Marriage, Re-Marriage & Step-Parenting Preparation Courses

"So faith, hope, love abide, these three;
but the greatest of these is love". 1 Cor. 13:13.

Congratulations!
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. The Anglican Church is happy to be part of your wedding and to offer you the opportunity to attend a marriage preparation workshop. We hope that you will find it beneficial to set aside time out of your busy schedules to focus on each other and on your relationship.

• Dates, times, and locations of courses

• About the courses

• Frequently asked questions

• Comments from participants

• How to register and contact information

• Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre

TIMES FOR ALL COURSES:
Friday: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

COURSE FEE:
$130.00 per couple.
This includes a Resource Book and refreshments.
Please bring a pen and notebook.

About These Courses

Our marriage preparation courses are designed to help participants to learn and to grow, both individually and as a couple. Opportunities for such learning and growth are created through the talks given by professional speakers, small group work with trained facilitators, and sharing ideas as a couple.

Topics covered include: values and family of origin, attachment, bonding patterns, communication, conflict management, sexual intimacy, and a Christian understanding of marriage

Programme Coordinator
Wanda Dillabough, M.A., has been a Clinical Member of The Ontario Society of Psychotherapists since 1998. She works as an Individual, Couple and Family Therapist at the Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre

Guest Speakers and Group Facilitators
The guest speakers are drawn from a variety of professions including: ordained ministry, pastoral counselling, couple and family therapy, and conflict management. The group facilitators all hold graduate degrees in related fields and bring many years of group facilitation experience to the course.

What to Expect
Expect to have a better time than you think you will! This course, while based on solid research, is laid-back and fun. In a survey last year, over 99% of the attendees were satisfied with the course, with the vast majority rating the course as "very good" or "excellent."

The Marriage Preparation Course and the Re Marriage and Step Parenting Preparation Course are provided by the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa to assist clergy in preparing couples for marriage.

Upon completion of the course, couples are provided with a "Certificate of Participation" and a letter to give to the person officiating at your wedding.

To receive a "Certification of Participation" couples must attend all parts of the course. Under certain circumstances, arrangements can be made for couples to attend parts of two courses. Please contact the Marriage Course Registrar to make this request.

Who Can Attend Our Courses We welcome people of any or no denomination. If you are being married in an Anglican church outside of the Diocese of Ottawa, or in another place of worship, please check with the person who is officiating at your wedding to ensure that this course meets their requirements.

Which Course Should We Take?

Note:
If the bride and groom have children and they are their own (i.e. the bride and groom are the parents of these children), then the Marriage Preparation Course would be the best choice for the couple. The step-parenting issues addressed in our other course would not apply in their situation.

“Happily surprised by the weekend! Thank you.”

“Really enjoyed the course. Very down to earth. Don’t change a thing.”

“ . . . I liked having a weekend with my partner that was just about ‘us’.”
"It was nice to know that everyone else was struggling with being a step-parent too.

The stories shared and the advice given by other couples in the group was really helpful."

"Our group facilitator was warm and friendly. She really helped me to feel relaxed."

"This would be a good course even for people who are already married. It helped us a lot."

For all registration inquiries, please contact the Registrar. The Registrar receives and processes the registration forms and maintains the list of registrants for each course.
Marriage Registrar
Voice mail: (613) 233-6271 x 238
E-mail: marriage@ottawa.anglican.ca
Fax: (613) 232-7088

For general information about the format and content of the Marriage Preparation and Re-Marriage and Step-Parenting Preparation courses or for additional copies of the current brochure, please contact:
Lisa Chisholm-Smith
Christian Formation & Leadership Development Officer
Phone: (613) 233-6271, ext.231
or email lchisholm-smith@ottawa.anglican.ca

To Register

You can download and print off a registration form

Send the completed form and your cheque or money order to:
Marriage Preparation Courses
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa ON K1R 6G6

FEE MUST ACCOMPANY REGISTRATION
Your cancelled cheque is your receipt.
You are registered in the course unless you receive a phone call.

Cheques should be made payable to:THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF OTTAWA

Please write your chosen course date & and the name of the bride & groom
in the memo line of your cheque

For all registration inquiries, please contact the Registrar. The Registrar receives and processes the registration forms and maintains the list of registrants for each course.
Marriage Registrar
Voice mail: (613) 233-6271 x 238
E-mail: marriage@ottawa.anglican.ca
Fax: (613) 232-7088

Please Note:

• Registration form and fee must be received at least two (2) full weeks before a course begins.

• All couples who send in registration and fee before the deadline will have a place in the course

• You will be notified immediately, and your cheque will not be cashed, if a course is already full.