Run The Marriage Course

Why run The Marriage Course?

The Marriage Course is an easy-to-run, practical, seven-session course designed to support couples looking to strengthen their relationship. No expertise is needed to run the course. You may have experience working on your own marriage, or you are passionate to see marriages and family life strengthened in your community.

An individual can host a course using The Marriage Course DVDs, though we also recommend having a married couple on hand to offer support.

Key features of The Marriage Course:

  • Easy-to-use DVD

  • Leader’s guide with instructions for when to pause DVD for exercises and discussion times

  • Effective whether held in a home or larger venue

  • Practical material presented in a fun and interesting way

  • Welcoming and accessible content for any couple

How to run The Marriage Course

1. PURCHASE the course material
You need The Marriage Course DVD with Leaders’ Guide and two guest manuals per couple.
You can purchase these at the Alpha Store.
 

2.  PLAN your course

  • Find a venue

  • Ask people to help you run the course

  • Decide what/if to charge guests attending your course

  • Budget for food and/or drinks and promotion

3. REGISTER your course
Take a few minutes to Register your course details on our website.
This helps anyone looking for a course in your area to easily find you, using our Find a Course tool.
 

4. PREPARE

  • Use The Marriage Course leaders’ Resources for support to run your course

  • Think of ways to make your course feel like a fun ‘date night’ for your couples

5. FIND SUPPORT in advance
Do a little information gathering ahead of time to find a counselor in your area to whom you will you feel comfortable referring couples to if they need more specific professional help.
Contact Us for advice and support.
 

Who should I invite?

The Marriage Course is for any couple wanting to strengthen their relationship. It doesn’t matter if they have a strong relationship or are struggling, if they are married or cohabiting.

Think about inviting:

  • Friends, family, neighbors and work colleagues

  • Current and previous wedding and baptism candidates

  • Community groups such as gym classes or mother & toddler groups

  • If your church is running Alpha and/or The Parenting Courses, consider inviting current and past guests.

How do I Invite Guests?

The most effective way to encourage guests to come on your course is to personally invite them.

Promotional materials such as postcard invitations and banners are easy to use and can help generate interest and spread the word about your course to those outside your personal network.

Customizable promotional materials including posters and postcard invites are available on the Alpha Print Shop.

How to reach couples in your community:

  • Promote your course at your church with a fun video or by sharing feedback from previous guests

  • Hand out invites and encourage everyone to invite one couple

  • Place posters and postcards in strategic locations such as coffee shops, gyms, day care centers, libraries, etc

  • Advertise the event on your church website and social media

  • Make sure the date, time, venue and contact information are clear on your communication

  • Give the course a final push the week before it starts, as many decide to enroll at the last minute

 

Register/Manage Your Course
Resources to Run Your Course

ENCOUNTER

This track is full of amazing main-stage speakers who will showcase the power of prayer in every generation, equip you to live a naturally supernatural life and train you to heal as Jesus did. Senior pastors, church leaders, non-profit leaders, this track is you!

Workshops in this Track

Learnings from Asbury on the Power of Prayer

Speaker: Angela Chadwick, Global Director of Prayer, Alpha USA

Alpha’s Global Director of Prayer will interview some of the spiritual leaders involved in the Asbury revival where a chapel worship service caught the attention of our country. You’ll hear stories of how the students were deeply moved by God through the simplest forms of worship and how the leaders made sure the only celebrity on stage was Jesus. You’ll also be amazed by the powerful breakthroughs in young people’s lives through the gentlest of prayers.

Additionally, we will explore how the resurgence of faith in one small American town is relevant to every person in the Church and how it shapes how we share the good news in a good way with this generation.

How to Facilitate Eternal Connections with Jesus

Speaker: Danielle Strickland, Spiritual Leader, Justice Advocate, Communicator, Peacemaker

Encounter is God’s favorite way to spiritual revelation. Why do we emphasize information-formation as our primary means of discipleship? What if we put more time, energy, and effort into facilitating more encounters? Be prepared to discuss together how cultivating curiosity becomes a means to do just that. We will talk techniques, experiences, and new ideas.

Everyday Miracles

Speakers: Dr. Chloe Swart, Associate National Director for Alpha UK, and Dr. Russo Swart, New Wine Cymru Prophetic and Healing Team

This workshop will look at how to heal the sick as a part of our everyday missional lives. Following Chloe’s PhD studying healing miracles in Wales, Chloe found that Christians in Wales were praying for their friends, family, and colleagues, in the gym, in the supermarket, at work; wherever they found themselves, as well as in church services, and Alpha courses. Healing is a missional tool that points toward Jesus. Unpack the theology of healing, while also hearing very practical teaching and demonstration of how to heal the sick in an everyday way.

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