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Love is in the air, and that love can get a little stronger.
The state certified marriage education course, Growing Love in Christian Marriage, will be offered at Texas Wesleyan University from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 6 in the Baker Building.
The state of Texas authorized this course as one of many offered in the state providing skills to support a lasting and healthy marriage.
The cost is $7.50 per couple. This cost covers the continental breakfast, snacks and a book.
Participants can be engaged, married, dating or single.
“Some people have even repeated the class just to refresh the information they learned,” said Gina Phillips, director of alumni relations.
The GLCM course topics include commitment, communication, conflict management, companionship and lifestyle, career and finances, children and parenting, community networks and compass for the future. Couples begin by answering the Internet MIRROR
Couple Relationship Inventory before coming to the class.
The GLCM curriculum was developed by Richard and Joan Hunt in 1981. The book course, updated in 2001, is ecumenical in nature and is used by the United Methodist Church for its marriage education courses. Pastors have used the GLCM couples book with more than 300,000 couples since its inception.
The Hunts recently made a donation to Texas Wesleyan for marriage education, and they wanted the classes to be offered to students, faculty and staff, as well as the general community. Their efforts were boosted by a government initiative.
Effective Sept. 1, 2008, House Bill 2685 provides that couples who attend a certified eight-hour course can receive a certificate for a $60 discount on their marriage license, which is normally $72. This certificate must be used within one year of taking the course.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission started the TWOgether in Texas initiative to inform couples about the opportunity, certify courses and organize marriage education providers.
When the initiative was enacted, the Hunts adapted their book and the Internet course to match the TWOgether requirements and make it available to couples and churches.
“Our course is one of 60 plus courses that are approved by TWOgether,” Hunt said via e-mail. Hunt also said that there is research available at the Web site www.healthymarriageinfo.org that shows that states save money by offering incentives to healthy marriages.
Healthy marriages increase satisfaction between spouses and strengthen families, as well as reduce crime, reduce poverty and reduce domestic violence, according to the Web site.
Robyn Fisk, a Wesleyan alumna and the college and career counselor at TWU, took the class last April. She is majoring in professional counseling as a grad student.
“The thing that really fascinated me was how we were going to handle our finances,” Fisk said. “It was interesting to see the breakdown of what we’d spent and would spend. My fiancée said he was glad to see that we’re on the same page concerning parenting styles.”
The class on March 6 will be taught by Amy Tate-Almy. Tate-Almy is a Wesleyan alumna and works as an independent contractor teaching the federally required personal financial management course for the two Fort Worth bankruptcy trustees, as well as working as a counselor for the Depression Connection Team of Fort Worth. Tate-Almy also serves on the Alumni Board of Directors for Texas Wesleyan.
“I believe people should take this class because they’re going from being a single individual to being a family unit, and they need to learn how to handle a lot of new responsibilities,” Tate-Almy said. “You also have the opportunity to have serious discussions before marriage about topics ranging from money, sex, past relationships, communication and children, to name a few.”
To register for the class couples must RSVP to Tate-Almy at aatalmy@hotmail.com and send the couple’s names with the $7.50 fee (made payable to Texas Wesleyan University) to Attn:
Chaplain’s Office,
GLCM, Texas Wesleyan University,
1201 Wesleyan St,
Fort Worth, TX, 76105.
Participants must attend the entire course to receive credit.
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