Marriage is not purely a human construct as God Himself is the author of marriage.
Just how far have we drifted from the idea of marriage as God intended it to be? Is your everyday behaviour slowly but surely draining the passion and life of your marriage?
Learn how your past experiences and hurts from your family of origin can affect your relationship with your spouse. Discover the history and philosophy of your marriage and leave your kids with a legacy of your marital love.
Even happily married couples get depressed, fight, lose jobs, struggle with financial difficulties, go through crises, deal with sexual and other addiction problems. CEP will introduce the Choice Theory which advocates that “the only person whose behaviour we can control is our own”. Find out how to focus on improving your marriage instead of trying to change your spouse. Learn the “nine psychological tasks” that a couple must undertake in order to develop a positive and intimate marital relationship. Learn how to achieve work-life harmony in traditional and companionate marriages.
Husbands and wives need to know how they differ in their basic needs and work at building a greater harmonisation through acceptance and a change of their own behaviour. Understand how the different attributes of male and female sexuality relate to our respective roles as husband and wife. What you need to know about your spouse and his/her needs in order to build an emotionally intelligent marriage.
Understand how conjugal love differs from other types of human love (e.g. love between parent-child, friends) in that it is unique and exclusive, and it involves total self giving. Marriage is a life-long relationship of mutual self-giving.
Learn the importance of building intimacy as a couple in everyday living; marital intimacy is not confined to isolated experiences of romanticism during occasional dates or holidays. It is the sharing of “the deep me” with “the deep you” in the daily lives of a couple. Marital love grows as the Husband and Wife move from the “I” to the “We”; slowing down for the other and learning to make decisions based on what's best for “us”; instead of what's best for “me”. The spouses progress to the “I Thou” relationship when they start to live for the other. God is the Third Partner who helps the husband and wife to direct/channel their eros love into life giving agape love.
Learn how to be supportive in a proactive and positive way and to show appreciation to your spouse in ways that build the confidence and self- esteem of the other.
Learn how to communicate about the most sensitive and difficult issues of your relationship without feeling angry or threatened. Learn the rules of active listening and how it can fulfil one of the most important needs of your spouse … the need for power.
The first psychological task of becoming a couple is to separate emotionally from one’s family of origin. Understand the emotional needs of your spouse arising from his/her family of origin history and learn how to be supportive of your spouse as he/she becomes psychologically independent.
CEP will share practical tips on how the husband and wife can re build ties with in-laws as a couple. What can we learn from the elderly and how this is key to building a network of love in which our children are nurtured into good Christians.
Sometimes described as the “key performance indicator” of a marriage, God has created sex to be unitive and procreative. This precious gift develops a deep personal intimacy between husband and wife and is inherently life-giving and sacred. Unfortunately, sex has been abused, trivialised and desecrated by the values and practices in modern society.
The inspirational teachings of Pope St. John Paul II's ‘Theology of the Body’ proclaims the good news of marital sex. Learn to experience the fullness of your sexuality as you discover what it means to give yourself totally in spirit, mind and body to your spouse.
We will also share practical tips on how to deepen the experience of the marital act through tenderness and responsiveness. Recognise the challenges to your sexual health and relationship, how to cope with the demands of family and how to safeguard your marriage from pornography, masturbation and extra- marital affairs.
The focus of this session is not about how often we go to Church or worship God together but about the deeper dimension of mutual self-giving in Christian marriages. God has made it possible for Christian husbands and wives to love one another with a redemptive, sanctifying love. Christian marriages afford spouses the means of becoming holy and of sanctification.
Learn the concept of “Integrated Marital Spirituality” where couples face the complexities and difficulties of life while developing the capacity to be sensitive to the voice of God and to surrender to His will when the invitation comes to them. Why is the Christian marriage known as a Pasch? Can one survive major crises (e.g. illness, job losses, death) in marriages? Learn about the importance of the sacraments and how these help couples to build a Christ centred marriage that will withstand the storms of life. The husband and wife have their separate and distinct roles in a family. Learn about the role of the wife as an ‘ezer” or helpmate.
Come and explore the leadership role of the husband which requires the husband to walk closely with the Lord, and to have to be willing to respect and to share power with his spouse. Learn the important life skill of “allowing your spouse to influence you”.
“Why should I stay if I am unhappy?” How can you ensure that your marriage will endure crises and emerge even more vibrant and passionate? Come and hear moving testimonies of how couples encountered Christ in their marriage and how Divine Love pours graces and healing into human love.
Today, the thought of having a child is “frightening” for many ... it is like taking a walk into the great unknown... undertaking risks and responsibilities that our minds are unable to handle.
Yet, by your wedding promise to accept children lovingly from God, you said YES to the awesome task of co-operating with God in the creation of human life, a task that calls for great faith, courage and generosity on your part. Experience children as a blessing and dare to be different in a world that is “fearful” of life. Learn about the challenges of Fatherhood and why Dads are important.
Learn about the primary role of the mother in a competitive society where there is an over-emphasis on studies and achievement. Understand the secret to unlocking the inherent goodness that is in your kids and how to keep materialism at bay.
Learn how to maintain a long-term vision as Christian parents as you embark on the very exciting adventure of parenthood; how to equip yourself to deal with young kids and the issues of their teenage years.
