Couple Checkup and Date Nights - PREPARE/ENRICH · 2017. 3. 3. · Strong Marriages Florida Team -...

Couple Checkup & Date Nights

@ Chick-fi l-A

A Community Based Marriage Enrichment Campaign

Sponsors:Marriage Alive

Couple Checkup™

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I. Overview of Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

• Design of the Healthy Marriage Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

• Objectives of Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

• Target Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

• Description of Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

• Marketing Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

II. Marriage Enrichment Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

• Couple Checkup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

• Date Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

• Online Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

• Marriage Champions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

• Great Date Night Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

III. Community Participation in Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

IV. Outcome Evaluation of Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

• Couples who Participated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

• Pre-Test Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

• Post-Test Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

V. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

How to Start a Date Night Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Table of Contents

Special Thanks to Sponsors:

Strong Marriages Florida Team - Tim and Beth Popadic, John Stemberger, Mikel Ecenarro, Chris and Trish Peddicord, Mike and Becky Mydock, Kevin Conklin, John and June Wolle, Chuck and Mae Dettman, Jeff and Glynis Murphy, Valerie and James Jackson, Mark and Wendy Murnan, Chet Tart, Nathan Oliver, Tony Novakoski, and Bob and Margret Schueman.

Christ Fellowship Pastors Tom and Todd Mullins

Chick-fi l-A Operators - Neil Hannon, Rob Rabenecker, Nathan Buchannan, Andrew Cornell, Susan Leff ert, Rob Morris, Al Puglesi, and Jimmy Cristantiello

Couple Checkup and PREPARE/ENRICH - Dr. David Olson, Karen Olson, Dr. Peter Larson, Sharlene Fye, Tony Oslund, Kay Urquhart, Amy Olson-Sigg, Renee Schulz, and Erika Bailey

10 Great Dates, Marriage Alive - Dave and Claudia Arp

Marriage CoMission/WinShape/Chick-fi l-A - Jeff Fray, Andrea Lee, Bubba Cathy, Dan Cathy, Jeff Kemp, and Shawn Stoever

Authors of Report & Study:

Tim Popadic, MFTPeter J. Larson, Ph.D.David H. Olson, Ph.D.

© Copyright, 2011 Life Innovations, Inc.


@ Chick-fi l-A

Executive Summary

A unique marriage enrichment campaign was undertaken in August of 2010 in two Florida counties. A creative collaboration between local churches, businesses, and marriage strengthening organizations came together to form the “Take the Checkup/ Date Nights @ Chick-fi l-A”

Campaign.

Thousands of couples were reached, many of whom (45%) were in struggling relationships. Through the use of an online inventory, The Couple Checkup™, and fun Date Nights off ered at Chick-fi l-A restaurants, couples were exposed to several marriage strengthening activities.

Follow-up assessment demonstrates signifi cant improvements in overall marriage satisfaction, as well as key relationship areas, such as communication and confl ict resolution. Couples’ satisfaction scores and comments indicate a high level of enthusiasm for this type of outreach.

I. Overview of

Program

1


@ Chick-fi l-A

Design of the Healthy Marriage Campaign

For this campaign, a key component was the development of a solid network of churches prior to the launch. In 2008, through the combined eff orts of Christ Fellowship Church and the South Florida Association of Christian Counselors, the Palm Beach County Healthy Marriage Initiative was launched. This initiative helped train hundreds of Marriage Mentors and helped establish a network of 60 local churches interested in strengthening marriage.

With the successful network of Marriage Mentors in place, the “Take the Checkup/Date Nights @ Chick-fi l-A Campaign” could now be supported and was offi cially launched on August 1, 2010. The Campaign consisted of fi ve date nights and culminated in “The Great Date Night” event, an evening with notable guest speakers and performers, with teaching and encouragement on marriage and relationships.

The Campaign was possible through partnerships with Life Innovations, Strong Marriages Florida, WinShape Marriage, Marriage Alive, South Florida network of churches, and ten participating Chick-fi l-A restaurants in Palm Beach and Martin Counties (Florida).

Objectives of the Campaign

The Campaign’s objectives were to create awareness and opportunities for couples to strengthen their marriages by taking an online assessment and attending a series of date nights at local Chick-fi l-A restaurants, and to off er couples future opportunities for marital growth through the networking and resourcing of area churches.

Target Population

This Campaign was designed to cover two Florida counties with just under 3 million residents. The anticipated exposure through the ten Chick-fi l-A restaurants totaled over 500,000 people. Palm Beach County, on average, has just under 10,000 recorded marriages each year. Current statistics indicate a 58% divorce rate. In years past, the divorce rate has been as high as 62.4%. Consider that out of ten marriages, less than four will survive.

