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Frequently asked questions
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Attending a course
Are The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course available in languages other than English?
Yes, in some countries, The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have been translated into other languages. Please click HERE and use the Find a Course widget to see what courses are available in your region.
Do the courses cost anything?
In most cases, The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course are free to attend, but some churches or organisations do charge a nominal fee to cover the meal and other running costs. As a guest, you may need to purchase your own Guest Journals.
What is the Alpha Course?
The Marriage Course was created by Alpha International, which also runs Alpha courses around the world. Alpha is a multi-week series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each week, the session looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe and everyone is welcome. It runs online, in cafés, churches, universities, homes—you name it! No two Alphas look the same, but they generally have three key things in common: hospitality, a talk and good conversation. Click HERE for more information.
Where can I buy resources?
As a guest you can purchase any of the Guest Journals through our Resources page HERE. Please do check if the Guest Journals are provided through your course hosts.
Where can I get The Marriage Book?
The Marriage Book was written by Nicky and Sila Lee, founders of TheMarriage Courses and is available to buy in your region through the Resources page. You can also find it on Amazon, as an e-book version, suitable for Kindle.
What’s a Guest Journal?
If you are doing The Pre-Marriage Course online, you will need to buy two copies of the relevant Guest Journal (one per person).You can check the availability of Guest Journals in your region and language on the Resources page. Please note that availability varies by country.
Can I go through the sessions online without joining a group?
Yes, The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course are both available online. Visit The Marriage Courses Online platform and create an account to access the support material and video sessions. We recommend you purchase your Guest Journals (two per couple) for your course. Visit the Resources page (top menu).
My partner and I have finished attending The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course. What’s next?
After the course, it is important that as a couple, you continue to put into practice what you've learned to help keep your marriage strong and healthy. As a starting point we recommend you visit our blog (top menu) for articles and guidance.
Sometimes couples require additional help. As a first step, we recommend you ask your course leader for a referral. They can often recommend someone suited to your needs and based near you.
What does an in-person session look like?
If you attend The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course in person through a church or organisation in your area, each session should have the environment of a date-night: relaxed, romantic, and private. We ask our course leaders to make the evening as welcoming as possible. When you arrive at your course you should be seated at your own table for two, as we believe each couple should have privacy and not have to share anything about your relationship with anyone other than your partner. You should be served a meal in a romantic setting while listening to practical talks that are informative and fun. Background music will ensure that you have complete privacy for your conversations. Arrangements will vary from course to course depending on where it is being held and who is running it, but this is how we recommend the evening be set up.
I can’t make every session. Is it still possible to attend the rest of the course?
Yes. To get the most out of The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course we recommend you try to come to every session, but if you do miss one you could always ask the course organiser to catch you up by sending you the missed session’s episode. You can then work through it with your Guest Journals in your own time. We do not recommend you attempt to do the whole course on your own like this.
We’re not married but live together, which course should we attend?
If you’ve been cohabiting for more than two years and are not engaged or considering marriage, we recommend you try The Marriage Course. If you’ve been living together or married for less than a year and you are not aware of any major issues to address, it’s a great idea to attend The Pre-Marriage Course.
How do I find a course near me?
To find a course near you, click on either The Pre-Marriage Course or The Marriage Course in the top menu and then choose Find out about attending and the Attend a course button where you can search for a course by country, city, or area code. If you’re having trouble finding a course where you are, you can look at doing the course online or please get in touch with your local Alpha Office who will be happy to help (The Marriage Course is a part of Alpha International).
Are your courses only for Christians?
While The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course are based on Christian principles, they are designed for couples with or without a Christian faith. We would love any couple to feel welcome to attend whether or not they have a Christian faith or any religious faith at all. We are confident all couples will find the courses relevant and helpful for their relationship.
Who can attend The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course?
We would love any couple to feel welcome to attend The Marriage Course, whether married or in a long-term, cohabitating relationship. The Pre-Marriage Course is ideal for engaged couples, newlyweds, or couples exploring the idea of marriage.
