have been married since 2009. Teaching the marriage preparation course is a new adventure for them and allows them to be involved in the Catholic community while sharing information and lessons learned with engaged couples.
For Kevin, a stay at home father, and Sarah, an Optometrist, they say that it is important in our marriage to remember “ we are 'on the same team”. We believe that happiness and joy in our marriage come from having:
* Common beliefs and values
* Trust in each other
* Humour and the ability to laugh together
* The ability to work together and
* The desire to put each other first
Kevin and Sarah have four children.
Testimonials
"I enjoyed the two sessions. Your honesty and personal stories and examples were interesting and vibrant. Thanks for sharing your time with us. We will defiantly use this weekend as a valuable resource for our marriage."
"I thought you were a great couple to be putting this on. Martin’s humour really helped to break up the day and keep me interested."
"The facilitators were great. The stories which were shared were relevant, informative and very helpful. Great course!"