Overview

2

Description of Program: Take the Checkup/Date Nights @ Chick-fi l-A

The Campaign began by inviting the ten Chick-fi l-A restaurants in Palm Beach and Martin Counties to partner with Strong Marriages Florida in a month-long strategic initiative. The restaurants distributed pre-paid vouchers for the online Couple Checkup assessment during the month of August. Each of the Date Nights off ered in Chick-fi l-A restaurants on the fi ve Monday nights of August focused on a diff erent theme: Communication, Finances, Personality Diff erences, Confl ict Resolution, and Parenting. An interactive Date Night menu was created for each topic. Once a couple was seated with their food, they used the menu and began to dialogue through the 6-8 questions (see Appendix A for a sample Date Night Menu).

Each of the restaurants had trained “Marriage Champions” available to help the couples if needed. These couples were not counselors but were equipped to provide support to the Date Night guests. Some of the Marriage Champions would go on to mentor couples in need.

Many of the restaurants off ered special music that set the tone and atmosphere for the evening. Couples placed their order, then were seated at cloth-covered tables while the Chick-fi l-A staff served their food. One restaurant hosted a wedding on the last night -- complete with reception and dancing. In several circumstances, couples reported their marriage had been saved. Overall, the campaign focused on couples taking steps to strengthen their relationship and fi nd simple ways to celebrate their marriage.

Marketing Strategy

The marketing strategy was leveraged by multiple vehicles:

• Trayliners and signage in the restaurants promoted the weekly Date Nights and described the Couple Checkup

• Radio and Television Public Service Announcement directed people to the website for more information

• Bulletin Inserts and Pulpit Announcements at local churches (with coupons)

• Word of mouth, real estate signs, email blasts, and banners

• Website featuring interactive trayliner at www.TakeTheCheckup.com which off ered a free Couple Checkup ($29.95 value)

Over

view

II. Marriage Enrichment

Tools

4

II. Marriage Enrichment Tools

1. The Couple Checkup: Couples were encouraged to take a free Couple Checkup, an online assessment tool designed to identify the unique relationship strengths and growth areas of dating, engaged, or married couples. Based on the results of a tailored premarital or marital inventory, couples immediately received an extensive Couple Checkup Report on their relationship, including a Discussion Guide designed to help them learn proven relationship skills. Research has shown this process improves relationships by stimulating honest dialogue, increasing understanding, and empowering couples. The Couple Checkup is based on the widely used PREPARE/ ENRICH® Program. Strong Marriages Florida integrated the Couple Checkup online widget into their website, and created a landing page at www.TakeTheCheckup.com for couples to register and receive a voucher code if they did not have a restaurant receipt. (See Appendix B for a sample Couple Checkup Report page.)

2. Date Nights: The Date Nights were designed with help from David and Claudia Arp, authors of the 10 Great Dates book series. Working with the team from West Palm Beach, they drafted discussion outlines for topic-specifi c date nights. These were presented as “Date Night Menus” given to couples who came to Chick-fi l-A restaurants on Monday evenings during the month of August. The Date Night Menus covered topics such as communication, confl ict resolution, personality diff erences, parenting, and fi nances. Each discussion outline encouraged couples to review their Couple Checkup results and respond to the discussion questions.

3. Marriage Champions: Mentor couples were trained and placed in each Chick-fi l-A restaurant to welcome couples and support them if they had any questions or concerns about the Couple Checkup or Date Night experience.

4. Final Great Date Night Celebration: Couples were encouraged to come back for a special night of marriage enrichment and celebration, hosted by Christ Fellowship Church, and sponsored by Chick-fi l-A. Almost 2000 people gathered for this free Great Date Night Celebration. Couples received a goody bag which included a copy of the book, 10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage, by David and Claudia Arp.

Met

hods

of E

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men

t

III. Community

Participation in

Program

6

Community Participation in Program

• Over 100 churches participated in the Take the

Checkup/Date Night @ Chick-fi l-A initiative

• 400+ volunteers from various churches and

organizations served over the month-long marriage

strengthening campaign

• Over 3,500 people registered to “Take the Checkup”

online

• 2,182 couples started or completed the Couple

Checkup*

• Nearly 2,000 people attended the fi nal “Great Date

Night” celebration

• Hundreds of couples attended multiple date nights

at Chick-fi l-A

• Over 180 people responded to the follow-up survey

Com

mun

ity P

artic

ipat

ion

7

Comm

unity Participation

Participation in components of Program

• 90% Completed the Couple Checkup.