What’s the difference between The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course?
Both The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have a similar structure, with the environment of a date night and an emphasis on private discussions for each couple. The key difference is that The Pre-Marriage Course is for engaged couples and those considering marriage, whereas we recommend The Marriage Course for couples who have been married for at least two years. The Pre-Marriage Course can also include a Couple Survey which each guest completes in advance of the course. Following the course they look at the results of their survey over a meal with a designated married "Support Couple".
How many courses are running globally?
Currently we have over 8,000 courses, run in 117 countries, in 45 languages.
What is The Marriage Course?
The Marriage Course has been run in over 117 countries for over 1.5 million couples and consists of two courses: The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course. The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course recognise the need to help couples with their relationships. 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.
Running The Marriage Course
Do you have a list of suitable songs to use as background music?
Thank youfor your email about background music for the Marriage course or ThePre-Marriage Course. We do not have arecommended list, we leave it to the course leaders to decide what they thinkwould be relevant and relaxing to suit the needs of their audience. This couldbe easy listening, classical, instrumental, etc. The main thing is that it notbe too soft to enable couples to hear other couples’ conversations, or too loudto force them to shout! More information is available here.
Are The Marriage and Pre-Marriage Courses available in languages other than English?
To find out if The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have been translated into your language please visit the Course Builder or contact your local Alpha office (The Marriage Course is a part of Alpha International).
If a couple miss a session, how can I share the missed episode?
On Course Builder you will find a document with links to every episode. We recommend emailing the episode link with the password to the couple.
We would like to run parts of your course, can we do this?
Running sections of the course means guests don’t get the full experience or the full benefit. The course is written in a way that the different sections build upon each other and don’t work as effectively when done independently. We would recommend you run the courses in full rather than just use sections.
Where can I access the training videos?
You can access all of our latest training videos on Course Builder. To access these videos you must first create your account. Find your relevant course through the top menu, choose a course and click Find out about running.
How much does it cost?
All the episodes are free to download. It is at the discretion of the church whether they provide the Guest Journals, meals and other related costs free of charge or pass these costs onto the guests by charging them for the course.
How do I get started with running a course?
To get started...
1. Go to the top menu, click on either The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course
2. In the drop down box click Find out about running, then click on Run a course
3. Choose your Region and your Country
4. You are now on your country's page where you will now need to click Register your course
5. Register your details on the Course Builder
6. Once you've registered your course you'll find all you need to run your course
· The course episodes
· The Leaders' Guide
· The Couple Survey (optional for those running The Pre-Marriage Course only)
· Support Couples’ training videos (if using the Couple Survey for those running The Pre-Marriage Course only)
· Plus we recommend you watch the training videos on the Course Builder
Please remember that for both The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course each guest will require one copy of the relevant Guest Journal which can be purchased.
What’s the difference between The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course?
Both The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have a similar structure, with the feel of a date night and an emphasis on private discussions for each couple. The key difference is that The Pre-Marriage Course is for engaged couples and those considering marriage, whereas we recommend The Marriage Course for couples who have been married for at least two years. The Pre-Marriage Course can also include a Couple Survey which each guest completes in advance of the course. Following the course they look at the results of their Couple Survey over a meal with a designated married "Support Couple".
Where can I buy resources?
Head to Resources in the top menu.
If you’re having trouble finding resources in your area, please get in touch with your local Alpha office who will be happy to help you.
Can we promote our course continually on the website?
The website requires a start and finish date in order for a course to be registered on Course Builder. Please note that following registration on Course Builder your course dates will show on our Find a Course page on themarriagecourse.org. It will remain there until approximately two weeks after your course starts.
What’s a Guest Journal?
The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course each have their own version of the Guest Journal. Each guest on a course requires their own Guest Journal (that’s two per couple) and can be found through the country links on the Resources page (see top menu).
