Important Steps To Getting A Marriage Built To Last

The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center is due to open up in the spring of next year, but their Welcome Center at 278 Sunset Ave. has already made it possible for members to start classes, attend events and work out. One of the newest events is a seminar for married couples called Marriage Built to Last.

“We believe, at the Salvation Army, that marriage is a sacred institution," said Captain Jonathan Harvey. "We also believe that we should do whatever we can to protect it and to nurture it."

The six-week seminar allows room for 10 couples and offers help and guidance to those working on keeping their union strong. Each week the seminar focuses a specific topic that is key to helping the couples stay together: 

• Adjusting Expectations: Often times individuals go into marriage with preset expectations based on past experiences and based on what they see in film and televsion. This section helps couples evaluate their expectations to see if they are realistic, helping the couple set new expectations together where needed.

• Learning to Communicate Clearly: Communication is one of the most important part of any relationship. This section helps couples learn how to communicate clearly to their partner.

• Breaking Down Walls: Often times barriers may go up as a way to cope with hardship. This section helps to identify these walls or barriers so that couples can work through them.

• Resolving Conflict: Every marriage experiences conflict, but how you deal with it can have either positive or negative consequences. This section helps couples resolve conflict in an honest and positive manner. 

• Restoring Sex & Intimacy: Sex and intimacy can often be neglected by couples, but is key to keeping a union strong. This section looks into restoring and maintaining that sense of intimacy in a marriage. 

• Striving For A Christ-Centered Marriage: This portion encourages Christian couples to search the scriptures to see what they have to say about marriage and how to encorporate that into their lives.

“We’re already getting some great feedback from folks who were a part of that,” said Harvey, Captain. “We have a broad range of people participating in (the seminar) from couples who were newlyweds, to couples that were together for over 30 years.”

Harvey is also excited to be able to offer preview services at the Welcome Center, a prelude to the church they plan to have at the Kroc Center Chapel. Their first service had 30 attendees.

Harvey, who will be giving the Sunday morning messages, hopes to have services every Sunday once the Kroc Center on East Wigeon Way opens.

"The objective of (the preview services) is to ... introduce ourselves to the community," said Harvey. 

The next preview service will be held on Sunday, September 25, at 10:30 a.m.

For more information about the marriage seminar or the Kroc Center preview services, call the Welcome Center at 707-439-7880.