Our CMP Partners

The document pictured at right is the official version of the signed Clark County Community Marriage Policy. It was first signed by 47 clergy representatives on September 17, 2004. To date almost 130 representatives have signed the document. The size of the document is 31" wide x 59" high. The Community Marriage Policy® concept is articulated by Mike and Harriet McManus, founders of Marriage Savers.

 

• God has established marriage in Scripture.
• God intends the marriage bond to be between one man and one woman and to last for a lifetime.
• As religious leaders, we have a responsibility before God to raise the standard for marriage preparation, enrichment and restoration.
• As religious leaders, we believe we have a responsibility before God to strengthen and nourish step-families.

• Encourage a courtship of at least one year;
• Affirm fidelity in marital relationships;
• Educate ourselves and our congregations about the negative effects of pre-marital sexual activities and cohabitation;
• Provide a premarital preparation process of four to six months which includes six premarital mentoring sessions providing spiritual guidance and the use of a premarital inventory such as PREPARE/ENRICH to be thoroughly reviewed with the couple by a Marriage Mentor Couple;
• Provide enrichment opportunities in the church and community by marriage retreats, classes on communication, conflict resolution and building intimacy.  The provision of an annual in-house marriage enrichment weekend is preferred as the way to make it possible for every couple in the congregation to participate;
• Identify, inspire and train couples with strong marriages to serve as marriage mentors for: couples in serious relationships (teens, pre-engaged); engaged couples; newlyweds; couples wanting to strengthen their relationship; married couples experiencing marital stress; couples in second marriages or with step-children;
• Provide mentoring for marriages in crisis and in need of reconciliation and restoration that are at the brink of divorce, primarily through specially trained mentor couples who have reconciled and restored their own relationship;
• Cooperate with other congregations in sharing resources and information to enable churches with fewer resources to provide best practices for their members to also build healthy marriages.

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Downloads

Title	Date
CMP study	04/18/2008

• Champaign County Signers
• Clark County Signers
• Greene County Signers

Core elements of a Community Marriage Policy

Clergy across denominational lines in a local community come together to sign a covenant to make healthy marriages a priority.

• Time: a minimum of four months marriage preparation. Catholics routinely require 6-12 months from the time of a first meeting with a pastor up to the wedding date. There must be enough time for those in weak relationship to improve them or back out without embarrassment.
• Require a premarital inventory (FOCCUS or PREPARE) to give the couple an objective overview of their strengths and areas for growth, and to give Mentor Couples a clear understanding of where to focus their comments.
• Meet with an older, solidly married Mentor Couple to discuss the issues on the inventory and to be trained in communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Strengthen existing marriages of the congregation in an annual retreat such as Marriage Encounter, Family Life, or with the REFOCCUS inventory.
• Train "back-from-the-brink couples" to mentor those now in trouble, a strategy that can save a surprising 80% to 90% of the worst marriages.
• Create a Stepfamily Support Group that can save 80% of these difficult marriages that normally break up at a stunning rate of 65%. For smaller churches this will probably require the collaboration of several nearby churches.
• Cooperate with other congregations to share resources which is important for smaller congregations.

• Mundane to Monarch - Lavern's... Play

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© Copyright 2013 - Office hours: 9-4 Mon, Tue and Thu; Noon-4 on Wed; 9-noon on Fri; CALL TO CONFIRM, Marriage Resource Center of Miami Valley
616 North Limestone
Springfield, OH 45503

P: 937.324.3604
E: info@marriageresourcecenter.org

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