Thinking about getting married?
Our Pre-Marriage Class provides an opportunity to explore the more complete foundations for a great marriage.
We’ve got a Pre-Marriage Class for you!
Whether you're ready to start exploring marriage, engaged, or newly married, this class will allow you as a couple to establish the solid foundations on which to build your future. Led by Brad Bailey (Lead Pastor and licensed Marriage & Family therapist - M.F.T.), along with other couples, this interactive class will help you prepare for the practical challenges involved with unspoken expectations, communication, handling conflict, decision making, finances, spirituality, and sexual intimacy.
You’ll have an opportunity to…
Hear those who have counseled many couples address each of the topics that are involved in marriage.
Explore more deeply your own approach to these topics – both personally and as a couple- through guided questions.
Hear married couples from diverse backgrounds share their personal challenges and growth.
Complete the most popular and proven relationship inventory to assess your strengths and potential areas of growth as a couple. (Prepare-Enrich inventory)
Who:
This class is designed with an understanding that the great value in considering what marriage involves can serve dating couples who have a mutual desire and comfort in exploring future considerations of marriage, those engaged to be married, and those who may have begun their married life but did not have an opportunity for such a class. The class is offered by the Westside Vineyard Church, a contemporary ‘come as you are’ Christ-centered church in the West Los Angeles area, and is open to all regardless of spiritual background.
Where:
The class meets at Westside Vineyard / Coffee Connection facility located at 3838 S. Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, 90066.
Cost:
There are three ways which a couple may take this class:
Live Class – $125 / couple: Seven Two hour group sessions, notebooks for each participant (two per couple) with notes for all sessions), one follow up pastoral meeting (includes general relationship and trained review of online relational assessment inventory if taken previous to meeting). Couple to purchase their own copy of “Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts” and provide small online payment of taking the online assessment. This class is generally held during mid-February to mid-April.
Online Class - $95 / Couple - Seven online video sessions (70 to 90 minutes each) created for individual couples or small groups (access to streaming will be given), PDF files of all participant notes,, one follow up pastoral meeting (includes general relationship and trained review of online relational assessment inventory if taken previous to meeting) Couple to purchase their own copy of “Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts” and provide small online payment of taking the online assessment.
Online Resources (No Personal Pastoral meeting) - $75 / Couple: Seven online video sessions (70 to 90 minutes each) created for individual couples or small groups (access to streaming will be given), PDF files of all participant notes. Couple encouraged to purchase their own copy of “Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts.” Register...
Words from some of the over 200 individuals who have taken this class
"A wonderful class....a lot of fun and insightful.”...Kathy Vander Werff
“Excellent course....lots of things to continue with.”...Bill Threlkeld
“Great course....It brought a lot of closeness and confidence between us.”...Claudia Block
“I really appreciate the gentle and real life approach. The instructors sensitivity to topics conveyed compassion, trust and understanding.” ...Thad Robbins
“I am so grateful for the existence of the class and for all the married couples who came and shared.”...Sheri West
"The Vineyard marriage class is really great, thanks for allowing us to join in. We are doing many of the homework assignments and overall find the materials to be very helpful. Of course, we very much like the speakers as well!" ....Michael
"I'd recommend this course to anyone. We've both enjoyed it, one of the best things we could have done together."... Marc
Frequently Asked Questions:
We are interested in the class but due to our schedules, at least one of us will not be able to attend all the classes. What should we do?
It's common to have at least one week in which one or both partners may not be able to attend. Some have even had a partner who is out of the area or has common weekend travel. As one can imagine with the nature of a class on relating...we recommend making every effort to attend as many sessions together as possible. We also understand that some conflicts cannot be overcome. We have created videos of the class sessions as a means of providing a way for those unable to be at a class session to still learn from what is shared. We also highly recommend that if only one partner can attend, they still do so.
We see that this class is provided by a church. One or both of us don't identify ourselves as "Christian"....so will it be a good fit for us?
The class is absolutely open to all regardless of what background in beliefs one may have. It is based on a Biblical / Christ-centered view of marriage in terms of dealing with the meaning of marriage, Christ’s call to mutual serving, etc… and we often open or close with a short prayer. Most people tend to appreciate that some deeper and spiritual consideration is given to the matters of marriage. Everyone who has participated in this class, even if they did not share a Christian faith, has seemed to feel comfortable, respected, and free to be open. (For those unfamiliar with the "Vineyard" as a church, it may be helpful to note that people who participate in the Vineyard church come from a diversity of backgrounds. They know we will stay rooted in the God-centered life and teachings of Christ while being less traditional in our forms of expression.) However, if one finds that drawing some principles from the Bible or the role of spiritual life is unfitting or even offensive, then we could imagine that this class may not be comfortable. If there is any way we can help clarify further, we appreciate the sensitivity to such matters and would be glad to try and clarify further.
What if we are older than many who are first getting married... and / or one or both of us have been married before....and even may already have children... will this class still be relevant?
We are respectful that those who may be older or previously married will have already developed more insight and maturity in aspects of what life and marriage involves. However, many have found that this class has still provided plenty of healthy wisdom and helped clarify what will make a difference from past patterns.
Is this class open to same-sex couples?
Our desire to love and enjoy conversing with all people leads us to limit engaging in the "politics of sexuality." However, we do believe that marriage is by nature the joining together in the unique complimentary nature of a man and a woman and therefore reserve this class for such partnering.