Marriage
Marriage is good gift from God, and as such we want to steward that gift well. Whether you and your significant other are considering marriage, engaged, or married, we want to come alongside your relationship to help prepare, strengthen, or restore your relationship.
You can contact our Marriage Ministry Leaders, Tom and Racky Souter, below to get more information, be connected to mentors, or meet with a pastor.
Need more info? Send us a message.
Premarital Resources
Premarital Coaching: Trained couples at church spend eight sessions with engaged couples to develop tools for building a marriage that thrives and lasts a lifetime. This program uses the book and workbook Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Les and Leslie Parrott. To request a mentor couple and learn more, contact the church office, or contact us here.
Pastoral contact: Meeting with a pastor is an integral part of planning for a thriving marriage. To request a pastoral contact or information about your upcoming wedding plans with a pastor from Good Shepherd, please contact the church office at (503)663-5050.
Quarterly Marriage Classes
To support and guide couples on their journey together, our Marriage Ministry offers quarterly marriage classes. These classes provide a safe and encouraging space for couples of all backgrounds and stages of their relationship to come together and learn valuable skills for building a strong and lasting marriage.
The quarterly nature of the classes ensures that couples can continuously invest in their relationship, building upon their knowledge and strengthening their bond over time. Classes are offered in the fall, winter, and spring.
Art of Marriage Fall Class
Art of Marriage is a transformative small group class and resource designed to help you explore new levels of intimacy, communication, and connection with your spouse. Whether you’re a newlywed or have been married for decades, FamilyLife’s Art of Marriage is your path to a stronger, more beautiful masterpiece of God’s handiwork.
We will meet for 6 weeks, in the Banquet Room (S107), during the first service on Sunday mornings. Cost per couple is $30, which provides you with His and Hers workbooks.
Dates: October 25 – November 29
Time: 9:00–10:15 a.m.
Cost: $30 per couple
Marriage Mentors
Whether you are engaged, in a satisfying season of marriage, on a bit of a plateau, or in a time of marital discouragement and distress, Good Shepherd has resources for strengthening your relationship. Our church offers a wonderful experience to engaged couples preparing for marriage. But did you know we also have trained, seasoned mentor couples to come alongside of you as a couple to help you when your marriage journey is difficult and needs a glimmer of hope? Or your marriage relationship just needs a few tools to move from good to great?
Please connect with the Marriage and Family Department at the church or call Tom and Racky Souter at (503) 380-9575. They’d love to share a bit about our mentoring ministry and answer any questions you may have!
Past Class Videos and Resources
“This is My Beloved, This is My Friend” Marriage Conference
Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it to the marriage conference! We have you covered!
Click the button below to watch videos from the main sessions with Nick and Michelle Stumbo and videos from the breakout sessions. You can also find all the handouts and take-home material.
We hope you enjoy!
Igniting the Flame Resource Library
Every marriage can grow. Whether you’re newly married or have been together for decades, Igniting the Flame provides biblical teaching and practical resources to help you cultivate a stronger, healthier, Christ-centered marriage.
Marriage Book Recommendations
Boundaries in Marriage book and workbook offer helpful insights in how to establish healthy and biblical boundaries to navigate some of the more stressful areas of marriage.
Non Violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. This is not a book especially designed for marriage, but is an excellent discussion about communication. Especially helpful is his discussion about “feeling” words and how to use them.
Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman. Gottman remains the premier expert providing researched based communication insights and training.
Family Life offers high quality resources for marriage. Couples can find support and insight on a host of topics.
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Understanding your own love language and that of your spouse can enhance communication and relationship fulfillment.
The Gift of Sex by Clifford and Joyce Penner. This resource offers couples insights and practical tools for enhancing the richness in their sexual intimacy.
Created for Connection by Dr. Sue Johnson. This book will help enrich a healthy relationship, revitalize a tired one, or rescue one gone awry. A focus is on growing closer to God and to further incorporate Him and His teachings into your marriage.
Fighting Fair: Winning at Conflict Without Losing at Love by Tim and Joy Downs. This resources offers insights and tools for handling conflict in a way that creates solutions, love, and fairness.
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller. This resource outlines a vision of what biblical marriage should be like.
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Dave will guide a couple into reaching financial goals and finding financial “peace” in their home. This book and livestream are helpful for financial planning. Couples can also attend Financial Peace University, a series of training events which help a couple get on the same page with their financial goals and skills.
After the Affair: Rebuilding Trust and Recovering Sanity by Shirley Glass. She is probably the most informed researcher on repair following affairs. While not specifically written from a Christian worldview, it is not inconsistent in any major way.