Marriage preparation and enrichment training course


The following is an extract from the Summer 2006 (paper) edition of the Christians Together newsletter.

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Since the Spring 2006 edition of Christians Together a training day for those wishing to support engaged and married couples has been held in Inverness involving. Christians from across the Highlands gathered at Kinmylies Church (kindly granted) where John Deagle - the trainer for the Prepare/Enrich programme in the UK and mainland Europe - delivered the training and material.

P-R Training at Kinmylies
John Deagle delivering Prepare-Enrich training in 2006 at Kinmylies Church, Inverness

As a result of the above there are now Christian couples and ministers in Elgin, Skye, Ullapool and Inverness who can deliver the programme(s).

The PREPARE/ENRICH process offers each couple an opportunity to learn more about the strengths of their relationship and also those areas where growth is needed.
The material, which can be used with individual couples or in “group” settings, sits comfortably alongside other resources like the Marriage Course.

Future training sessions

As there were people who wished to attend the May training but couldn’t, it is possible that there will be a further training session held in the Highlands.
If you are interested in being kept informed, please be in touch with the Editor.

Information about the Prepare/Enrich programme is available at - www.prepare-enrich.co.uk/

It is -

  • Christian-based, but not overtly so (i.e. can be used with non-Christians, and couples referred from Registrars)
  • uses a structured "inventory" (question/answer) format in the first session to get quickly down to the main issues.
  • is equally suitable for both "preparation" (pre-marrieds) and "enrichment" (married couples)
  • is being delivered and supported throughout the UK and into Europe by a Southampton-based Christian organisation
  • is able to be cascaded (through the training of regional trainers who can then train others in their area)
  • doesn't require "presentation skills" (it is a mentoring approach)

There are five inventories dedicated to different important stages of a couple relationship.

Ø PREPARE is for pre-marital couples
Ø PREPARE-CC for couples living together (co-habiting), with or without children
Ø PREPARE-MC for new marriages which will include step-children;
Ø ENRICH for married couples
Ø MATE for older (50+) couples and those in transition (e.g. retiring)

There are over 500 trained Practitioners in the United Kingdom (with more being trained every month) and over 30,000 in the United States plus many more in Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Africa, Hong Kong and SE Asia, Sweden and several other countries.