• 79% Reviewed the Couple Checkup.

• 58% Used Couple Checkup Discussion Guide.

• 64% Attended a Chick-fi l-A Date Night.

• 32% Attended more than one date night.

• 4% Met with a mentor couple.

• 13% Met with a pastor or counselor to get relationship help.

Completed the Couple Checkup

25

0

50

75

10090%

79%

58%64%

32%

4%13%

ReviewedCouple Checkup

Attended a Chick-fi-A Date Night

Met with amentor couple

Used Couple CheckupDiscussion Guide

Attended more thanone date night

Met with a pastoror counselor to get

relationship help

IV. Outcome Evaluation

of Program

9

Couples who Participated

The Couple Checkup gathered data on each of the 2,182 couples who opened an account to take the online inventory. Most of the couples who participated were married (81%), but 7% were engaged couples and 12% were dating couples. The majority of married couples were in their fi rst marriage (76%), but approximately 24% had been married before. People ranged in age from 21 to over 70, with the average age falling between 30 and 40. Most of the people assessed were Protestant (75%), but some were Catholic (8%) and Jewish (1%). Participants were primarily Caucasian (81%), followed by Hispanic/Latino (9%), African-American (4%), Asian-American (1%). About one third (28%) of the couples had been married from 1 to 5 years, while another third (32%) were married for 16 or more years. Most couples reported they had children (79%); with 35% raising children in a stepfamily. (See Appendix C for more detailed demographic information.)

* Over 3,500 people registered to take the Couple Checkup at www.

takethecheckup.com. However, of these, 1,400 did not open a Couple Checkup account, the fi rst step to taking the assessment. It is surmised that they did not have their receipt with the free voucher code. Halfway through the month, the voucher code was made available online to aid the establishment of accounts. Of the 2,182 people who opened an account, 1,482 actually completed the Couple Checkup within eight weeks. (Often one partner takes the assessment, but the other partner lags behind in taking it.) Of that number, 185 couples were dating, and another 96 couples were engaged. The research fi ndings relate to the 1,201 married couples who completed the Couple Checkup.

Pre-test Evaluation

The Couple Checkup created a Group Summary Report that describes the types of couples registered. Only the 1201 married couples who completed the Couple Checkup were included in the pretest group. The scales in the Couple Checkup provide a valid and reliable measure of baseline marital health.

Outcome Evaluation

10

Couple Types

The Couple Checkup categorizes couples into a Typology system of fi ve types ranging from most healthy (Vitalized) to least healthy (Devitalized). These types provide a good measure of baseline marital satisfaction for the couples included in the group summary.

Vitalized Very High Marriage Satisfaction 22%Harmonious High Marriage Satisfaction 7%Conventional Moderate Satisfaction 23%Confl icted Low Satisfaction 26%Devitalized Very Low Marriage Satisfaction 19%

Baseline Strength and Growth Areas

The following chart reports the Strength and Growth Areas identifi ed for married couples completing the assessment. The percentage represents the total percentage of couples that were assessed to have each topic as an area of strength or weakness. For example, Spiritual Beliefs were a strength for 74% of the couples, while Confl ict Resolution was a strength for only 16% of the couples.

Topic Strength Area Growth Area

Spiritual Beliefs 74% 15%

Family & Friends 54% 16%Finances 43% 37%

Roles/Responsibilities 35% 35%Sexual Relationship 28% 53%

Leisure Activities 18% 53%Communication 18% 60%

Confl ict Resolution 16% 63%

Post-Test Evaluation

A follow-up survey was sent out eight weeks after the campaign ended. The brief follow-up survey was presented online to couples. It included an 8-item posttest of Marital Satisfaction, which was compared to the baseline measurement using a t-test analysis. The survey also included general questions for couples about the activities they participated in and their satisfaction with the program. Finally, couples were invited to leave open-ended comments about various aspects of the program. Approximately 180 individuals responded to the online follow-up survey.

Outc

ome

Eval

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Outcome Evaluation

Signifi cant Improvement in Marital Satisfaction

The couples demonstrated signifi cant improvement in their marital satisfaction by participating in this program. Raw individual scores on the 8-item Marriage Satisfaction Scale ranged from a low of 8 to a high of 40. The mean score for Marital Satisfaction for the pretest was 28.8. Eight weeks later during the follow-up, the mean score had risen to 32.2. This represents a statistically signifi cant improvement (p<.001).

