This covenant expresses the common concerns of the faith community regarding the need to
strengthen marriages in Frederick County, Maryland.
We believe:
- God has established the sanctity and companionship of marriage in Scripture.
- God intends the marriage covenant between a man and a woman to last for a lifetime.
- God intends religious leaders to nurture the people in their care. This responsibility
extends to helping couples prepare for marriage, as well as strengthening and restoring
marriages already established.
Therefore, we will do the following to the best of our ability:
- Encourage a courtship of at least one year.
- Promote sexual abstinence outside of marriage and affirm fidelity in marital relationships.
- Provide a premarital preparation process that incorporates a recommended minimum of
three premarital sessions. Use of a premarital relationship assessment tool such as
PREPARE or FOCCUS, administered by a marriage mentor couple is preferred. - Promote at least one annual enrichment event in our congregation or in our community to
help couples enhance their communication and conflict resolution skills, and deepen their
intimacy. - Train couples with strong marriages to serve as mentor couples for: couples in serious
relationships (pre-engaged), engaged couples, newlyweds, couples wanting to strengthen
their relationship, and couples experiencing marital difficulties. - Provide restoration services for marriages in crisis that may be at the brink of divorce,
primarily through specially trained individuals, or mentor couples who have restored their
own relationship. - Collaborate with other congregations and the Marriage Resource Center of Frederick
County in sharing family resources for the purpose of building healthy marriages
throughout the county.
Click here to download a copy and join us in this covenant agreement.