'Marriage: Built To Last' Offers Couples the Chance To Invest In Future Happiness

As part of a larger overall topic called "RelationshipsMatter," the is offering couples the opportunity to invest in their future happiness through a small group study called "Marriage: Built To Last."

The class, which is open to the public and next meets this Wednesday, July 27, is intended to give couples a chance for success in their lives together.

"The goal was to find ways to strengthen marriages," said Rev. Jan Tucker, the church’s Pastor of Connections. "Everyone can read the same statistics – we see that, at this point, there’s an almost 60 percent failure rate in marriages."

A course like this is necessary because people usually don’t get the guidance they need in some personal but very important areas.

"You study for everything else, you work at a lot of different things, but when it comes to parenting and marriage, those are the two that are kind of just left out there to figure out on your own," Tucker said. "So we were trying to do something intentional that would help give couples tools that they could use to have an enduring, long-lasting marriage."

Tucker facilitates the DVD-led sessions, which include guidance from guest experts Pastor Chip Ingram, financial advisor Dave Ramsey and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, plus their wives.

"Along with their own personal stories, there are 24 real-life couples (on the DVDs) who are also sharing throughout the six sessions," Tucker said.

This is the stepping off point for additional discussion among the seven couples currently enrolled in the group, which started June 15 and has met three times. The DVDs provide questions that the group can reflect on and then address how the suggestions from the DVD can be applied to their lives.

"During the discussions you can tell if people buy in or not, and there has been lively conversation," Tucker said. "So I think they are really enjoying a format where they can talk about some issues that maybe they wouldn’t normally address. But because it’s out there and these other people on the video have talked about it, then there seems to be a real openness to share amongst the rest of the group. I think it’s been good."

The 90-minute sessions have helped couples with their communication.

"I have heard them say that they are talking to each other differently," she said.

Tucker has been married 31 years, but like some of the couples in the class, it is her second marriage.

"That has also given me a little bit of insight into some of the discussions, because I’ve been there before too," she said.

The sessions include a workbook, and occasionally there are assignments outside of class.

"I have asked people to write a love letter to your spouse and bring that back to one of the sessions on communication," Tucker said. "It might be something that couples do all the time, but probably not. So this is kind of an intentional way that you can communicate with each other."

In addition to the married couples group, there is an invitation only group for engaged couples.

"It’s couples that I’m working with where I’m officiating their wedding," Tucker said. "So we’re using that to see how that works instead of doing all one-on-one like I usually do. We’re looking at this because it’s another tool to use for people to make sure that their relationships are all that they can be."

The early returns for all the couples are promising.

"It’s gone very, very well, and I think people are building relationships with each other and as couples, and I can tell that they are also digging in deeper in their faith too," Tucker said. "It’s kind of, ‘How can you take your faith and practically apply it?’"

This is the first time the course has been offered, so long-term results are still unknown.

"It hasn’t been long enough that we can see that it’s changed any lives, per se," Tucker said. "Some of that is going to come down the road."

The remaining sessions will be held July 27, August 10 and August 24. Cost is $25 per couple. For more information, call the church office at 636-327-6377.

The Methodist Church at Wentzville is located at 725 N. Wall Street.