This three-day retreat for pastors and their spouses, begins with dinner on Thursday and ends with lunch on Sunday. The program suggested below can be modified according to the needs of the participants. Often people want to repeat the experience once a year, changing the topics and focus each time.
Participants are organized into mentoring groups of four couples each. The mentoring couple is chosen about six months in advance. They choose three other pastoral couples with whom they have affinity to be in their mentoring group. The friendship already established and the transparency practiced by the mentoring couple create an atmosphere of confidence and openness. Each mentoring group meets together during every session and shares at least three meals during the retreat time. The mentoring couple is chosen because of their maturity, experience, and sense of calling to minister to other couples.
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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8:00a
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Breakfast |
Breakfast |
Breakfast |
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9:00
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Group Devotions |
Group Devotions |
Group Devotions |
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9:30
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Expectations, Emotional Health Evaluatn. |
Sharpening our Listening Skills |
Tips for starting couples’ ministry |
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11:00
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Break |
Break |
Break |
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11:20
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Remembering the days of our courtship |
Renewing romance |
Hearing God
Testimonies
The Lord’s Supper
Closing |
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1:00p
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Lunch; One couples’ history |
Lunch; Last couple’s history |
Lunch |
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4:30
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Arrival |
Love that Works |
Marriage Project |
Departure |
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6:30
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Dinner |
Dinner: Second couple’s story |
Dinner |
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8:00
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Worship; Getting acquainted
God’s purposes in marriage |
Third couple’s story |
Film and discussion |
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10:00
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Free |
Free |
Free |
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Return to the initial page on healthy marriages and families or go on to the training seminar for marriage ministries.
