Frequently Asked Questions – The Marriage Courses

About The Marriage Courses

What is The Marriage Course ministry about?
How many courses are running globally?
What is The Marriage Course about?

The Marriage Course was developed in 1996 by Nicky and Sila Lee (authors of The Marriage Book) for couples looking for practical support to strengthen their relationship. The course equips couples with tools and techniques to keep the spark alive and stay connected. There is no group work and each couple’s conversations are completely private.  Over seven sessions, the course will help you to:

  • Understand each other’s needs
  • Communicate more effectively
  • Grow closer by learning methods to resolve conflict
  • Recover from the ways you may have hurt each other
  • Recognise how your upbringing affects your relationship
  • Improve relationships with parents and in-laws
  • Develop greater sexual intimacy
  • Discover each other’s “love language” and much, much more….

For more information, head to: https://gulf.alpha.org/the-marriage-course

What is The Pre-Marriage Course about?

The Pre-Marriage Course was developed in 1985 by Nicky and Sila Lee (authors of The Marriage Book) to help couples invest in their relationship to build a lasting marriage. It is for couples who are engaged and for those exploring marriage. There is no group work and each couple’s conversations are completely private.  Over five sessions, the Pre-Marriage Course will help you to:

  • Recognise the importance of commitment
  • Understand and appreciate your differences
  • Learn the art of communication
  • Resolve conflict
  • Spend time together
  • Recognise the influence of your family background
  • Develop a good sexual relationship
  • Talk about your goals, values and dreams and much, much more…

For more information, head to: https://gulf.alpha.org/the-pre-marriage-course

What’s the difference between The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course?

How to Run The Marriage Course

Who can run The Marriage Course?
Is The Marriage Course easy to run?
Why should I run The Marriage Course?

The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course act as a bridge between the church and the local community by recognising the need to go beyond the social, as well as physical, walls of the church to help couples with their relationships.In a world of increasing complexity, people more than ever need a tool to help with their relationships. The Marriage Course is designed to refresh, strengthen and, in some cases, transform relationships. The course equips couples with tools and techniques to keep the spark alive and stay connected. For couples who are engaged or wanting to explore marriage, The Pre-Marriage Course provides practical guidance on how to build strong, deep foundations that will last a lifetime. As marriages become healthier and stronger, so too does family life and this has the potential to transform entire communities.

We’ve created a video explaining in more depth why you should consider running The Marriage Course. Check it out here.

How do I get started running The Marriage Course?

To get started running your course, please visit The Marriage Course website where you will find out more information. To access and download all the materials to help run your course, please register your course on our Marriage Course Builder. There are only a few resources you need to run The Marriage Course:

  • The Marriage Course episodes – available as a DVD or to download online
  • Two Guest Journals per couple
  • The Marriage Course Leaders’ Guide
  • And we recommend you watch our training videos

To access these materials to buy or download, register your course on the Marriage Course Builder.

Can we promote our course continually on the website?
We would like to run parts of your course, can we do this?

How to Run The Pre-Marriage Course

Who can run The Pre-Marriage Course?
Is The Pre-Marriage Course easy to run?
How do I get started with running The Pre-Marriage Course?

To get started running your course, please visit our website where you will find out more information. To access and download all the materials to help run your course, please register your course at Marriage Course Builder. There are only a few resources you need to run The Pre-Marriage Course:

The Pre-Marriage Course episodes – available as a DVD or to download online

  • Two Guest Journals per couple
  • The Pre-Marriage Course Leaders’ Guide
  • Couple Survey (optional)
  • Support Couples’ training videos (if using the Couple Survey)

And we recommend you watch our training videos To access these materials to buy or download, register your course on the Marriage Course Builder.


The Marriage Course and Pre-Marriage Course Remake

We heard that The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course episodes were getting remade. How do I get the new series?

We are excited to share that the remake of The Marriage Course has been available to buy from your local distributor or  download for free online since January 2020. The remake includes:

  • 7 new episodes of The Marriage Course
  • 5 new episodes of The Pre-Marriage Course
  • Plus: new Guest Journals, Leaders’ Guides, training videos, and promotional materials

You can download the videos and matching resources on the Marriage Course Builder after registering your course. To purchase the hardcopy materials, please reach out to your National Office.