Signifi cant Improvements in Specifi c Areas

Pre- and post- campaign responses were also compared for specifi c areas, based on an analysis of the specifi c items in the Marital Satisfaction Scale. Couples reported signifi cant improvements in 6 out of 8 areas. These included core items from the following six topic areas:

Communication Confl ict Resolution Finances Sex & Aff ection Couple Flexibility Relationship Roles.

The two areas that showed slight, but statistically non-signifi cant improvements were Spiritual Beliefs and Couple Closeness. Scores on specifi c items range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Items Pre-test Average Post-test Average

Communication: I am very satisfi ed with how my partner and I talk with each other.

3.29 3.73*

Confl ict Resolution:When we discuss problems, my partner understands my opinions and ideas.

3.44 3.84

Finances:We usually agree on how to spend money. 3.87 4.26*

Sex & Aff ection:I am completely satisfi ed with the amount of aff ection my partner gives me.

3.28 3.72*

Couple Flexibility:We compromise when problems arise. 3.68 4.06*

Roles:I am happy with the fl exibility we have in our roles and responsibilities.

3.84 4.15*

Spiritual Beliefs:Spiritual diff erences do not cause tension in our relationship.

3.08 3.26

Couple Closeness:We feel very close to each other. 3.96 4.15

* = statistically signifi cant improvement (P<.01)

12

Satisfaction with Program Components

Couples rated the value of the program elements in the follow-up survey. The graphic below summarizes this data. If an individual did not participate in a certain activity or program element, they answered “not applicable” and were not included in the percentages below.

Satisfaction with Program

• 150 out of 157 individuals responding (96%) rated the value of the online Couple Checkup as “excellent” or “very good”

• 116 out of 123 individuals responding (94%) rated the value of the Couple Checkup Discussion Guide as “excellent” or “very good”

• 113 out of 121 individuals responding (93%) rated the value of the Chick-fi l-A Date Nights as “excellent” or “very good”

• 85 out of 93 individuals responding (91%) rated the volunteers/ mentors as “excellent” or “very good”

The online Couple Checkup

The Couple CheckupDiscussion Guide

The Chick-fil-ADate Nights

The volunteers/mentorsavailable at the

Chick-fil-A Date Nights

25

0

50

75

100%

66

30

3 1

59

35

5

1

72

21

6

1

65

27

35

Good

Fair

Excellent

Very Good

Outc

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Eval

uatio

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13

Pleased that Chick-fi l-A made this program

available in my community.

Of those who participated in this outreach, an impressive 99% reported they were pleased that Chick-fi l-A made this program available in their community.

StronglyAgree

100

80

60

40

20

0

120

140

160

Agree DisagreeUndecided Strongly Disagree

Outcome Evaluation

14

Couple Checkup helped increase my

understanding of our relationship.

Couples rated the Couple Checkup as a valuable part of this experience. Of those who took the Checkup, 90% strongly agreed or agreed that it helped increase their understanding of their relationship.

StronglyAgree


60

20

40

0

80

100

Outc

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Eval

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15

Recommend the Couple Checkup to other couples.

Of those who participated in this outreach, an impressive 99% reported they were pleased that Chick-fi l-A made this program available in their community.

StronglyAgree


80

100

60

20

40

0

120

140

Outcome Evaluation

16

Recommend the Date Nights to other couples.

Of those who attended the Date Nights, 97% strongly agreed or agreed that they would recommend the Date Nights to others.

80

100

60

20

40

0

120

StronglyAgree


Outc

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Comments from Participants

When asked, “What did you like about the Couple Checkup and the

Date Nights?” approximately 118 people responded with comments like:

• Showed areas that needed to be worked on and areas of strength.

• It was well-organized, fun and interactive. The volunteers were very overwhelmingly helpful.

• It gave us a chance to slow down and talk about our relationship without distractions.

• I feel it enabled us to stop and focus on each other. We get caught up in the craziness of this world. This allowed us to change our focus...intentionally.

• Helped us communicate better.

When asked, “What did you dislike about the Couple Checkup and

Date Nights?” there were 85 comments including:

• Wished it went forever.

• That more churches did not choose to participate.

• We were restricted in the mall setting to get a more romantic atmosphere.

• Always diffi cult to see your diff erences in black and white, but that’s a good thing really.

• Not a single thing!!!!

