Strengthening Marriages in Your Community
The goal of this SELF-STUDY course (see separate registration for live course) is to increase knowledge and skills for Bahá’í Local Spiritual Assemblies, their members, or their representatives (such as a Marriage Task Force or other committee) who are responding to requests from married individuals or couples experiencing challenges in their marriages. The intention is that the Spiritual Assembly and its representatives improve their response and that the marriages they are serving have a greater likelihood of improved functioning and unity.
It is also hoped that when skillfulness improves there is less negative impact from marriages in difficulty on the Assembly itself and on the community that the Assembly serves.
In addition to addressing challenges, this course introduces Assemblies to educational and preventative measures they can take so that individuals and couples are less likely to get into difficulties.
If your study group wants a private course that others cannot enroll in and that includes a discussion function, please contact us; there is a small set-up fee. It is also possible to arrange for a facilitated private course with Zoom sessions for an agreed hourly fee. Otherwise, this course is self-study.
Note: This course is an individual initiative in service to Spiritual Assemblies in support of an ongoing process of maturation of the institutions. It is not part of an official institutional training program. This is one of many efforts to apply the Bahá’í teachings to the strengthening of marriages.
Course Site Use - Instructional Video
Significant Change Notes for the Course
All Units - Practical Scenarios for Discussion
All Units-ScenariosforDiscussion-2-10-23
Unit 1, Lesson 1: About the Course
FREE PREVIEWUnit 1, Lesson 2: Guidelines and Principles for Faculty and Participants
Unit 1, Lesson 3: Honoring Spiritual Assemblies
Unit 1, Lesson 4: Confidentiality
Unit 1 - Scenarios for Breakout Groups
Unit 2, Lesson 1: Assemblies and the Institution of Marriage
Unit 2-Lesson 1-Quotations-Marriage-10-6-18 (PDF)
Unit 2, Lesson 2: The Power of the Covenant
Unit 2, Lesson 3: Service--Benefits and Balance
Unit 2, Scenarios for Breakout Groups
Unit 3 - Explanation of Year of Waiting Flowcharts
Unit 3-EXAMPLE-Year of Waiting and Divorce Flowchart-US NSA.pdf
Unit3-EXAMPLE-YOWDivorceFlowChart-OttawaCanadaSpiritualAssembly-July282013.pdf
Unit 3, Lesson 1: Building a Foundation of Trust
Unit 3, Lesson 2: Communication Skills
Unit 3, Lesson 3: Meeting with Individuals and Couples
Unit3-Lesson3-ConductingInitialMeetingswithIndividualsandCoupleswithMarriageProblems-5-8-21.pdf
Unit3-LSAReflectionandGuidingQuestions-Meeting-Ind-Couple-12-27-22.pdf
Unit3-TheArtofListeningfromMindfulMatrimony.pdf
Unit3-DevelopingtheSkillsofSendingandReceiving-MindfulMatrimony-Switzer.pdf
Unit3-Non-Violent Communication Method.pdf
Unit3-LSAWorkshop-Consultation-1.pdf
Unit3-LSAWorkshop-Consultation-2.pdf
Unit 3 - Scenarios for Breakout Groups
Unit 4, Lesson 1: Providing Encouragment and Hope
Unit4-Handout for Couples-Encouragement
Unit 4, Lesson 2: Resources for Accompanying Couples
Unit4-Lesson2-PreservingBahaiMarriagesMemoResearchDept1990.pdf
Unit4-Lesson2-PreservingBahaiMarriages2009.pdf
Unit 4, Lesson 3: Providing Referrals for Help
Unit4-Lesson3-Non-Bahai-Counselors-2-4-21.pdf
Unit 4 - Scenarios for Breakout Groups
Unit 5, Lesson 1: Introduction to Relationship, Marriage, and Family Education
Unit 5, Lesson 2: Potential Actions for Individuals, Couples, and Assemblies
Assemblies Upholding the Laws of the Faith (incl marriage)
Unit 5, Lesson 3: Potential Lines of Action
Relationship-Marriage-FamilyEd-BahaiCommunity-12-6-20.pdf
Unit 5 - Scenarios for Breakout Groups
Unit 6, Lesson 1: Introduction to Resources
To Set the World in Order: Building and Preserving Strong Marriages (PDF)
US Assembly Confidentiality-2013.pdf
Assemblies and Marriage - US NSA Guidelines - Oct 2021.pdf
Assemblies and Divorce - US NSA Guidelines - May 2022.pdf
Domestic Violence Guidelines - US NSA - 2011.pdf
Character-Courtship-ChoosingPartner-Compilation.pdf
Quotations-Family-InLaws.pdf
Pornography-Response-UHJ-3-9-23
A Mental Progression for Overcoming Hurt Feelings.pdf
Some Guidance for Spiritual Assemblies Related to Mental Illness and Its Treatment (permission MK Radpour).pdf
Open Circle Network
Alcohol/Addictions in Marriage and Family
Consultation Tool for Married Couples.pdf
BahaiMarriage Website
Intercultural Resources
Professionals-Bahais-June-2-2024
ForNon-BahaiCounselors.pdf
Unit 6 - Scenarios for Breakout Groups
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You can take this course as an individual member of a Spiritual Assembly or as an appointed individual who is supporting marriages in the community on your own for personal development.
Your entire Spiritual Assembly or appointed marriage support team can take this course by one person registering and then contacting [email protected] for a 100% discount coupon for others connected to the Assembly or your study group. You can request a private version of the course that includes online discussions for a set-up fee.
Groups may request a private version of this course with regular meetings via Zoom with a facilitator who is a Bahá’í with expertise in marriage (Susanne or someone else). These are invoiced at an agreed hourly rate in addition to the course registration fee.
Arrangements can be made for a live course with members of various institutions where participants do self-study and then meet via Zoom at an agreed interval to consult about the content with a facilitator knowlegeable about marriage (Susanne or someone else)
“As Spiritual Assemblies are being asked by the Universal House of Justice to 'rise to a new stage in the exercise of their responsibilities as channels of divine guidance...', the St. Johns County Assembly feels blessed to have cultivated a relationship with you. Your dedication to develop and implement an educational program that focuses on empowering couples, Assemblies, and individuals, has transformed our local Assembly. Our study with you has increased our capacity to serve our community. This guidance and education we received is allowing our community to begin the process of shaping new patterns of community life that will promote healthy marriages, strengthen the family, and increase bonds of affection in the greater community. We look forward to working with you in the future.”
Spiritual Assembly of St. Johns County, Florida
