Dennis and Barbara Rainey founded FamilyLIfe in 1976 as on offbranch of Campus Crusade. The organization began when a need of a ministry for the young families of Campus Crusade was evident. The organization began having premarried seminars for staff members of Campus Crusade. Staff saw the impact these seminars were having and requested a seminar for married people as well. The seminars were opened to the public in 1978 and have become popular as people look to strengthen and enrich their marriages.
Weekend to Remember weekends feature speakers who speak on marriage topics. The seminars take place at resort hotels across the United States. Participants are not required to stay in the same resort/conference center that the event is taking place in; however, FamilyLife recommends it to get the most from the weekend.
Speakers for the Event
The speakers at the events come from a variety of life histories. Many are religious leaders in their hometowns. All are married and most have had their share of problems along the way. Each event is led by a man, and another married couple. The speakers share intimate details of their lives while spreading the message of marital unity.
Schedule of Events
The weekend begins on Friday evening. Participants check in and are given a name tag which lists their name and hometown. They are also given a book to use in the sessions and a booklet with the projects that will be worked on throughout the weekend.
The leaders discuss the steps to finding oneness in marriage. Focus is on the many forms of communication in marriage. Participants are taught how to be a good listener and how to communicate.
The leaders work through the book during each topic. Participants are kept active listeners through the need to fill in blanks throughout the booklet. This facilitates the lessons being learned as the participants must really listen to be able to fill in the blanks. Several times throughout each topic, participants are given the opportunity to respond privately to what is being discussed by filling out a section of their book.
Special Events During the Weekend
On Sunday morning, the sessions are split with the husbands in one room and the wives in another. Each group is addressed to their special place in finding marital oneness. Men and women are taught what God designed marriage to look like and how to complete each other.
There are times throughout the weekend when those couples who are not married are brought together to learn about marriage ahead of time. This is a time when they can discuss the questions many people have about marriage, but don't learn until after they are married.
Saturday night is designated date night. Couples are given this time to enjoy just being with each other away from the stress of home. The leaders suggest that date nights continue once the couple has returned home. The booklet with projects includes four projects to be completed once returning home which helps with dates and also helps keeps the lessons learned in the forefront.
Special Rooms During the Event
During the event there is a resource center available. The resource center has many of the books being discussed during the event available for purchase. The books allow participants to bring home what they are learning and to dive into certain topics indepth. Some of the resources are available in groups for a discounted price.
There is also in a nearby room people praying throughout the entire event. These volunteers pray for the participants and leaders. There are cards available throughout the facility for people to fill out with specific pray requests.
Recommendation
I would recommend this event to every married couple. Couples that participate range in marital age from premarrieds to those who have been married for 40 years plus. Everyone can benefit from the teaching available at these seminars.
Source:
- Familylife.com
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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