Marriage Preparation Courses
Congratulations on your engagement! Now it’s time to plan for the wedding: the dress, the ceremony, the reception, the honeymoon; maybe even some wedding insurance? But what about planning for your lifetime together, happily thereafter?
If you want to drive a car you take lessons. If you want to play the piano you take lessons. But how many people take lessons before they get married? Studies show that those who do properly prepare for marriage have a much reduced chance of later divorcing.
Windsor area marriage preparation courses
Keith and Kathy Arundale have been presenting marriage preparation courses in Windsor since 2005. The courses are based on the Marriage Preparation Course from Holy Trinity Brompton church in Kensington (see below). Topics covered in the classes include: communication, commitment, resolving conflict, keeping love alive and shared values. While based on Christian principles, the courses are relevant and helpful for any engaged couple with or without a Christian faith or church background. There is no group discussion and no requirement to disclose anything about a couple’s relationship to anyone else.
Keith and Kathy supplement the course material with their anecdotal and often amusing experiences from their own 21 years of marriage. Other local couples help out at the classes and tell their stories. The courses are held at St Edwards Church on Alma Road, Windsor over five evening sessions. The courses are highly practical and include talks, exercises where couples work together in private on the many practical issues they are likely to face in their married life, and refreshments. Couples come to regard the evenings as weekly “date nights” which they do not want to miss.
Nearly 400 engaged couples have attended the courses run by Kathy and Keith. Typical comments from couples who have attended the courses in Windsor include:
“We will use what we have covered on the course throughout our marriage”.
“Thought-provoking, challenging, rewarding”.
“A very helpful and sensible course. I think it should be mandatory for all couples getting married”.
The next 5 session course will be held on Tuesdays 20 and 27 February and 5, 12 and19 March 2024 from 7pm to 9.30pm at St Edwards.
Keith and Kathy are also Registered Marriage Preparation Providers and Foccus Facilitators with Marriage Care ( www.marriagecare.org.uk ) and have provided one-day marriage preparation courses in the Reading area and questionnaire-based (Foccus: facilitating open couple communication, understanding & study) facilitation in Windsor. Foccus sessions can be arranged by appointment via Marriage Care.
If you are interested in attending marriage preparation courses in Windsor please contact Keith and Kathy here.
Marriage course
Keith and Kathy ran the 7 session Holy Trinity Brompton marriage course at St Edwards for the first time in September 2015 with five married couples attending. The marriage course is for any married couple wishing to build a strong and lasting relationship. The course helps couples to communicate more effectively, understand each other’s needs, resolve conflict, recognise how upbringing affects your relationship, develop greater sexual intimacy and much, much more.
We last held the marriage course (on Zoom) in 2022. We are holding a taster of three sessions of the marriage course at St Edwards, Windsor on 6 October (Strengthening Connection), 13 October (The Art of Communication) and 20 October 2023 (Resolving Conflict).
If you are interested in attending the marriage course, or one of the periodic marriage evenings that we hold in Windsor, please contact Keith and Kathy here.
London courses (Holy Trinity Brompton)
Keith and Kathy are hosts and a support couple on the Marriage Preparation Courses held regularly for engaged couples at HTB Onslow Square, London (part of the Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) parish). Keith and Kathy attended the Marriage Course (for married couples) in 2003 and it was following this that they volunteered to be a support couple on the Marriage Preparation Courses. They also regularly attend the Marriage Conferences at HTB. For more information on the HTB marriage preparation and marriage courses see www.htb.org.uk/marriageprep
The Alpha course
“an opportunity to explore the meaning of life”
The Alpha course is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith. It is supported by all the main Christian denominations and is relaxed, non-threatening, low key, friendly and fun.
Keith and Kathy attended the Alpha course in 2003 and the Alpha Conference in 2004 at Holy Trinity Brompton. They attended the virtual Alpha course in 2020 during the lockdown.
For more information on Alpha go to www.htb.org.uk/alphacourse .
