  What is a Marriage Encounter?
The Marriage Encounter weekend is a positive and personal experience
offering married couples an opportunity to learn a technique of loving
communication that they can use for the rest of their lives. It's a
chance to look deeply into their relationship with each other and with
God. It's a time to share their feelings, hopes and dreams with each
other.
The emphasis of the Marriage Encounter weekend is on the communication
between husbands and wives. The weekend provides a conducive environment
for couples to spend time together, away from the distractions and
tensions of everyday life, while encouraging them
to focus on each other and their relationship.
It's not a retreat, marriage clinic, group sensitivity, or a substitute
for counseling. It's a unique approach aimed at revitalizing Marriage.
This is a time for you and your spouse to be alone together, to rediscover
each other and together focus on your relationship for an entire weekend.
Every marriage deserves that kind of attention!
Who is it for?
Any married couple who desires a richer, fuller life together. A marriage
can never be too good. Marriage Encounter is designed to deepen and enrich
the joys a couple share together, whether they have been married for only
a short time, or for many years. Priests and other religious are also
welcome and encouraged to attend!
Why would priests or other religious attend?
The Marriage Encounter Weekend is designed in such a way that both priests
and religious can participate fully. The principles of love, commitment and
effective communication translate quite readily to the relationship between a
priest and his parish or any group to whom he ministers as well as to a
religious community.
Priests who have made an Encounter weekend call the experience "life
enhancing."
Worldwide Marriage Encounter invites you to attend. Please take advantage of
our networking process by which we can help you get a replacement for the
weekend you choose to attend.
Is there a specific religious orientation to the weekend?
Marriage Encounter does present God as a focus for successful Marriage.
There are many faith expressions of Marriage Encounter Weekends - Catholic,
as well as several Protestant denominations. While the Weekend may be
presented in a given Faith expression, each is open to couples from other
orientations. The opportunities of the Weekend go beyond the boundaries
of any one expression.
What happens at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend?
A series of presentations are given by a team of married couples and a
religious in the particular faith expression (priest or minister).
Each presentation allows you and your spouse a rare opportunity to look at
yourselves as individuals, then to look at your marriage and relationship to
one another, and finally to look at your relationship to God and to the
world. The weekend starts at 8:00 on Friday night and runs until about
5:00 on Sunday afternoon. Meals are provided.
Does the weekend respect the couple's privacy?
YES! The weekend is oriented strictly to each individual couple. You
Concentrate on your spouse to such an extent that you are hardly aware of
the other couples present. The presentations are given to the group as a
whole. After each presentation, the husband and wife have time in the
privacy of their room for their own personal discussion. There is no group sharing on the weekend.
Where are Marriage Encounters held?
Marriage Encounter selects its locations for the weekends in areas where
there is the least amount of distractions. This gives the each couple the
opportunity to be less distracted and to concentrate on their relationship.
We use retreat houses in the greater Lehigh Valley area.
How does a Marriage Encounter enhance a marriage?
The encounter weekend teaches a communication technique which permits each
couple to explore important areas of their relationship in a spirit of love
and understanding. By continuing the newly-acquired technique begun on the
weekend, husbands and wives continually grow closer together to live more
joyful and purposeful lives.
While not an essential part of the experience, the availability of a
community of others who have shared the Weekend and who share similar
values provides a supportive environment for even further growth.
How much does the weekend cost?
On the weekend, you will be asked to make a donation. This donation will cover the expenses of lodging, food, and materials for the Weekend.
A non-refundable registration fee of $50.00 is required to confirm your
reservation, food and lodging. There is limited capacity, so early
registration is encouraged.
No couple is ever denied the chance to renew their marriage because
they are facing financial difficulties. This concern should not influence
your decision to attend a Marriage Encounter Weekend.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is a tax-exempt organization. The Internal
Revenue Service has ruled that donations made in connection with the
Weekend, including the non-refundable deposit mentioned above,
are deductible only to the extent that the contribution exceeds
the amount of goods and services received. Information as to that amount
will be given to couples attending the Weekend.
Contributions made on or in connection with the Marriage Encounter weekend
are made confidentially.
How do I get more information?
To have information sent to you, or to talk with someone, please call (800)787-7679 . You can e-mail
us
as well at
registration@wwme-nepa.org How do I sign up?
Please call (800)787-7679 or by using our on-line registration page.
Click
here.
Return to Registration Page This Page design and programming is borrowed with permission from George Ackerly of Marriage Encounter of Morris, Sussex, and Passaic
Counties New Jersey. (Click to E-mail) |
