Module Tag: Marriage

FFS Module 10 – The Communication Bootcamp

This module serves as an alternative to the intensive for the online FFS. The material was created as a Communication Bootcamp, based on the same REAPP workshop taught in the intensive. Students who were part of the intensive do not need to complete this module, but are of course free to do so and use it as a refresh and reminder!

Bear in mind that while the content is taught from the perspective of a married couple, the communication principles apply to any relationship, for example friends, parents to children, or between roommates.

The module is created as one flow, which means you walk through each step in sequence.

The video teaching was created by Christiaan and Tineke Baas:

Chris and I married at 21, oblivious to what life as a married couple would look like.
We struggled with our connection and lacked the communication skills to share with each other in a way that the other person would understand.

It took us a long time to figure it all out …
We made a huge amount of mistakes, said many things we regretted later and had fights I do NOT want to repeat 🤭.
But we kept moving forward, pursuing our connection, through many highs and lows.

We’re looking forward to share with you what we’ve learned over the years, so others don’t have to make the same mistakes
(if you are already making them, NOW is the time to STOP your unnecessary fights and start pursuing a strong connection).

In connecting with each other communication is essential.
But it’s something we don’t intentionally learn to do as couples.

That’s why we created THE COMMUNICATION BOOTCAMP.
This is where you get to know our favorite tool to level up the communication game.

An overview of THE COMMUNICATION BOOTCAMP:

☞ Chapter 1 – Your Relationship Reset

Take an in-depth look at your relationship, alone and together, to identify the areas you want to work on.

☞ Chapter 2 – The Communication Basics

You’ve been communicating your whole life. Nothing new there, right? Wrong!
When you become conscious of how you communicate, it will change your life!

☞ Chapter 3 – The Communication Blueprint

Our blueprint is a step-by-step guide to make sure both of you will actually feel heard.
It’s a fool-proof way of communicating clearly, in a way that will help you understand your partner and make you feel understood too.
Here is a connection waiting to happen!

☞ Chapter 4 – Moving Forward

We teach you strategies to implement what you’ve learned in The Communication Bootcamp and to help you create healthy habits so you can keep growing.

Are you ready to invest in your relationship?!

Ps. Can you do the course alone? Yes! You can!
We have set The Communication Bootcamp up in such a way that either couples or individuals can walk through it. For some exercises you can do personal processing (instead of a partner dialogue), based on which you could share with your one-on-one or a fellow student who is also enrolled.

FFS Module 6 – What is marriage?

The objective of this module is to give you a good overview of the concepts behind marriage. We should be careful to talk about the idea of marriage, and not just the form. In many situations we see that couples have adhered to a form, but forgotten the idea, while others still believe in the idea but not the form. Forms can vary with cultures and sub-cultures, while good marriages are founded on very similar principles.

You will work through this process somewhat in reverse, coming to marriage preparation at the end of the module. There are opportunities for discussion around the presented topics, as well as some optional material that you can work through if you feel that you are already familiar with some of the presentations.

Our expectation is that you emerge from this module confident to accompany a couple in marriage preparation, in thinking through their wedding day, and in post-marriage coaching situations, as well as being able to address certain issues with those who are not yet in a relationship with marriage as a goal.

FFS Module 5 – Marriage Coaching Basics

This module introduces you to Marriage coaching. Being married is not a pre-requisite, anyone can coach someone to become stronger in their relationships. The module consists of videos, and assignments for which you may need a partner (your spouse when married or a fellow student) to do the task.

You should take a moment to look over the whole course and make sure you can download the materials you need.

This module is presented by David and Nancy Harper. They are YWAM-ers since 1989, currently in and from Canada, who have coached and trained many couples over the years. From their website:

David comes from a missionary family, and spent his early years in Malawi and Zimbabwe. Nancy grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and we met as singles on a church planting team on the island of St Lucia. We knew we were called into missions full-time, and in 1989 joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Over the years we have had a special focus on training and sending out national missionaries as we worked in six different nations.

Our main calling has been discipling and mentoring leaders, using our skills as professional Life Coaches. In 2016 we pioneered Together, a ministry to missionary and leadership couples. We believe that a healthy, growing marriage is the foundation for lasting success in life and ministry, and we are building a global network of marriage coaches to help strengthen marriages.

We raised our four children on YWAM bases in the Caribbean, and today enjoy watching our four grandchildren grow up in Canada. We lead Together from our home in Nanaimo, Canada. Check out our YWAM home base at www.ywamnanaimo.com

AFS Module 9 – Theology of Marriage

All of us have ideas about marriage that are shaped by our cultures and church culture. Can we find how the Bible uses this terminology and understand some of the concepts and practices that were surrounding marriage at the times these texts were written? This is the challenge we face as we re-interpret ideas and terms from Bible times into our daily experience. One of the exercises will ask you to identify differences in biblical and real-time culture.

As a reference text we will use a book by Ernest D. Martin. There are many books written on marriage from biblical perspective. Martin systematically unpacks the vocabulary used in the texts and contextualises it. You may find this book challenging and decide not to explore all of the chapters immediately. It is far better to work carefully through a few concepts rather than trying to read everything without grasping the ideas.

Finally, so as to broaden your reading a little more, you will dig into one of the chapters of Covey’s book. You can choose how you present your summary of these ideas, either in written form or by producing a short video.

The content of this module is based around a couple of authors, so clearly we will not have direct content with the teacher. We will take advantage of student interactivity and shared reflections to cover the required material.

You can consult the timetable here