The Guest Journal is a small handbook that corresponds with the topics of each session, guiding couples’ conversations, prompting discussions, and allowing plenty of space for guests to make their own notes. The Guest Journal is created as an additional tool used to help the guest couples reflect on their relationship and the meaning of marriage, as well as to facilitate conversations between them. The Guest Journal is for each guest to keep once the course has finished.
What’s Course Builder?
Course Builder is the section of our website where you, as a host, can register your course and access training and promotional resources. You can get to Course Builder by going to top menu, choosing a course and clicking on Find out about running.
There is no way obtain theses resources without first registering your course on Course Builder. Once the course is registered you will have access to promotional materials, training resources and the option to download the latest series. We will be uploading new training resources and course materials to Course Builder over time so we encourage you to please keep revisiting the platform.
Is The Marriage Course easy to run?
Yes, it is very easy! All of the talks are available online, along with a Leaders’ Guide which has instructions for when to pause for exercises and private conversations for each couple. Promotional materials and other resources are also available once you register your course on Course Builder. You can get to Course Builder by going to top menu, choosing a course and clicking on Find out about running.
Who can run The Marriage Course?
We believe that anyone who has a desire to see marriages strengthened, has experience of working at their own marriage and enjoys hosting couples can run a course. You don't have to have the perfect marriage (no one does!) or be an expert to run it. People who are single can also run the course. We have a number of short training videos that will take you through how to run The Marriage Course. Register your course on Course Builder to access the training videos. You can get to Course Builder by going to top menu, choosing a course and clicking on Find out about running.
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
Running The Pre-Marriage Course
Do you have a list of suitable songs to use as background music?
Thank youfor your email about background music for the Marriage course or ThePre-Marriage Course. We do not have arecommended list, we leave it to the course leaders to decide what they thinkwould be relevant and relaxing to suit the needs of their audience. This couldbe easy listening, classical, instrumental, etc. The main thing is that it notbe too soft to enable couples to hear other couples’ conversations, or too loudto force them to shout! More information is available here.
Are The Marriage and Pre-Marriage Courses available in languages other than English?
To find out if The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have been translated into your language please visit the Course Builder or contact your local Alpha office (The Marriage Course is a part of Alpha International).
If a couple miss a session, how can I share the missed episode?
On Course Builder you will find a document with links to every episode. We recommend emailing the episode link with the password to the couple.
We would like to run parts of your course, can we do this?
Running sections of the course means guests don’t get the full experience or the full benefit. The course is written in a way that the different sections build upon each other and don’t work as effectively when done independently. We would recommend you run the courses in full rather than just use sections.
How does a guest doing The Pre-Marriage Course use the Couple Survey?
If The Pre-Marriage Course is using the Couple Survey, the course organiser or coordinator will email the Couple Survey to guests to complete before the course begins. Each partner should fill the Couple Survey out separately without consulting each other and then, after the course, they will have a scheduled appointment with a Support Couple who will go through the Couple Survey report with them both.
I’m a Pre-Marriage Course Leader and/or Support Couple - how come I can’t seem to access the Couple Survey link for my guest couple anymore?
Due to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), we are only able to make Couple Surveys available for 60 days following the last session of the Pre-Marriage Course. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to extend this, so Pre-Marriage Course leaders and admins need to take this into consideration when organising the Support Couple meetings. Support Couples should also be reminded of this expiration. See the FAQ 'What is a Support Couple?'
I’m a Pre-Marriage Course Leader - how do I use the Couple Survey?
You will be able to access the Couple Survey once you have created your account and registered your course on Course Builder accessed through the running a course page (see top menu). On the Course Builder, you will find training videos, guides and sample Couple Survey reports that equip Support Couples to interpret the Couple Survey report. The training videos and other guidance material can also be found on Course Builder. There is no Couple Survey for The Marriage Course; it is only to accompany The Pre-Marriage Course.
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 todiscuss
· 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 and the link to the Couple Surveys expire 60 days after the last Pre-Marriage Course session. 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.
