Premarital Enrichment Program (PEP)

I. Purpose

1. Offer a comprehensive premarital enrichment program for JBU students where they are taught and equipped with the relational skills necessary to have a Christ-centered, lifelong and thrilling marriage.
2. Create a continuum of relational preparation specifically designed for the unique needs of the student population.
3. Identify and unite existing JBU dating, premarital, and marital resources.
4. Increase the number of students who receive relational preparation.
5. Increase the number of faculty, local clergy and mentors who provide assistance as ministry.
6. Help couples lay a firm foundation for their covenant marriage relationship and fulfill the requirements for a covenant marriage license.
7. Educate, enrich and equip married students.
8. Serve as a benchmark and create a prototype for other CCCU schools so they can develop their own premarital enrichment program.

II. Components

Phase One

1. Fall Dating Workshop
   • CRE teaches an evening (2 hour) dating workshop each Fall semester to equip students with a relational toolbox necessary for Christ-centered, healthy dating relationships. Students are not required to be in a dating relationship or come with their significant other to attend.
2. Spring Dating Panel
   • CRE facilitates an evening panel discussion consisting of Faculty, Staff and Administration designed to address key issues related to the dating lives of students. This involves information shared by panel members as well as providing answers to student questions.

Phase Two

1. Spring Premarital Seminar
   • CRE will teach a 1-day seminar in the early part of the spring semester (Jan or Feb) to equip students who are seriously dating or engaged with additional tools necessary for Christ-centered, healthy marital relationships.

Phase Three

1. Premarital Counseling
   • Three to six months (six months being the ideal) before marriage a couple would begin formal premarital counseling.

Phase Four

1. Mentoring
   • An important aspect of the program to provide an opportunity for each couple to establish a mentoring relationship with a married couple. These couples will have been married for at least ten years and exemplify Christ-centered marriages. They are open and honest about sharing their experiences in their own marriage. The mentor couple will also have received special premarital training, but will most likely not be professional, licensed counselors.
2. Fellowship
   • Each couple is also encouraged to become involved with Married Student Fellowship (MSF), which is a group of other married students who regularly meet for friendship and fellowship.