The Italian Union’s Department of Family Ministries presents the first Italian research on the use of Prepare/Enrich© assessment for premarital education in a denominational context.
The research study is done by the director of the department, Roberto Iannò, a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) candidate specializing in Family Ministry at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
The research title is: Premarital Preparation: A Comprehensive Approach for Seventh-day Adventist Pastors in the Italian Union.
The purpose of this research is to assist pastors, employed by the Seventh-day Adventist Italian Union, to make those needed changes in their work as certified Prepare/Enrich facilitators. The goal is to encourage changes that will positively impact their own efforts in working with couples in their preparation for marriage.
Several people will collaborate in this research study: pastors, administrators, practitioner certified Prepare/Enrich© facilitators, couples who have benefitted from the Prepare/Enrich© program.
GC Session 2022
When this project started, four years ago, in 2018, nobody would have imagined that, some years later, the 2022 General Conference in St. Louis would have voted to add a paragraph to the Church Manual to emphasize the importance of this valuable ministry of premarital education/counseling.
On June 9, delegates at the World Assembly 2022 voted to add the Premarital Education/Counseling section to the Church Manual, to better prepare couples who are planning to marry and reduce potential divorce rates. Approved with 93.3 percent of the votes, this section will be included in Chapter 13 of the Church Manual, entitled Marriage, Divorce and Second Marriages, after the engagement section.
More about the Prepare/Enrich Program
The Prepare/Enrich program is a resource to help couples establish stronger relationships and get to know each other like never before, with the goal of: a) truly understanding their spouse and themselves; b) making difficult conversations easier; c) resolving conflicts; and d) bringing couples closer together.
The Prepare/Enrich program is a proven tool, scientifically developed to help couples stimulate honest, open dialogue about some of the hardest-to-discuss subjects. Using our assessment tools, you’ll find it easier to understand your partner and create a deeper, healthier relationship.
The program begins, first of all, by taking the Prepare/Enrich online assessment to identify the couple’s current strengths and growth areas in their relationship. Then, the couple meets with a trained facilitator who provides feedback to help understand their results as well as teach important relationship skills. From beginning to end, the program is designed to be comfortable, relaxed, and even fun.
Marriage is one of the most important and satisfying relationships one will ever have. And like any quality relationship, to get a lot out of it, you have to put a lot into it. A successful marriage takes an investment of time, effort, and a commitment to your partner and the relationship.
The Inter-European Division’s support
“The EUD administration and the EUD Family Ministries [teams] supported these studies and are grateful for Roberto Iannò’s work on the subject. Pastor Iannò made an incredible tool accessible to couples in Italy,” commented Rainer Wanitschek, EUD Family Ministries director.
“More than 4,000,000 couples have prepared for marriage or enriched their relationship through taking the Prepare/Enrich assessment and working with a Certified Facilitator worldwide. The assessment itself has been proven to improve relationship satisfaction; however, there is something extraordinary about the relationship a facilitator develops with a couple that truly helps the couple grow more than they would on their own," continued Wanitschek.
“Preparing couples for marriage is important, so important that it has been found to reduce the rate of divorce by 30%. Premarital counseling, coaching, and education are investments in your couples’ futures, investments you shouldn’t risk passing up. Overall, Prepare/Enrich is an excellent tool with substantial evidence supporting its reliability and validity of its scores and their uses. It can be used effectively to improve couple relationships. Thank you, Roberto (Iannò), for your studies, energy and engagement [towards] improving couples’ relationships in Italy,” concluded Wanitschek.
To know more about the project, click here.
