Pulling off a successful wedding is one thing but fortifying a lifelong relationship is an entirely different endeavor. Relationship experts Jim Burns and Doug Fields invite couples to take a proactive approach to their marriage union—one that doesn’t shy away from sticky areas and tough topics—in order to develop a solid course from the very beginning. Jim and Doug apply decades of frontline experience working with couples into this fresh and practical resource. Organized in nine highly relevant sessions, each centered on key biblical and relational touchstones, Burns and Fields equip participants to confront big issues including communication, finances, spirituality, and intimacy—prior to their wedding day. Great as a stand-alone resource or partnered with the Getting Ready for Marriage: A Practical Road Map for Your Journey Together book and companion video package.

The saying goes "When you marry, you don't just marry an individual, you marry a whole family." But more specifically, you are marrying the influences that family has had on your spouse. Our families have shaped our views on everything from religion to finances to sex, and, whether helpful or harmful, these views are brought to our marriage and can unknowingly affect it. Getting Ready for Marriage Workbook helps engaged couples and newlyweds: learn what "ghosts" they bring to marriage examine their family backgrounds determine guidelines for their own marriage Through interactive exercises, couples discover the roots of their beliefs, sight potential problem areas, and learn how to successfully work through problems. Couples are then encouraged to make their own covenants in specific areas such as financial matters, resolving conflict, religious orientation, and family planning & children—essential in building a strong marriage partnership.

Jim Burns and Doug Fields wish you the very best for your wedding, but sadly, they won't be able to make it. What they are here for is your marriage. Jim and Doug have seen it all. They have worked with many couples and have studied extensively to uncover the essential elements for making marriages thrive. This book is their early wedding gift to you: a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate road map for beginning your union. Filled with premium fuel for the journey—including meaningful exercises, hard truths, and conversations starters—this book will nourish and guide your relationship for the long haul.

This resource is much more than a mere leader's guide for the Focus on the Family Marriage Series; it is a manual for developing and sustaining a ministry to marriages in your church and community. With marriages in our culture-and even the Church- in dire straits, there is a desperate need for the Church and it's leaders to stand in the gap for families and marriages. Gleaned from ministries around the nation, this manual contains information on how and where to begin, types of ministry settings, staffing and organization of the ministry. It also includes basic information on learning styles and how to teach adults, develop lessons and encourage discussion. It will also include reproducible forms, publicity aids and clip art, as well as a listing of additional resources.

Why should we care about marriage? There is a lot of confusion about the purpose of marriage todayâ€"outside the church as well as within it. Written by a distinguished Christian sociologist, Christian Marriage is a theologically rich, biblically robust, and sociologically informed treatise on the nature and value of marriage. Drawing on recent social science research, empirical data, and social history, Ayers paints a picture of marriage as an institution meant for human flourishing. Along the way, Ayers addresses such topics as Dating and selection of a spouse The importance of premarital counseling Sex and procreation Mentoring and supporting unmarried believers Divorce and remarriage And current controversies surrounding premarital sex and same-sex marriage. Though the book is academically and theologically informed, it is written with a pastoral heart. It seeks to provide a rich resource for pastors and counselors on a topic of supreme importance to a vibrant church and society.

This small group DVD curriculum gives couples the tools they need to stay connected and make every moment together count.

How do we know when we're ready for marriage? What's the secret to having a great engagement? How can we get married without drowning in debt? Where better to turn for answers than those who have gone before--experts in the area of marriage, relationships, and finance who know from experience what it takes to make the days leading up to the wedding (and the years that follow) a success! How to Know When You're Ready for Marriage--Les and Leslie Parrot Secrets to Having a Great Engagement--David and Claudia Arp Getting Married Without Drowning in Debt--Ron Blue What to Do With Wedding Jitters--Robert and Rosemary Barnes Making Your Wedding More Than a Ceremony--David and Jan Stoop How to Have a Great Wedding Night--Cliff and Joyce Penner Getting Married When Your Parents Don't Approve--John Trent How to Handle the Wedding Bell Blues--H. Norman Wright For Those Getting Married Again--Thom Whiteman After the Honeymoon--Les and Leslie Parrott

