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At-Home, DIY Marriage Retreat – You Can Do It Yourself!
How many of you would just LOVE to get away to some fantastic marriage retreat with your spouse and deepen your love for one another?
You’d listen to some inspiring speakers, spend some quality time with each other, and be encouraged to make your marriage even better than it already is. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
But there are so many things that get in the way…
• Time (Who has a whole weekend?)
• Cost (Have you seen how expensive marriage retreat centers can be?)
• Finding a babysitter (You live too far away from family or hiring a sitter costs an arm and a leg!)
If a weekend get-away focused on your marriage seems out-of-reach, we have a fun alternative… a do-it-yourself marriage retreat!
Host your own marriage retreat for two using Study Gateway!
What is Study Gateway?
Study Gateway is an online streaming video subscription service offering instant access to hundreds of video Bible and topical studies from the world’s best and brightest authors, pastors, and Bible study teachers. Think of it like a Netflix, Sling TV, or Hulu for Christians! Once you sign up, you’ll have access to studies on many devices, including, iPhone/iPad/iPod, Android, phones and tablets, Mac and Windows PCs.
With Study Gateway, you can create your own marriage retreat using their video studies online — enabling you to keep the expenses down and make it flexible around your schedule and budget.
Ideally you could take off for a whole weekend to dive into the material with your spouse – either in your home or in a hotel room – and get away from life, kids, work and other obligations. But if you can’t set aside an overnight or two, you can plan a few dinner dates or maybe even mornings together over a week or two. Customize your retreat in whatever way is best for the two of you!
Here are some simple steps to planning your own marriage retreat.
DIY Marriage Retreat Step #1 – Pray About It
Even strong, healthy marriages need prayer. Pray for wisdom, pray for fun, pray for humility, and most of all, invite God to be there with you. Ask God to show up and be at the center of your marriage and this retreat time. Ask Him to use it to strengthen your marriage and rekindle the romance. Speaking of…
DIY Marriage Retreat Step #2 – Plan the Fun & Romance
Just because this is a DIY marriage retreat doesn’t mean you can’t bring the fun and romance! We recommend starting the retreat with an ice-breaker, conversations starter, or a game. Do something you love to do together, something that brings back happy, funny, joyful memories! Or try something completely new! You can also plan to do some memorable breaks in between sessions, like take a hike or walk together, go out for a lunch picnic, or celebrate at the end with a romantic dinner.
DIY Marriage Retreat Step #3 – Pick a Study
A strong, loving and lifelong relationship doesn’t happen by chance. It takes effort and dedication to keep your marriage strong. Study Gateway offers 18 different studies on marriage and relationships by leading Christian teachers and pastors, but we’ve picked two of our favorites that we think are great for couples to do on their own to enrich their healthy marriage.
Church leaders: StudyGateway has 18 more great studies like these for marriage enrichment, plus pre-marriage, marriages in crisis, and even for building a marriage mentoring ministry in your church.
All of these studies are available via online streaming with a subscription to StudyGateway.com – check out the FREE 7-day trial.
Marriage Retreat Video Study Option #1
Cherish by Gary Thomas
Are you in a pattern of “going through the motions” and looking to reignite your romance and delight in your spouse as God delights in you? Then this is the study for you! Cherish by Gary Thomas, bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, shares so much wisdom and practical advice about how to better cherish your spouse. The videos include stories and real-world examples from other couples, which keeps it light-hearted and fun, but the content is soooo rich! Thomas will show you how to put “cherish” into action by going out of your way to notice, appreciate, honor, encourage, and hold your spouse close to your heart. Bringing to life this one little word, cherish, can profoundly bring hope, light, and life into your marriage!
Number of sessions: Six
Total video viewing time: About 2 hours, 23 minutes
Free download: Click here to download the session one guide (PDF – 3 MB) and get a preview of the companion study materials (don’t miss the 40% off deal!)
Marriage Retreat Video Study Option #2
From This Day Forward by Craig and Amy Groeschel
We like this study because of its strong mix of practical advice and Biblical wisdom centered around five commitments that will absolutely fail-proof your marriage. Pastor Craig and his wife Amy are so relatable, honest, and encouraging – and it’s not at all “preachy.” They guide you through daily steps you can take to strengthen your marriage and your relationship with God. The session topics are relevant to most marriages: Session 1. Seek God; 2. Fight fair; 3. Have fun; 4. Stay pure; 5. Never give up.
This study is perfect for anyone just leaving the “honeymoon stage” of their marriage to couples celebrating their 50th and will help lift your marriage to a higher level!
Number of sessions: Five
Total video viewing time: About 1 hour, 30 minutes
Free download: Click here to download the session one guide and get a preview of the companion study materials!
Start Your Free Trial to Study Gateway
Your marriage will never be the same! Get immediate access to Cherish and From This Day Forward - and hundreds of other amazing studies - with a StudyGateway.com subscription.
You can start your FREE 7-day trial immediately!
Church leaders: StudyGateway has more great studies like these for marriage enrichment, plus pre-marriage, marriages in crisis, and even for building a marriage mentoring ministry in your church.
Start a Free Trial >
Save on Study Materials
Want to enrich your study? Each video study is designed for use with a study guide. You’ll need one study guide for each person. Companion books are also available for further reading. Couples can share a book.
Study guides and companion books for Cherish and From This Day Forward are in the FaithGateway Store at 40% off!
Prefer a DVD? We have those on sale for 40% off too - plus get FREE U.S. Shipping on orders $25 or more.