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
· have completed The Marriage Course
· are happy to host a couple from The Pre-Marriage Course (usually in their home, over an evening)
· have been approved by someone with pastoral oversight (see the sample form that can be downloaded from the 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 Course Builder - see top menu courses 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.
Where can I access the training videos?
You can access all of our latest training videos on Course Builder. To access these videos you must first create your account. Find your relevant course through the top menu, choose a course and click Find out about running.
How much does it cost?
All the episodes are free to download. It is at the discretion of the church whether they provide the Guest Journals, meals and other related costs free of charge or pass these costs onto the guests by charging them for the course.
How do I get started with running a course?
To get started...
1. Go to the top menu, click on either The Marriage Course or The Pre-Marriage Course
2. In the drop down box click Find out about running, then click on Run a course
3. Choose your Region and your Country
4. You are now on your country's page where you will now need to click Register your course
5. Register your details on the Course Builder
6. Once you've registered your course you'll find all you need to run your course
· The course episodes
· The Leaders' Guide
· The Couple Survey (optional for those running The Pre-Marriage Course only)
· Support Couples’ training videos (if using the Couple Survey for those running The Pre-Marriage Course only)
· Plus we recommend you watch the training videos on the Course Builder
Please remember that for both The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course each guest will require one copy of the relevant Guest Journal which can be purchased.
What’s the difference between The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course?
Both The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course have a similar structure, with the feel of a date night and an emphasis on private discussions for each couple. The key difference is that The Pre-Marriage Course is for engaged couples and those considering marriage, whereas we recommend The Marriage Course for couples who have been married for at least two years. The Pre-Marriage Course can also include a Couple Survey which each guest completes in advance of the course. Following the course they look at the results of their Couple Survey over a meal with a designated married "Support Couple".
Is The Pre-Marriage Course easy to run?
Yes, it is very easy! All of the talks are available online, along with a Leaders’ Guide which has instructions for when to pause for exercises and private conversations for each couple. Promotional materials and other resources are also available once you register your course on Course Builder. Choose a course in the top menu and click Find out about running.
Who can run The Pre-Marriage Course?
We believe that anyone who has a desire to see relationships strengthened, has experience of working at their own marriage and enjoys hosting couples can run a course. You don't need to have the perfect marriage (no one does!) or be an expert to run it. People who are single can also run the course for couples. We have a number of short training videos that will take you through how to run The Pre-Marriage Course when you register your course on Course Builder. Just choose your course from the top menu, click Find out about running and click Run a course to register.
Where can I buy resources?
Head to Resources in the top menu.
If you’re having trouble finding resources in your area, please get in touch with your local Alpha office who will be happy to help you.
Can we promote our course continually on the website?
The website requires a start and finish date in order for a course to be registered on Course Builder. Please note that following registration on Course Builder your course dates will show on our Find a Course page on themarriagecourse.org. It will remain there until approximately two weeks after your course starts.
What’s a Guest Journal?
The Marriage Course and The Pre-Marriage Course each have their own version of the Guest Journal. Each guest on a course requires their own Guest Journal (that’s two per couple) and can be found through the country links on the Resources page (see top menu).
The Guest Journal is a small handbook that corresponds with the topics of each session, guiding couples’ conversations, prompting discussions, and allowing plenty of space for guests to make their own notes. The Guest Journal is created as an additional tool used to help the guest couples reflect on their relationship and the meaning of marriage, as well as to facilitate conversations between them. The Guest Journal is for each guest to keep once the course has finished.
What’s Course Builder?
Course Builder is the section of our website where you, as a host, can register your course and access training and promotional resources. You can get to Course Builder by going to top menu, choosing a course and clicking on Find out about running.
There is no way obtain theses resources without first registering your course on Course Builder. Once the course is registered you will have access to promotional materials, training resources and the option to download the latest series. We will be uploading new training resources and course materials to Course Builder over time so we encourage you to please keep revisiting the platform.
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