We all know of families or marriages in crisis. When those suffering in such situations turn to us for help, where do we turn? The Quick-Reference Guide to Marriage and Family Counseling provides the answers. It is an A-Z guide for assisting people-helpers--pastors, professional counselors, youth workers, and everyday believers--to easily access a full array of information to aid them in (formal and informal) counseling situations. Issues addressed by Clinton and Trent include affairs and adultery, communication in marriage, parenting, sibling rivalry, and many more. Each of the forty topics covered follows a helpful eight-part outline and identifies: 1) typical symptoms and patterns, 2) definitions and key thoughts, 3) questions to ask, 4) directions for the conversation, 5) action steps, 6) biblical insights, 7) prayer starters, and 8) recommended resources. About the series The Quick-Reference Guides are A-Z guides that assist people-helpers--pastors, professional counselors, youth workers, and everyday believers--to easily access a full array of information to aid them in (formal and informal) counseling situations. Each of the forty topics covered follows a helpful eight-part outline and identifies: 1) typical symptoms and patterns, 2) definitions and key thoughts, 3) questions to ask, 4) directions for the conversation, 5) action steps, 6) biblical insights, 7) prayer starters, and 8) recommended resources.

Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Yoga and Meditation: what could they possibly have in common? Each has the ability to bring those who receive them to a deeper sense of inner balance, contentment and self-acceptance. The road to perfection is strewn with makeovers gone bad. Although perfection is the goal, outer change may not be the way to achieve it. Altering small pieces of the outside often leaves the inner self unchanged. In an easy to understand question and answer format, The Inside-Out Makeover introduces ten tools which, when used alone or in combination, allow the participant to achieve permanent inner transformation. A new, more positive perception of the world begins to emerge when healing the whole self becomes the goal. The need for outer perfection is not so important when inner contentment reigns. Discover ways in which counseling releases you from negative patterns; acupuncture and homeopathy dig to the root of the problem to cure chronic illness; herbal remedies release deep-seated toxins. Share in case studies which demonstrate clients' personal journeys to inner health. Use the resources to delve deeper into preferred tools. Finally, pack your bag with those personal tools which achieve the ultimate makeover; love of self.

“Lis Wiehl tells us where the law protects us, and where it is letting us down. And as a bonus she gives us the tools to make change happen! If you care about where we are going, you have to read this book.” –Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning TV host Women make up 51% of the American population, yet still aren’t treated equally to men in areas that matter most. In this provocative new book, Lis Wiehl, one of the country’s top federal prosecutors, reveals the legal and social inequalities women must face in their daily lives–and provides a “Tool Box” for dealing with a variety of issues. From boardroom to courtroom, from pregnancy to contraception, from unequal pay to domestic violence, women are more often than not handed the short end of the stick. • A woman earns seventy-three cents for every dollar a man makes. • The law labels pregnancy a “disability.” • Domestic violence remains the single biggest threat of injury to women in America. • The federal government continues to increase funding for abstinence-only education, even though it’s proven to put our daughters at greater risk for unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. • Health insurance plans are more likely to cover Viagra prescriptions than birth control pills. What’s worse, we’re also weighed down by a myriad of troubling attitudes: The media bombard us with images of young, perfect-bodied women; acid-tongued commentators label us “feminazi” if we try to claim equal treatment; and the current chief justice of the Supreme Court has a history of opposing legislative and legal attempts to strengthen women’s rights, and questions “whether encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good.” Why are powerful women viewed with consternation while powerful men instill respect? Why is it that for every ten men in an executive, decision-making role in this country, there is only one woman in that same role? Why do our federal courts continue to be stacked with male judges even though women receive more than half of all law degrees? And why shouldn’t a woman be president? Enough! Women are not equal in our society or under our laws and the remedy is quite simple: Besides being the majority of the population, we also control the economy, spending 80 percent of every discretionary dollar, and given that 54 percent of voters are female, we can swing an election. With our numbers we can do something about it. This is a critical moment: We can either take the road toward equality or allow ourselves to be driven further away from fair treatment. The 51% Minority is a clarion call to the silent majority to take a stand . . . before it’s too late.