To be married at Midland Free and mentored OR to be assigned a mentor couple even though marrying elsewhere, a couple must complete the following steps:

• Be engaged.
• Read all wedding guidelines. >>Link to wedding guidelines.
• Complete wedding application and submit to church office. >>Link to wedding application.
• Read and sign PFM Counseling Covenant and submit to church office. >>Link to Preparing for Marriage Counseling Covenant
• Connections/Care Ministry Assistant (Jody Best) contacts the engaged couple to make arrangements for them to take the PREPARE Inventory online and to schedule the first interview, where both the wedding application and the PREPARE results will be reviewed with a pastor.
• The wedding application must be approved by Pastor Jay Childs, Senior Pastor, and one other pastor.
• Once this review is complete and the wedding application has been approved, Pastor Giblin will contact the PFM Leaders to discuss a mentor match if the couple is ready to do so.
• The mentor couple will then be contacted by the Leaders to discuss their willingness to mentor the engaged couple. Some background, contact information, and a copy of the wedding application will be provided.
• Once a mentor couple agrees to the match, the Leaders will inform the mentoree (engaged) couple and tell them to expect contact from their mentors within a week.
• At this point, the mentor couple contacts the mentorees directly to introduce themselves and arrange their first meeting.

There are three possible mentoring methods available to engaged couples.

• Engaged couple is currently taking the class, God’s Design for Marriage.
• Engaged couple has taken the class already, but some time has passed.
• Engaged couple has not taken the class and probably will not due to circumstances.

For the first two scenarios, mentorees are expected to complete each project and/or assignment prior to meeting with their mentors concerning that topic.

For scenario three, mentors will go through the class materials, using the book, Preparing for Marriage, by Dennis Rainey, and assign the projects for the couple to complete. This sequence will require more in-depth coverage and instruction of each topic and an increased time commitment. Therefore, mentors and mentorees will need to be available and prepared for many more meetings to complete the process.

Meeting concurrently with class, God’s Design for Marriage, a small group will be offered as a form of mentoring for dating couples and singles. A mentor couple will facilitate and lead the group meeting once a week, between our weekly class sessions. During these meetings, class homework, projects, and suggested reading from class may be discussed. In this case, the mentoring focus would be on the study of biblical principles of the Christian life, and what it means to be a godly man/husband, woman/wife. 

Getting ready to plan a wedding? Be sure to read the guidelines offered at Midland Free. >>more