5 Ways SmartLoving can Support a Pastoral Strategy
High Impact Resources | Catholic | Easy to Implement
Inspired by the Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, “Called to the Joy of Love” - is a National Pastoral Framework for Marriage and Family Life Ministry from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to guide us on how we minister in this area. Here are five ways the SmartLoving apostolate can partner with your diocese to craft and execute a pastoral strategy with ease.
Our online courses are high-quality, Catholic formation solutions that serve tens of thousands of participants globally providing:
- Marriage Preparation with Sponsor Couple Accompaniment
- Formation for Newlywed Couples
- Education in Fertility Awareness Methods
- Marriage Enrichment
- Support for Spouses in Troubled Marriages
1: Marriage Preparation with Sponsor Couple Accompaniment
We Suggest:
The SmartLoving Sponsor online course is the companion course to SmartLoving Engaged and is available free for any married couple sponsoring an engaged couple. Parish Sponsors do not need prior training, as the online courses are designed to be self-facilitated. The SmartLoving Sponsor system provides a parish leadership funnel drawing married couples in with an invitation to accompany the engaged in their Marriage Catechumenate journey, enriching the Sponsors at the same time. With flexible options, the SmartLoving Sponsor system allows parishes and dioceses to scale their marriage preparation investment according to their resources.
The SmartLoving Engaged curriculum (Imprimatur granted) can also be purchased for use in a group experience or with in-person mentoring.
2: Formation for Newlywed Couples
We Suggest:
To educate newly married couples with formation we have an email program for the first year of Marriage. SmartLoving Newlywed helps Newlyweds set up a regular habit of couple time and establish simple, lifestyle habits that will nourish their intimacy and protect their relationship from decay. Every second week an email exploring a topic and detailing an activity for them to do as a couple will land in their inbox. This includes individual reflection questions, instructions for sharing together and something to do during the week, helping them grow deeper in faith and in love.
3: Education in Fertility Awareness Methods
We Suggest:
SmartLoving Fertility provides trustworthy instruction for couples preparing for, or living, Catholic Marriage. Based on the Sympto-Thermal method, it incorporates a unique blend of scientific insights with relationship frameworks and Catholic Theology to foster intimacy and help couples flourish. It is included free in the SmartLoving Engaged Course, or can be purchased separately. Individual video-coaching by a qualified educator is available or refer couples to local providers for additional support.
4: Marriage Enrichment
We Suggest:
SmartLoving Marriage Kit teaches couples how to communicate and resolve conflict whilst giving practical tools like “Daily Appreciation” rituals. Designed for a secular audience, yet consistent with Catholic teaching, the course is well suited for couples in mixed-faith or low-faith marriages as well as for practicing Catholic couples. Available as an online course, it is available any time from the convenience and safety of home. A Leaders Pack is available for those who want to host a group experience.
5: Support for Spouses in Troubled Marriages
We Suggest:
Catholics in troubled marriages are often reluctant to draw parish attention to their situation so having information readily available on parish and diocesan websites is a practical way to provide support.
SmartLoving BreakThrough is a online course for spouses in distressed marriages. It is designed for individual spouses and does not contain couple activities, making it an excellent option for those with a spouse who is unwilling to participate in couple’s counselling.
A Leaders Resource is available for those who wish to facilitate a group experience, or who wish to integrate the online course with their couples/spouses in counselling.