If you are thinking about getting engaged - congratulations! This is an exciting stage of your lives. We want it to be a positive and rewarding experience for you. As a church we are committed to assisting you in discovering more of God's exciting plan for your lives.
No wise person would commit himself to living in a strange land without knowing something about what to expect and the difficulties he would inevitably face. No one commits himself to building a house without checking he has the resources to complete it. Yet loads of young men and women take these same unbelievable risks when it comes to engagement and marriage.
It is essential you prepare thoroughly for marriage, beware - it is easy to fall into the trap of investing lots of time and energy into the 'big day' but neglect getting ready for the rest of your lives together.
What to do next – we would look for you guys to take the lead in the following:
1. Contact your Zone Leader for a copy of 'Should we get married? - five pre-engagement questions to ask yourselves.'
2. Meet with an elder to review the above and discuss your plans.
3. Meet your prospective Father-in-law to ask his blessing for your plans to marry.
4. Propose!
5. If she says Yes! - Announce your engagement!
6. Arrange and complete marriage preparation with another couple. Please allow at least 6 months before your wedding day for this preparation time. We will link you with a carefully chosen couple who will meet with you on a few occasions to steer you through some very helpful and practical preparation material. (See marriage Preparation Section for more detail).
7. Obtain a copy of ‘Planning your Wedding’ from the church office. This contains lots of helpful practical advice, especially if you want to marry in the Clarendon Centre.
The Bottom Line
Couples wanting to marry at Church of Christ the King are asked to meet the following criteria:
1. The parents or guardians of both parties are aware of the marriage.
2. Each person is a believer in Christ and that belief is reflected in their lifestyles.
3. The couple have known each other for an appropriate length of time.
4. If either have been married before, the previous marriage has been ended because of the following:
a. Adultery on the part of the ex-spouse (Matt 5:32)
b. The previous marriage and divorce occurred before they came to Christ.
c. The death of a spouse.
As an expression of our love, support and spiritual oversight, we would want one of our Elders to marry you. This assumes that the pre-marriage preparation is completed satisfactorily.
“Let marriage be held in honour among all” Hebrews 13: 4