When asked for any other comments, 56 respondents said things like:

• Great job, thanks.

• Awesome idea and opportunity!

• Thank you Chick-fi l-A for caring about marriages!

• This should happen again!

Outcome Evaluation

V. Summary

19

Overall, the Take the Checkup/Date Nights @ Chick-fi l-A were judged by the organizers and couples participating to be very successful. The outreach engaged a unique combination of local businesses and churches to create awareness and opportunities for couples to strengthen their marriages. In reviewing the results, several themes stand out.

1) Signifi cant Improvements in Marriage

The amount of signifi cant improvement reported by couples at the follow-up was impressive and promising. Two of the date nights intentionally focused on communication and confl ict resolution. The Couple Checkup Discussion Guide, used by over half the couples, also introduced exercises designed to teach foundational skills in these areas. Three-fourths of the couples rated their ability to communicate and resolve confl ict as signifi cantly improved 8 weeks after the campaign. They also improved in several other areas, as well as overall marriage satisfaction. These improvements suggest that couples who are given the opportunity to take an assessment, discuss their results, and begin working on fundamental relationship skills, will rapidly improve their relationship.

It is also notable that couples accomplished this enrichment largely on their own. Only a fraction of the couples reported meeting with mentors, a pastor, or counselor. Most of the couples took the online inventory, discussed their results, and attended the date nights on their own. These self-directed improvements are consistent with other recent studies that have shown couples who take an online assessment and complete a self-guided feedback process can make signifi cant gains in their relationship.

2) Reaching Distressed Couples

Despite the fact that many churches were involved and the participants had very high scores on the Spiritual Beliefs portion of their Couple Checkup, almost half of the marriages were in the distressed range. Forty-fi ve percent of the 1201 married couples assessed by the Couple Checkup were either Confl icted or Devitalized. It was somewhat surprising to fi nd such a high rate of marital distress in the non-clinical population reached through this community-based campaign. However, with Palm Beach county divorce rates approaching 60%, perhaps these results should not be so surprising and are actually quite representative of the state of marital health in the general population.

Summ

ary

20

3) Relationship Skills Needed

Most couples lacked important relationship skills in the areas of communication and confl ict resolution. Sixty-three percent of the married couples had confl ict resolution as a growth area. This means they either disagreed or shared mutual concern about their ability to handle and resolve problems. Over 80% of the married couples reported that one or both “end up feeling blamed for their problems” and 80% said they have real diffi culty “bringing diff erences to a point of resolution.”

Sixty percent of the couples expressed concerns about the quality and quantity of communication in their relationship. The Couple Checkup explores how they share feelings, understand, and listen to one another. Eighty percent of couples cited an “unwillingness to share their feelings” and real hesitancy to “ask for what they want” in the relationship.

4) Positive Evaluations of Couple Checkup and Date Nights

Finally, couples who participated in the follow-up survey were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about all aspects of the campaign. They rated the Couple Checkup and Dates Nights very highly. They were thrilled that Chick-fi l-A helped make this available in their community and believed it would make a diff erence in the lives of couples. Based on the comments left by survey respondents, most would like to see this type of outreach repeated in the future.

5) Conclusion

With the positive outcomes, enthusiastic response, and good-will generated by this type of campaign, there are many reasons to explore how similar campaigns can and should be run in communities around the country.

Sum

mar

y

Appendices

22

Appendix A: Sample Date Night Menu

Love & Money Menu

Welcome to your Great Date. Select from the following menu topics that sound appetizing to both of you. Money can be a touchy topic so for this date concentrate on what you agree on and how your diff erent perspectives can complement each other. Remember, this is a guilt-free date! Enjoy!

Appetizers

Where did you go on your fi rst date? Was it free? Cheap? Expensive?What was your most fun cheap date?If you were give $5000 tax free, what would you do with it?

Main Course

What were the fi rst major purchases you made as a couple?What does money mean to you? (security, status, pleasure, and so on)Brainstorm short term and/or long term fi nancial goals. Make a list together and choose one goal you both rate as a high priority. Talk about how you might work together to achieve it.

Dessert

Make a list of dating ideas that are free.Plan a date for under $10

Couple Checkup Review

Review your Couple Checkup results in the area of Financial Management. Is this a strength or growth area in your relationship?How similar are your individual satisfaction levels?Take a moment to review your Agreement and Discussion items in this category. If you have not done so, take the Couple Checkup by going to www.TakeTheCheckup.com and inserting the free voucher code found on your Chick-fi l-A receipt.