What other materials do I need to run The Marriage Course?
How much does it cost?

Costs vary according to regions, please get in touch with your local National Office to enquire.

Please note that the latest remade version of the course (2020) is available to download online for free on the Marriage Course Builder, thanks to generous donors who made this possible.

Is The Marriage Course remake available in languages other than English?
We have previously purchased Couple Survey credits and have a number of them still to be used. The credits do not show up on the new Marriage Course Builder website. Could you advise how I can rectify this?
Will you be creating live talk scripts for The Marriage Course remake?
Will you be providing sofa couple inserts?

How to Access Resources

What’s The Marriage Course Builder?
What’s a Guest Journal?
What’s the difference between a Guest Manuals and Guest Journals?
What is the Couple Survey?

The Couple Survey is an optional series of questions to be completed by guests on The Pre-Marriage Course before the course begins. The purpose of the Couple Survey is to:

  • Affirm areas of strength
  • Highlight those issues the couple needs to discuss
  • Help them make sure they are ready for marriage
  • Give a realistic view of what makes a marriage work

Couples do not receive the results of their Couple Survey. Instead following the course they have a discussion with a designated Support Couple. The Couple Survey report guides the conversation, affirming areas of strength in the couple’s relationship and highlighting issues for discussion.

I’m a Pre-Marriage Course Leader – how do I use the Couple Survey?
I’m a Pre-Marriage guest – how do I use the Couple Survey?
What’s a support couple?

Each couple on The Pre-Marriage Course is allocated a support couple. The requirements for support couples are simply that they are married; that they have completed The Marriage Course; that they are happy to host a couple from The Pre-Marriage Course, usually in their home, over an evening and that they have been approved by someone with pastoral oversight (see the sample form that can be downloaded from The Marriage Course Builder for this signed approval). During the evening the Support Couple guides the guests in conversation using the findings of the Couple Survey, which the guests would have completed before the start of the course.

The role of the support couple is to affirm areas of strength and highlight issues the couple needs to discuss. The Couple Survey report is very easy to use, with suggested follow-up questions for the Support Couple to ask the guest couple to facilitate the discussion.Once you register your course, you’ll be able to access dedicated training videos for support couples which fully explain their role. Head to Run The Pre-Marriage Course to get started. There is no Couple Survey or Support Couple role for The Marriage Course. It is designed only to accompany The Pre-Marriage Course.

Will you be creating live talk scripts for The Marriage Course remake?
Will you have a new version of the TMC party session available?
Will you have a new version of the ‘Coping with Times of Separation’ session available?
Where can I access the training videos?
Is The Marriage Course available in my language?
Where can I buy resources?
If a couple miss a session, how can I share the missed episode?

Trying The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course

Who can attend The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course?
Are your courses only for Christians?
How do I find a course near me?
We’re not married but live together, which course should we attend?
I can’t make every session. Is it still possible to attend the rest of the course?
How long is The Marriage Course?
What are The Marriage Course session topics?

There are seven sessions of The Marriage Course, looking at the following topics:

  • Strengthening Connection
  • The Art of Communication
  • Resolving Conflict
  • The Power of Forgiveness
  • The Impact of Family
  • Good Sex
  • Love in Action

For more information, Click Here

How long is The Pre-Marriage Course?

The Pre-Marriage Course takes place over five sessions. These are usually on one evening every week. Each session includes:

  • food
  • a talk on the session’s topic
  • space for private conversations

The course can also be combined with the Couple Survey, which the couples complete before the course, and then an evening with a married Support Couple following the course to look at their Couple Survey report.

What are The Pre-Marriage Course session topics?

There are five sessions to The Pre-Marriage Course:

  • Communication
  • Conflict
  • Commitment
  • Connection
  • Adventure

For more information, Click Here

What does a session look like?
We can’t attend a course in person. Can we do it online or long-distance?
I need a certificate to prove I’ve been on the course. Do you provide this?