“We really enjoyed [our time]! [This course gave us] more tools in our toolkit for conflict resolution, reminded us why we love each other and how to value our unique qualities as individuals. We both feel that we have come out of this a stronger couple than when we started. [It] really showed us that we are with the right partner. We felt very aligned in so many areas and it was a great feeling; something that we may have not otherwise appreciated. Thank you so much, we are very grateful … so happy we did this!”
“We now have a toolkit we can always look [back on] and try new things!”
“We were part of the FamilyLife marriage prep course last fall and we were so blessed by it. Since then, we have gotten engaged and now married. We’re having a great start to our marriage thanks to the tools and teaching that was passed down to us. Thank you so much for the blessings!”
"You both made the course very real and it was so nice to hear things that you both have overcome. The best thing about the course was the energy you both brought to it. We genuinely loved coming to class and we always left feeling like we got something out of each session! The course reinforced a lot of things for us that we were doing right and taught us a few things we can grow in as well. We really enjoyed this course an we are so thankful for both of you!"
"I love the added value this course brings to our couples at Hope City. They deal with real life issues and help couples start their marriages with the right tools… Marriage is a commitment for life and Braden and Kristen show us how that commitment can be both fun, rewarding and lasting. I'm grateful we have this as an ongoing ministry for our church!”
“[The course] made us take our future marriage more seriously and get on the same page. [What really stood out from the course was the concept of] financial infidelity, we had never heard that term before. It made us look at how we tackle money together and have since been more united as a team. We feel more connected and aware of each other. We appreciate your time and work in making this a success! We would recommend this course to our friends & family!”
“We really enjoyed the course! We learnt a lot and got to know each other better… to be more patient and open with each other and it improved our communication. We will always have it at the back of our minds that we are on the same team no matter what. Thank you for all the transferred knowledge and experience shared!”
"Thank you Kristen & Braden for the amazing marriage sessions. We both learned a lot and are looking forward to putting the tools into practice. You both have such welcoming smiles and personalities, thank you for your kindness. We think your course is ESSENTIAL for every couple, we will be recommending it to everyone!"
“[The session that impacted us the most was] how to keep good communication and keep our marriage fun! [What really stood out from the course was] hearing different perspectives and learning about how different people navigate their marriage. [The course] kept us accountable — to sit down in a quiet space and be able to learn a lesson and connect. Also helped us learn what we as individuals value most in a relationship so that we can better discuss our values.”
“The marriage prep course opened up conversations that we may not have had if not prompted, which could have become a real issue after getting married had we not talked and heard each other’s thoughts and experiences! There were many practical exercises to work through that we know will be helpful moving forward. Thank you so much Kristen and Braden for your openness on challenging personal topics!”
“First Alliance Church (FAC) utilizes the Starting Marriage Strong (SMS) online course to supplement our own in-house Marriage Prep program, allowing us to offer a course more often, while giving couples an option of attending digitally through FamilyLife Canada or in-person at FAC. Feedback from couples about their experience has been very positive.”
"What really stood out to us from the course is having both male and female perspectives from Braden and Kristen. And also hearing insights from the different stages of couples for the "hot seat" section at the end of each session. This course helped us build a strong foundation and gave us lots of knowledge and insight into marriage and how we can get better. Coming into this course we would say we were a 2 regarding "marital preparedness", now we would say we are a 9! Kristen and Braden are both phenomenal and we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from you!"
Got married June 2022 after taking Starting Marriage Strong.
“This course helped improve our communication and bring us closer together and to better understand each other. What we liked best about the course is how a lot of the things were relatable and easily apply to our relationship. We loved every week and are sad it’s [ending].”
"The course gave us a framework to have intentional, deep conversations and that our struggles are common to many other couples. It helped us realize that challenges are opportunities for growth. Kristen and Braden were very entertaining and made us feel like we could talk about challenges more openly and overcome them."
“The class is great! [The facilitators] continue to raise questions we didn’t even think about as an engaged couple… it is so nice to have the time to talk about those things.”
“[The course] re-emphasized the importance of honesty and openness. [Helped us] celebrate our differences versus being irritated by them. We [learned we] are a team that comes from two different families, and we get to chart our own course while respecting family values brought into our marriage.”
“We liked how you brought up scenarios and brought up real-life examples from your own relationship, as it helped us to learn more about our relationship and how we work together. The conflict section really impacted us both, especially when it came to in-law conflict — to both understand each other better and the ways we handle conflict. It gave us strategies on how to love each other well. [The facilitators were] amazing and we always looked forward to our session every week! We honestly loved all the topics. Thank you so much for everything; we really enjoyed the course! ”
“It was a lovely way to spend two hours together every Sunday and talk about and improve our relationship. [The course] was informative and entertaining.”
