Preparing Couples to Marry in the Catholic Church
Group Experience
Easy to run: Teach out of the Box (TOOB)
High quality, multi-media resources
Integration of human and spiritual formation
Relatable language (Theology of the Body informed)
Imprimatur on core content
Certificate generator with automated feedback for Celebrant & leaders
Looking to host a group program where you can interact directly with engaged couples as they are encountering the material?
The SmartLoving Engaged Group Experience (SLE GX) is an adaptation of the SmartLoving Engaged On-Demand (SLE OD) course for use in a group setting. It is also suitable for use in couple-to-couple mentoring.
The SLE GX format is designed to be led by a capable leader either in a physical setting such as a community hall or private home (in-person mode), or via a video-conference facility such as Zoom, Goto Webinar or MS Teams etc (webinar mode).
In both modes, following introductory remarks and prayer, the core content is provided via plug-and-play videos (one for each lesson). Title pages in the video indicate when the video should be paused for participants to complete an activity in the SmartLoving Engaged Workbook.
NOTE: Most parishes and dioceses use the SmartLoving Engaged On-Demand (SLE OD) course with the option for couples to choose, or be paired with, a local married (Sponsor) couple to accompany them via the Sponsor course. This allows the preparation experience to be paced to the couple’s needs, delivering a more flexible experience. For information on this format, visit SLE OD Leaders Info
SmartLoving Engaged GX consists of 9 Lessons of approximately 1.5 hours/lesson (~14 hours in total), plus homework activities and optional extension topics. Each lesson has several units comprised of video input and a series of activities which may include:
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Sharing reactions to the teachings presented
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Individual Reflection (survey/inventory, reflection questions, step by step process)
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Couple sharing/discussion
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Connection Rituals and Relationship Tools to practice in session and at home
Participant resources
(2-year access)
Lesson videos (streaming only) + Summaries (key concepts, tools, homework reminders).
Extension activities and exclusive member articles for use in between meetings or after the course.
Lesson Quizzes (80% pass mark) to consolidate learning and unlock the next lesson.
End of Course questionnaire which auto-generates a completion certificate and report for the celebrant/supervising priest.
- Access to SL Fertility course to learn Fertility Awareness (Sympto-Thermal Method).
- Access to SL Wedding Ceremony to prepare their wedding liturgy.
- Enrolment in SL Newlywed to support them during the first 2 years of marriage.
Leader resources
Everything in the Participant package plus:
- Leader Guide (PDF) – the most up to date version in PDF to download and print.
- Access to videos to download as mp4 files for offline playback.
- Access to SLE GX participant package order form.
- Link to SLE workbook PDF (for personal use, not for reproduction for participants)
- Additional tips and reminders within each lesson (not visible to participants).
- What’s App leader community to network with other SL leaders globally.
- Training video (coming soon).
- Practical tips and FAQs for Leaders
- Access to SL Sponsor (on-demand) course to review the SLE OD format.
Course Overview
Sessions Schedule
Each lesson (9) takes approx. 1.5 hours to complete including video play time, participant activities and couple discussion. (Lesson 3 is the exception @ 1:50). Allow extra time for hospitality.
We recommend a session interval between one week and one month, depending on how many sessions you plan to have.
9 Sessions
~1.5 hrs each
1 week apart (2 months total) or 2 weeks apart (~4 months total).
*Best for webinar mode or individual mentoring.
5 Sessions
~4 hrs each
1 week apart (5 weeks total) up to 1 month apart (~4 months total).
Combine lessons as follows:
1+2 | 3 | 4+5 | 6+7 | 8+9.
*Best for in-person mode as there are fewer dates.
3 Sessions
~7 hrs each
1 week apart (3 weeks total) up to 1 month apart (~2 months total).
Combine lessons as follows:
1+2+3 | 4+5+6 | 7 8+9.
*Useful for intensive team preparation. (We do NOT recommend intensive formats for Engaged couples).
Imprimatur
SmartLoving Engaged has been reviewed by the appropriate ecclesial authorities.
Nihil Obstat: Most Rev. Michael Kennedy, Bishop of Armidale
Imprimatur: +Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney
June 13, 2019
View the Imprimatur: here
View the documentation of edits made to the existing print materials: here
Testimonial
"We finished delivering the first SmartLoving Engaged Live course in NZ last month and loved it. We were 3 weeks into it when the lockdown started and eventually arranged to finish the second half via Zoom.
The quality of the Smart Loving course is outstanding and in particular meets our needs to provide something for new facilitator couples to use. It is not an exaggeration to say we were both 'blown away" by what you have developed and the video talks are brilliant.
We can't fault it at all. The written material-both the Mentor Books and Couple Workbooks are clear and easy to follow. Our marriage ministry priest was apparently very impressed when shown the workbooks by a couple he is marrying.
We haven't seen the couple evaluations but hear they are glowing. We thought the COVID interruption would may be have negatively affected the couple reviews but it appears not. It is hard to put into words how impressed we are by what you have created and can only say God Bless You."
Become a SmartLoving Engaged Group Leader
You're busy and we want to make this as easy as possible for you to get great results. Here's a suggested game plan to get started.
You don’t want any surprises so the team should first experience the course, doing the activities and using the opportunity to nurture your marriages BEFORE you start planning your outreach course.
Each leader will need a SLE print workbook and access to the SLE GX + Leader course (couple leaders can share an account).
Get together and get practical as you plan how to implement your vision.
Embed the whole process in prayer and consider: scheduling, budget, registration, venue, and materials (workbooks, pens, hospitality etc).
Create a promotion plan with enrolment targets. Craft your message and create bulletin adverts, flyers, posters, social media posts etc., and contact neighbouring parishes.
Find promotional copy and artwork in the SLE GX + Leader Course (Lesson 0 Admin)
Three weeks before: Order SLE GX Participant Packages (Workbooks + Learning Centre Access)
Plan your first session using the step-by-step SLE GX Leader Guide. Allocate roles (presenter, sponsor/mentor, hospitality, etc).
Just before your first session, enroll your engaged couples in the online SLE GX Learning Centre. (link available in the Leader Guide).
A Message for Users of the SmartLoving Engaged Live format
Unlike the original format of SL Engaged (6 sessions, 2007/2015), SLE GX harmonizes the course content across all formats allowing us to update the content uniformly and minimize printing costs. This ultimately provides a superior experience for participants and makes it easier and more affordable for you as a leader to provide marriage formation tailored to your community needs.
If you already have a SLE Mentor Guide, you are welcome to continue using the Live format, but please be aware that we have limited stock of the Participant Workbooks.
On the other hand, if you are ready to transition to the SLE GX format, we'll waive the fee for Leader registration for you and all your team. Reach out if you need details info@marriagerc.org