One, Two...I Do - About the Program

The purpose for writing the One, Two…I Do marriage education program is twofold. The first is to provide young people with a framework for developing an in-depth understanding of sound theological principles that direct a faith-based life and marriage. Scripture references and study questions are intended to foster a better understanding of the personal relationship God seeks to have with each person and the joy that results from close fellowship with God. The program is designed to help young people focus on the will of God and Scriptural guidelines for their life. The lessons promote the view that having a right relationship with God will influence the quality of other life relationships. Marriage and the home are to be a reflection of that relationship.

The second purpose of the program is to introduce young people to the Biblical teachings that support and enhance healthy relationships and the institution of marriage. It is understood that different world religions hold different beliefs regarding marriage. There is neither time nor is it the intent of the One, Two…I Do program to address all of the possible perspectives. The lessons of this program will focus generally on accepted Biblical teachings. It is important for young people to define and clarify for their own understanding what those teachings are in order to integrate them into a consistent faith-based lifestyle. They will be given the opportunity to integrate Biblical perspectives into practical preparation for marriage. The overall focus guiding the One,Two…I Do program is the belief that taking a preventative education approach will help strengthen marriage and the family in America.

One, Two…I Do is divided into three main focus areas that discuss different yet equally important aspects of relationship. In the first focus area, lessons 1-4, relationship is examined as the primary bond between God and self. Participants will explore the topic of individual differences and work on improving their skills in forgiveness, obedience, and caring for others. They will be asked to think about and strengthen their current relationship with God both within and outside of the group activities.

The second focus area, lessons 5-8, begins to develop a more in-depth look at love relationships. The three components of love: intimacy, passion and commitment are addressed within the Biblical perspective. Participants will learn how the patterns from their existing family relationships will influence future ones. Participants will be given an opportunity to define appropriate roles and responsibilities for family members. The lessons in this section will help participants understand theological guidelines for establishing healthy interpersonal relationships.

The third and last area, lessons 9-16, focuses primarily on important aspects of the marriage relationship. Here, participants will evaluate and discuss their current feelings about marriage in order to gain a better understanding of the rewards and difficulties of demonstrating true love as God intended it to be. The participants will examine common roadblocks to good relationships and learn positive skills that will better prepare them for navigating their own real life relationship roadway. They will learn about the joys and responsibilities of loving and accepting oneself and another person in an intimate, passionate, committed life-long marriage relationship.