Focus on Marriage

Marriage is under pressure in the UK – perhaps as never before. Fewer couples marrying, more marriages breaking up (now 42%), more children suffering.

Some years ago Rev. Jamie Allen (St Andrew’s) started a local Marriage Focus Group. It offered pre-marriage assessment, support to marriages under stress, and a Christian presence at Wedding Fayres, encouraging couples to consider a Church wedding. A booklet with information about local church wedding arrangements – costs, procedures, contact person etc – was distributed in local shops and ..read more

Marriage Focus Group meeting, from John Clark

The next meeting of the Marriage Focus Group will be on Wednesday 7th December at no. 72 North Street.

The meeting will start at 2.30pm.

Marriage Focus Group

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 31st August 2.30pm at No72.

Key points arising from previous meeting were:

Syd Platt will email his list of trained Christian Counsellors to JC & RP. He will look for a suitable counselling venue in Sudbury, and enquire which Counsellors would be interested in referrals. He will also look for a suitable person to oversee the resource arrangements.

‘Explore’ Schools programme: Chris Ramsey is very interested in running this programme at Gt. Cornard ..read more

St. Andrew’s Church Marriage Fayre

Organised by &  for Friends of St Andrews

Date: 24th September 2011 Time: 10am – 3pm Venue: St Peter’s, Market Hill, Sudbury

There will be a whole array of exhibitors that people will need for their special day whether they are getting married or renewing vows. Live organ music throughout the day –  a mixture of background music incl. a harpist.

£1 pp entry, a welcome bag per couple & welcome by friendly people dressed in ..read more

The guide to Church Weddings in Sudbury and the surrounding villages was updated in July 2011. Paper copies have been distributed to churches and other places. To download it, click here . (Please note this is a pdf, 2.5 MB, 32 pages A5 size. Print only what you need! The page numbers in the list of contents refer to the numbers at the bottom of the pages and not to ..read more

Why Marriage

Are you married and want to make you marriage better or help others improve their marriage or indeed help others prepare for marriage then this may be for you.

The Marriage Focus Group have been given the opportunity to attend a one day seminar entitled “Why Marriage”. Speakers will be Nicky and Sila Lee from Holy Trinity Brompton , authors and producers of the Marriage Course and Marriage Preparation.

The seminar, which will be tailored ..read more

NEWS FROM THE MARRIAGE FOCUS GROUP

Please take time to read the attached summary of future plans for the re-launched MFG.

If you agree that churches should be addressing the serious decline in marriage, please show your support by coming to the next meeting:

10am on Monday 7th February.   St John’s Methodist Church.

We particularly need help for Publicity and other important roles.

If you cannot come but want to register support please email  Rev. John Clark (chairman) at: johnynorma@yahoo.ca or ..read more

Marriage Focus Group Relaunch!

John Clark (SBC) has now agreed to chair the MFG. There will be a Relaunch of the whole project on THURSDAY 9th DECEMBER at 7.30pm in the Wesley Room at St John’s Methodist Church Hall.

Please be there if you would like to be involved in a new Action Group, or just to show your support and tell us your ideas.

Ideas so far: why not offer a Relationship project in local schools?  At the CTiS&D Forum on Monday 6th December KAREN ..read more

Marriage Focus Group

The next meeting will be on Monday 28th September, 7.30pm, No 72 North Street – please come and support our work.

For a printable report, which includes the financial summary, go to http://www.standrews-gc.org.uk/mfg_report09.pdf

From Jamie Allen,

We are about to produce a new print-run of the Marriage Focus Booklet – the guide which gives couples interested in marriage all the info they need to know about getting married in church in the Sudbury area.