Adapted from 10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage. (Arp & Arp, Zondervan) Used by permission.

Appe

ndix

A

23

Appendix B: Sample Couple Checkup Report PageAppendix B

24

Appendix C: Demographic Information

The following demographic data describes the baseline sample of married couples, who were the primary target of this outreach (n = 1,201 married couples representing 2,402 married individuals).

Appe

ndix

C

Age Range Percentage21 - 25 7%26 - 30 17%31 - 35 16%36 - 40 14%41 - 45 13%46 - 50 12%51 - 60 14%61 - 70 5%

Religious Affi liationProtestant (Christian) 75%Catholic (Christian) 8%Jewish 1%Other 11%None 2%Item Not Answered 3%

Ethnic Background African-American 4%Asian-American 1%Caucasian 81%Hispanic/Latino 9%Native American 1%Mixed 2%

Number of times previously marriedNever married before 76%1 previous marriage 18%2 previous marriages 4%3 previous marriages 1%Item Not Answered 1%

How long have you and your spouse been married?Less than 1 year 4%1 - 5 years 28%6 - 10 years 21%11 - 15 years 15%16 or more years 32%

Children & Parenting79% of the married couples had children - 65% of these were raising their biological children - 35% of these couples were also raising step children

Number of childrenOne 20%Two 41%Three 24%Four or more 14%

Authors of Report & Study:

Tim Popadic, MFT, Pastor of Marriage and Family, Christ Fellowship Church, Palm Beach Gardens, FL where over the last fi ve years he has trained over 150 Marriage Mentoring couples and has launched two diff erent Community Marriage Initiatives with over 100 churches participating. He has served as the President of the South Florida Association of Christian Counselors. He is the co-founder and developer of Mentorfuse, which is an online mentor management tool (www.mentorfuse.com), consults with churches and corporations interested in developing a “Community Engagement Strategy”, and was the lead innovator on the “Take The Checkup Date Nights @ Chick-fi l-A” Campaign. Tim has been married to Beth for over 17 years and has four very active boys. Direct correspondence to: [email protected]

Peter J. Larson, Ph.D, is the President of Life Innovations, the international headquarters of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program. He is a licensed psychologist and the co-developer of the Customized Version of PREPARE/ENRICH and the Couple Checkup assessment. He has also co-authored the Couple Checkup book (2008), the PREPARE to Last program (2007), and the PREPARE/ENRICH Marriage Mentor Program (2004). Peter and Heather have been married 14 years, and have three children. Direct correspondence to: [email protected]

David H. Olson, Ph.D., is CEO and founder of Life Innovations. He is the developer of the world renown PREPARE/ENRICH Program and co-developer of the CoupleCheckup™ assessment. He is Professor Emeritus, Family Social Science, University of Minnesota where he taught for over 25 years. Dr. Olson is past president of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). He is a Fellow in the American Association of Marital and Family Therapy (AAMFT), American Psychological Association (APA) and NCFR. Dr. Olson has received numerous awards from national professional organizations (AAMFT, APA, AFTA, ACA, ACME, Smart Marriages) and Universities (Penn. State, St. Olaf, Univ. of Minnesota) for his high quality research and creative products. He has written over 20 books and over 100 professional articles on marriage and the family. Direct correspondence to: [email protected]

How to Start A Date Night Campaign in your Community?

From the success of the West Palm Beach Date Nights and the similar campaigns replicated in Chattanooga, TN and Knoxville, TN, some “Best Practices” for both executing a successful date night and creating a “Marriage Champion” movement in other communities are off ered here. To learn more and read about the nuts and bolts of this campaign, as well as others happening across the country, visit the blog site at:www.marriagechampions.wordpress.com.

Other great sites to visit:

- Couple Checkup and PREPARE/ENRICH: www.couplecheckup.com - David and Claudia Arp and the 10 Great Dates: www.marriagealive.com - Take the Checkup Campaign: www.takethecheckup.com - Strong Marriages Florida: www.strongmarriagesfl orida.org - Mentorfuse, Web-Based Mentor Management Solution: www.mentorfuse.com - “Love is Here,” the engine of the local and national marriage movement: www.loveishere.com - WinShape Marriage: www.winshape.org - First Things First: www.fi rstthings.org

Sponsors:

Marriage Alive

Couple Checkup™

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A Communit y based M arr iage Enr ichment Campaign 2010

Couple Checkup and Date Nights - PREPARE/ENRICH · 2017. 3. 3. · Strong Marriages Florida Team -...

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