Information For
Clergy
Want Better Marriages in Your Parish?
Episcopal Marriage Encounter has been making has been making good marriages better for over 25 years.
1997 Resolution D071: Resolved, That the 72nd General Convention recognizes the importance of lifelong commitment to and fidelity in the marital relationship between husband and wife; and be it further Resolved, That all congregations are urged to support and develop ways to encourage and maintain healthy marriages, including marriage retreats such as Marriage Encounter…."
"Renewed marriages renewing the Church and the world through the power of divine love."
What is Marriage Encounter?
Episcopal Marriage Encounter invites married couples on a journey - a deepening of their couple love.
It is a weekend whose format is especially designed to allow a husband and wife time to pause awhile and focus on each other.
What happens on a Weekend?
It begins on Friday at 8 PM and ends about 4:00 Sunday afternoon.
It's a working weekend, where the couples listen to sessions presented by a clergy couple and one of the lay couples. The sharings are centered around their personal experiences and are designed to inspire the attending couples to look at themselves as individuals, at their marriage relationship, their relationship with God and the world around them.
After most of the sessions, attending couples discuss the topic presented in the privacy of their rooms.
It is not a marriage clinic or a counseling session. There are no group discussions and couples are not required to disclose any aspect of their marriage to others. The purpose of the Weekend is for a husband and wife to develop a better knowledge, understanding and acceptance of each other through the use of a communication technique that is taught on the weekend.
The weekend is presented from an Episcopal perspective, but the concepts go far beyond the boundaries of any one faith expression.
Who should attend this Weekend?
Married couples of any age. All that is needed is a commitment to each other and a willingness to work towards a stronger and more meaningful future together.Couples married from a few months to fifty years have enjoyed the weekend.
It is normally suggested that couples married for several years may find it easier to relate to some of the presentations. Persons from any religious faith or background are welcomed. They should understand that the weekend is presented from the perspective of the Episcopal Church. Persons in psychiatric counseling should check with their counselor before registering and are encouraged to delay their weekend.
Is this Weekend for troubled marriages?
No. Relationships in serious trouble could benefit from another weekend experience called Retrouvaille (see www.retrouvaille.org or call 1-800-470-2230).
What are the results?
The National Institute for Family Study reports: The divorce rate for couples attending an ME Weekend is just 2%, vs the 50% national average. The Weekend experience benefits not only the couple and their marriage, but also has positive effects on family communications and parenting. Less than 15% of the couples rated their marriages as "excellent" before the Weekend, but nearly 65% did so after the weekend.
What is in it for my parish?
Couples returning to the Parish after a weekend seem to have a renewed image of themselves, a renewed commitment to God, and a renewed vision of the Church as it reaches out to the community. One measurable benefit is the increased number of husbands who begin to participate more actively in the life of their parishes with their wives.
What is in it for me personally?
Married clergy are not exempt from the stress today's world places on a couple's relationship. In addition to the benefits the Weekend can bring to a clergy couple's relationship, the opportunity also exists for a meaningful ministry as a couple within Episcopal Marriage Encounter.
What is the Cost of a Weekend?
Marriage Encounter offers weekends in the belief that all couples should be able to attend without regard to their economic ability. Only an initial, non-refundable deposit of $45 is required to ensure a reservation on a Weekend. The Weekend is offered as a gift. Near the end of the Weekend, couples are given a chance to make an anonymous financial contribution towards the cost of future weekends. Thus no couple should ever be discouraged from attending due to lack of funds. Episcopal Marriage Encounter receives no financial support from the Episcopal Church on either a National or Diocesan level. It is supported entirely by couple's donations.
Who conducts the Weekend?
Each Marriage Encounter Weekend is presented by two or three lay couples and one clergy couple. All have attended previous weekends and all are Communicants in Good Standing of the Episcopal Church. Presenting couples strive to live in an open and caring relationship, and their personal experiences are shared lovingly and deeply with the attending couples. Quality control is carefully maintained. Presenting couples submit their talks to a Workshop Team. Each talk is checked for fidelity to the focus of the Weekend and the doctrine of the Church. All presenting couples volunteer their time and ministry to the Weekends.
How do I find out where Weekends are being Held?
Call 1-800-795-5683 or check the Weekend Dates page.
What if there are no Weekends in my Diocese?
Contact us. We can refer you to another denomination's weekend OR work with a committed lay or clergy couple to start a community from scratch.