“[What really stood out to us was] how important God is to our relationship and how our differences are okay and normal! [The presenters] gave us tools to work through things and helped us to see things from a different level.”
“It really cemented our confidence in compatibility. When we started this course, I (Sara) was very confident in marriage, but Michael was much more cautious and wanted more information. My mentor sent this course to me and it has been very beneficial and just yesterday we were picking out rings, at his suggestion I might add. Thank you for all the resources and support and information. We really enjoyed this program, it was effective and informative!”
“Helped us to grow closer together and to actually talk through some things that we hadn’t taken the time to previously.”
“Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, and creating a comfortable and open environment to have challenging and thoughtful conversation!”
“The course helped us feel much more connected to each other – to have deeper conversations.”
“Thank you so much for the amazing course and helping strengthen our relationship with each other! We have found a stronger bond from doing this course together, being more open about thoughts, and found better and healthier ways to deal with conflict and work out arguments. Thank you for creating and teaching this course so well, we … are creating more intentional time to spend with each other!”
Got engaged during the Marriage Prep Course.
Got married 2 months later.
“The course was well rounded, it opened previously unseen pathways of communication and insight into why we are the way we are and prepared us for the future!”
“[We] feel closer and it’s built more trust [between us]. This course made our relationship real and has given firmer ground. Much appreciated and good value for the dollar!”
"This course made us feel more equipped and gives clarity in different situations that we haven’t encountered yet. What really stood out to us is how communication plays a vital role in relationships, no matter what season you’re in. It was great to sit down and realistically talk about our expectations and what we want to bring into our marriage. We feel WAY more prepared for marriage after taking this course!"
“I liked that we could take it remotely in our different locations, and that it was led from a Christian perspective with great hosts!”
“It has been a pretty awesome course — awesome hosts, great material, thought-provoking questions, engaging, practical, best use of Zoom — definitely has opened [our] eyes to many things that have been taken for granted.”
“[Loved the variety] of couples that would come and share!”
"This course showed us that having a great marriage requires intentionality! 'Starting Marriage Strong' helped us to get closer and identify areas we need to improve on"
“The ‘Starting Marriage Strong’ course really enriched our relationship and made us feel more prepared for marriage. It was nice to have something to look forward to each week!”
“Provides an intentional environment to talk things out distraction free. You are taught in real time with lessons learned and real life experience. It’s worth so much!”
“Through the sessions, we have been enjoying being able to reconnect and reflect on our relationship at a deeper level.”
“This course provided us both with resources and knowledge of what to expect in marriage and how to deal with it. [It helped us] understand that marriage isn’t always going to be easy and having a good marriage is a choice!”
“This course gave us room to talk about tough topics in a safe space. The insight that stood out to us is that conflict is normal, but can absolutely be resolved and make us stronger!”
“Thanks for being amazing facilitators and welcoming us into your lives for the last 8 weeks. We appreciate the dynamic online environment you two provided and loved the mixture of videos, one-on-one discussion, your messages, and the hot seat couples. Amazing course!”
“The strategies and viewpoints discussed were very helpful to us in planning how to move forward and navigate any future challenges we may face. [Loved the] conversations that we were able to have together. We really appreciated the ways in which our facilitators were open and honest about their triumphs and struggles as a couple. This took a lot of bravery and we are thankful they chose to share.”
“We loved it all – Braden and Kristen’s real life examples and advice, Drs Les and Leslie Parrott’s videos and the hot seat couples…. We really appreciated that the classes were broken down into themes and the different conversation prompts each week. We feel like we have useful tools to continue growing in our relationship – things that will benefit us as we pursue marriage in the future! Thank you so much! We are really glad we were able to do this course!”
“We just wanted to tell you how thankful and blessed we are that you and Braden have given your time to guide us on our journey. We found this series to be very helpful, and we are so grateful that you and Braden shared so much about your lives and marriage so that we could learn!”
“This course has expanded our knowledge and understanding and excitement going into our married life; it has added to our foundation that we will build into throughout our life!”
“This course helped us argue less about trivial things and love each other more.”
“We really liked the vibe of the course. [The facilitators] communicated with us and each other really well.”
“[The course] opened up communication between us about insightful topics. Great leaders! They reminded us that we are on the same team.Thank you — we really appreciate your enthusiasm and passion in helping us grow as a couple!”
“Each session impacted us! There were numerous items that we both related too and discussed more in depth. We felt like there were memorable moments each week! Your honesty and openness about each topic allowed us to relate and made us feel very comfortable undertaking this course!”