| Testimonials: |
 A passage from Love Must Be Tough
by Dr. James C. Dobson |
 A passage from Marriage Savers
by Michael J. McManus |
 An article written
by William Oak |
 An article appearing in the Sept. 2000 issue of PARENTGUIDE
by Edward Gross |
|
Worldwide Marriage Encounter
What is Worldwide Marriage Encounter?
A Summary
Marriage Encounter is designed to give married couples the opportunity to examine their lives together... a time to share feelings, their hopes, disappointments, joys and frustrations ... and to do so openly and honestly in a face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter with the one person they have chosen to live with for the rest of their life.
The emphasis of Marriage Encounter is on communication between husband and wife, who spend a weekend together away from the distractions and the tensions of everyday life, to concentrate on each other. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing Christian Marriage.
Marriage Encounter is a time for you and your spouse to be alone together. To rediscover each other and together focus on your relationship for an entire weekend. Every marriage deserves that kind of attention.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is a Marriage Encounter?
Who is it for?
Why would priests or other religious attend?
Is there a particular religious orientation?
What happens on a Weekend?
Does the Weekend respect a couple's privacy?
How does a Marriage Encounter enhance a marriage?
How much does a Weekend cost?
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The Marriage Encounter weekend is a positive and personal experience offering married couples an opportunity to learn a technique of loving communication that they can use for the rest of their lives. It's a chance to look deeply into their relationship with each other and with God. It's a time to share their feelings, hopes and dreams with each other.
The emphasis of the Marriage Encounter weekend is on the communication between husbands and wives. The weekend provides a conducive environment for couples to spend time together, away from the distractions and tensions of everyday life, while encouraging them to focus on each other and their relationship.
It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing Marriage.
This is a time for you and your spouse to be alone together, to rediscover each other and together focus on your relationship for an entire weekend. Every marriage deserves that kind of attention!
Any married couple who desires a richer, fuller life together. A marriage can never be too good. Marriage Encounter is designed to deepen and enrich the joys a couple share together, whether they have been married for only a short time, or for many years. Priests and other religious are also welcome and encouraged to attend!
The Marriage Encounter Weekend is designed in such a way that both priests and religious can participate fully. The principles of love, commitment and effective communication translate quite readily to the relationship between a priest and his parish or any group to whom he ministers as well as to a religious community.
Priests who have made an Encounter weekend call the experience "life enhancing."
Worldwide Marriage Encounter invites you to attend. Please take advantage of our networking process by which we can help you get a replacement for the weekend you choose to attend.
Marriage Encounter does present God as a focus for successful marriage. There are many faith expressions of Marriage Encounter Weekends - Catholic, as well as several Protestant demoninations. While the Weekend may be presented in a given Faith expression, each is open to couples from other
orientations. The opportunities of the Weekend go beyond the boundaries of any one expression.
A series of presentations are given by a team of married couples and a religious in the particular faith expression (priest or minister). Each presentation allows you and your spouse a rare opportunity to look at yourselves as individuals, then to look at your marriage and relationship to one another, and finally to look at your relationship to God and to the world. The weekend starts at 8:00 on Friday night and runs until about 5:00 on Sunday afternoon. Meals are provided.
YES! The weekend is oriented strictly to each individual couple. You concentrate on your spouse to such an extent that you are hardly aware of the other couples present. The presentations are given to the group as a whole. After each presentation, the husband and wife have time in the privacy of their room for their own personal discussion.
The encounter weekend teaches a communication technique which permits each couple to explore important areas of their relationship in a spirit of love and understanding. By continuing the newly-acquired technique begun on the weekend, husbands and wives continually grow closer together to live more joyful and purposeful lives.
While not an essential part of the experience, the availability of a community of others who have shared the Weekend and who share similar values provides a supportive environment for even further growth.
On the weekend, you will be asked to make a donation. This donation will cover the expenses of lodging, food, and materials for the Weekend.
A non-refundable registration fee that varies from $25-$100, depending on the location of the Weekend, is required to confirm your reservation, food and lodging. There is limited capacity, so early registration is encouraged.
No couple is ever denied the chance to renew their marriage because they are facing financial difficulties. This concern should not influence your decision to attend a Marriage Encounter Weekend.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is a tax-exempt organization. The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that donations made in connection with the Weekend, including the non-refundable deposit mentioned above, are deductable only to the extent that the contribution exceeds the amount of goods and services received. Information as to that amount will be given to couples attending the Weekend.
Contributions made on or in connection with the Marriage Encounter weekend are made confidentially.
Courtesy of The Roman Catholic Network