A WORD OF WELCOME
Thank you for being willing to lead a study on marriage; this comprehensive, life-long relationship will require spiritual care, and God can use you as an instrument of grace to those in need. I would encourage you to work through this curriculum with other couples or in a small group. God designed us for community, and working with others can reveal areas of weakness and blindness that would never be revealed on our own or with just our spouse. As a leader, your role is both similar and different to those participating in the study. You should pay close attention to the material and listen with a humble heart, because God will teach you things. At the same time, it’s your role to lead others and be available for counsel, advice, and wisdom. Here are some recommendations for you to keep in mind throughout the duration of the study: • Watch the Video Session in advance and review the questions to be answered; • Agree on a beginning and ending time and honor it; we suggest 60 minutes per Session; • Be the one to take charge of the Session, asking questions and encouraging participation; • Solicit multiple answers from people; don’t let the same person answer every question. For some questions, it might be appropriate to ask every participant, but don’t force anyone to answer; • Allow “wait time” for answers; give the group time to think about a question. Rephrase the question when necessary, and avoid answering them yourself. You can contribute, but don’t dominate; • Affirm everyone’s answers and allow “faulty” responses to remain uncorrected. Rejecting answers, or allowing others to reject answers, will result in an environment of timidity; • Be honest and transparent; share from your own experiences, especially if that includes weakness, failure, and sin. The group will most likely follow your lead, so encourage honesty and transparency; • Continually remind people that they don’t have to fear being discovered; there is nothing that could be exposed about them that Jesus hasn’t already covered. We have confidence to admit to sin; • Use discernment for group discussions; it may be wise to break up into gender-specific groups, rather than keep husbands and wives together. Some marriages are incredibly hostile and hurtful, and depending on the subject matter of the discussion, it may be safer to keep spouses apart; • Make adjustments as needed; you know the participants of your group better than I ever will. If you need to spend an entire session on one question or feel that combining several questions will help participants discuss the content in a more helpful way, do so. This template is a guide, and as such, it can be flexibly molded to best fit your demographic, schedule, and specific issues.
A Word of Welcome 4
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