|
|
Home
> News & Events Archive
| For
Better and For Ever - Continuing the Implementation |
The implementation of this Marriage Preparation Resource and the Sponsor couple approach throughout our Diocese
continues.
A training workshop for sponsor couples was held at Holy Family parish on
January 21, 2010, led by Lorraine and Bill Ziegler. Comments that were
made included:
- You will find this approach enjoyable and enriching for yourselves as sponsor couples.
- If you are the perfect couple, you should find another ministry rather than this one.
- The engaged and the sponsor couples do their homework by answering the questions in the FBFE workbook, dialoguing with each other and then the
4 of you get together for 5 sessions.
- The sharing of the sponsor couple is not meant to make the couple like them but to encourage the engaged couple to be the best couple they can be.
- You will be asked to sponsor only
1 couple per year because this is about forming relationships and follow-up is part of this mentoring approach.
- The resource book is all that you need, but there is a parish and training DVD available, and
Fr. Rob’s website is helpful.
- This is about helping couples to prepare for a lifetime of Christian marriage; the content is excellent.
- The parish is thinking about gathering the sponsor couples together to talk about their experience and to show appreciation for this ministry.
A couple from Moosimin, Simone and Murray Hagedorn, attended the training session and had this to say: "We found the workshop to be informative, interesting and it's a good concept."
A Report from Christ the Redeemer Parish Swift Current
In December our parish Vocation Committee, along with the support and leadership of our parish priest, Father Antony, introduced the For Better and For Ever program to the previous marriage preparation presenters/helpers.
We got plenty of great ideas, and the support for the program was tremendous!
With this program we could easily see the benefits of the “couple to couple” support, and the learning of information over a period of time, rather than crammed into one weekend! As well, we all agreed that the “follow-up” is something that was definitely lacking in our other programs, but which new couples need - that anchor and support within the church before, but, especially after they are married!
Our next step is to look at introducing it to the rest of the parish through the bulletin and presenting the information after Mass. We continue optimistically with the implementation of this new program and are looking forward to beginning it this year.
May Blessing be upon all the other parishes, teams, sponsors and couples looking at taking on For Better and Forever!
Jamie and Natalie Coulter
Chairpersons of the Vocation Committee
|
