RESOURCES FOR PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE AND NEWLYWEDS:

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

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 Parrot. To request a mentor couple and learn more, contact the church office, or contact us here. 

The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller. This resource outlines a vision of what biblical marriage should be like.

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.

A Celebration of Sex by Dr. Douglass E. Rosenau. This resource offers couples insights and practical tools for enhancing the richness in their sexual intimacy.

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.

Resources for Strengthening your Marriage:

Marriage Coaching:  Trained couples from Good Shepherd are ready to  come alongside to strengthen and encourage your marriage.  To request a mentor couple and learn more, contact us here. 

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.

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas.  This book shows how your marriage can become an opportunity to bring you closer to God and to your spouse.

Love Talk by Les and Leslie Parrot.  This resource includes a book, DVD, and workbook.  All three tools work together to develop stronger communication skills.

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. This resource helps couples understand some of the differences between men and women and how to get off the crazy cycle and into a relationship filled with more love and respect.

A Celebration of Sex by Dr. Douglass E. Rosenau.  This resource offers couples insights and practical tools for enhancing the richness in their sexual intimacy.

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.

Resources for Repairing your Marriage:

Pastoral contact: Meeting with a pastor is a great start to rebuilding a marriage. To request a pastoral contact, email Bryant Strot. The pastor can also connect couples to professional resources in the community.

Marriage Coaching: Trained couples from Good Shepherd are ready to  come alongside to encourage and help your marriage. This program may use the book and workbook I Love You More by Les and Leslie Parrot. To request a mentor couple and learn more, contact the church office or contact us here. 

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.  

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.

Family Life offers high quality resources for marriage.  Couples can find support and insight on a host of topics.

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.