Ideas

Looking for ways you can promote and strengthen marriages in your church and community? Consider some of the following:

  1. Start a Marriage Hall of Fame for those in your community who have been married for 25, 40 or 50 years or more. Post their pictures and reasons for their success in a prominent public place like the marriage license office, library or in the newspaper.
  2. Organize an annual weekend marriage retreat.
  3. Ask your congregation or daycare to sponsor a date night for married couples. Include childcare.
  4. Educate people about the benefits of marriage.
  5. Organize friends and family to write letters asking their legislators to pass laws that will strengthen marriages.
  6. Encourage couples in your community to pray daily together that their own marriage will be strengthened as well as the marriages of their friends and family.
  7. Provide information on building strong marriages at local bridal shows, county fairs, festivals, etc.
  8. Set up an e-mail service/blog that sends out marriage strengthening ideas on a regular basis.
  9. Write a letter of encouragement to newlywed couples within your church/community. Include a list of your favorite marriage strengthening tips and a pledge to support their marriage.
  10. Ask the leader of your congregation or organization to recognize the couples who are celebrating their anniversaries each month.
  11. Write an article or letter to the editor on strengthening marriages and submit it to the local newspaper.
  12. Form a community organization to strengthen marriages. See more information under Community Initiatives.
  13. Interview older people about marriage. Share their wisdom in articles, on the radio or in schools.
  14. Network! Enlist business, religious, civic, education, legal, health, mental health, and media communities in the work of building strong marriages.
  15. Organize marriage education seminars for couples at various marital stages: engaged, newlywed, new parent, remarried, etc.
  16. Ask your religious leader, mayor, legislator, or governor to pass a Marriage Week proclamation. Marriage Week is Feb. 7-14.
  17. Volunteer to speak at high schools or civic groups on the benefits of marriage and how to gain the skills to have a successful marriage.
  18. Hold a Marriage Celebration conference that focuses on strengthening marriages in your community. Events could include a speaker, dinner, workshops and a recommitment ceremony.
  19. Become certified to teach a marriage education program and start offering classes in your church or community.
  20. Ask the county clerk’s office to hand our premarital and newlywed education brochures to couples applying for a marriage license.
  21. Develop a marriage mentoring program.
  22. Contact TV and radio stations about running public service announcements on marriage.
  23. Ask movie theaters, restaurants, ice cream parlors, sports arenas, etc. to recognize anniversaries with a free ice cream cone, dessert, or 2-for-1 tickets.
  24. Start a stepfamily support group.
  25. Make a handout that provides information on premarital education opportunities in your community. Place these in wedding-related businesses such as jewelers, bridal shops, florists, caterers, photographers, and bridal fairs.
  26. Create a list of exciting dates for married couples in your community. Make the list available to couples in your area.
  27. Ask your clergy to make home visits when they hear of a separation or pending divorce.
  28. Find out if your local Cooperative Extension Service office teaches marriage education classes. If they do, help promote them. If they don’t, encourage them to begin teaching a class.
  29. Create marriage strengthening handouts for hospitals and childbirth instructors to give to new parents.
  30. Contact high schools about adding marriage education to the curriculum.
  31. Ask your congregation to assign a place to post marriage education material, book lists, websites, etc. and to create a lending library of books and tapes.

* Some ideas adapted from Strengthening Marriages In Your Community: 101 Ideas To Get You Started, Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education.