Couples enter marriage with high hopes and wonderful dreams. This is a good thing.

They then find that their first year together is difficult and the third nearly intolerable and then…50% divorce.

Ministers around the country are finding that in-depth pre-marriage counseling helps to prevent divorce and helps to create happier and more solid marital relationships. In some cities such as Winston-Salem ministers have agreed not to marry couples unless they have received pre-marriage counseling.

What is discussed in pre-marriage counseling?

• The individual’s needs (we give a test to help determine what the needs are)

• Family of origin and how that affects the new marriage’s expectations

• Conflict resolution

• Sex

• Money

• In-laws (out-laws)

• What is marriage after all?

• Children and the raising of children

• How to create a successful Christian marriage

• Role expectations

• What is love, really?

• Mixed marriages

• Blended families

• Creating a marital vision

Pre-marriage counseling is great for those marrying for the second, third, and forth times.

Unless we change how we do our relationship business we will repeat our former errors. That is why the success rate for remarriages ranges from 10-30%. If the remarriage is a product of adultery from a former marriage the success rate is 5%. Pre-marriage counseling can help increase the success rate.