Marriage is not purely a human construct as God Himself is the author of marriage.
Just how far have we drifted from the idea of marriage as God intended it to be? Is your everyday behaviour slowly but surely draining the passion and life of your marriage?
Learn how your past experiences and hurts from your family of origin can affect your relationship with your spouse. Discover the history and philosophy of your marriage and leave your kids with a legacy of your marital love.
Even happily married couples get depressed, fight, lose jobs, struggle with financial difficulties, go through crises, deal with sexual and other addiction problems. CEP will introduce the Choice Theory which advocates that “the only person whose behaviour we can control is our own”. Find out how to focus on improving your marriage instead of trying to change your spouse. Learn the “nine psychological tasks” that a couple must undertake in order to develop a positive and intimate marital relationship. Learn how to achieve work-life harmony in traditional and companionate marriages.
Husbands and wives need to know how they differ in their basic needs and work at building a greater harmonisation through acceptance and a change of their own behaviour. Understand how the different attributes of male and female sexuality relate to our respective roles as husband and wife. What you need to know about your spouse and his/her needs in order to build an emotionally intelligent marriage.
Understand how conjugal love differs from other types of human love (e.g. love between parent-child, friends) in that it is unique and exclusive, and it involves total self giving. Marriage is a life-long relationship of mutual self-giving.
Learn the importance of building intimacy as a couple in everyday living; marital intimacy is not confined to isolated experiences of romanticism during occasional dates or holidays. It is the sharing of “the deep me” with “the deep you” in the daily lives of a couple. Marital love grows as the Husband and Wife move from the “I” to the “We”; slowing down for the other and learning to make decisions based on what's best for “us”; instead of what's best for “me”. The spouses progress to the “I Thou” relationship when they start to live for the other. God is the Third Partner who helps the husband and wife to direct/channel their eros love into life giving agape love.
Learn how to be supportive in a proactive and positive way and to show appreciation to your spouse in ways that build the confidence and self- esteem of the other.
Learn how to communicate about the most sensitive and difficult issues of your relationship without feeling angry or threatened. Learn the rules of active listening and how it can fulfil one of the most important needs of your spouse … the need for power.
The first psychological task of becoming a couple is to separate emotionally from one’s family of origin. Understand the emotional needs of your spouse arising from his/her family of origin history and learn how to be supportive of your spouse as he/she becomes psychologically independent.
CEP will share practical tips on how the husband and wife can re build ties with in-laws as a couple. What can we learn from the elderly and how this is key to building a network of love in which our children are nurtured into good Christians.
Sometimes described as the “key performance indicator” of a marriage, God has created sex to be unitive and procreative. This precious gift develops a deep personal intimacy between husband and wife and is inherently life-giving and sacred. Unfortunately, sex has been abused, trivialised and desecrated by the values and practices in modern society.
The inspirational teachings of Pope St. John Paul II's ‘Theology of the Body’ proclaims the good news of marital sex. Learn to experience the fullness of your sexuality as you discover what it means to give yourself totally in spirit, mind and body to your spouse.
We will also share practical tips on how to deepen the experience of the marital act through tenderness and responsiveness. Recognise the challenges to your sexual health and relationship, how to cope with the demands of family and how to safeguard your marriage from pornography, masturbation and extra- marital affairs.
The focus of this session is not about how often we go to Church or worship God together but about the deeper dimension of mutual self-giving in Christian marriages. God has made it possible for Christian husbands and wives to love one another with a redemptive, sanctifying love. Christian marriages afford spouses the means of becoming holy and of sanctification.
Learn the concept of “Integrated Marital Spirituality” where couples face the complexities and difficulties of life while developing the capacity to be sensitive to the voice of God and to surrender to His will when the invitation comes to them. Why is the Christian marriage known as a Pasch? Can one survive major crises (e.g. illness, job losses, death) in marriages? Learn about the importance of the sacraments and how these help couples to build a Christ centred marriage that will withstand the storms of life. The husband and wife have their separate and distinct roles in a family. Learn about the role of the wife as an ‘ezer” or helpmate.
Come and explore the leadership role of the husband which requires the husband to walk closely with the Lord, and to have to be willing to respect and to share power with his spouse. Learn the important life skill of “allowing your spouse to influence you”.
“Why should I stay if I am unhappy?” How can you ensure that your marriage will endure crises and emerge even more vibrant and passionate? Come and hear moving testimonies of how couples encountered Christ in their marriage and how Divine Love pours graces and healing into human love.
Today, the thought of having a child is “frightening” for many ... it is like taking a walk into the great unknown... undertaking risks and responsibilities that our minds are unable to handle.
Yet, by your wedding promise to accept children lovingly from God, you said YES to the awesome task of co-operating with God in the creation of human life, a task that calls for great faith, courage and generosity on your part. Experience children as a blessing and dare to be different in a world that is “fearful” of life. Learn about the challenges of Fatherhood and why Dads are important.
Learn about the primary role of the mother in a competitive society where there is an over-emphasis on studies and achievement. Understand the secret to unlocking the inherent goodness that is in your kids and how to keep materialism at bay.
Learn how to maintain a long-term vision as Christian parents as you embark on the very exciting adventure of parenthood; how to equip yourself to deal with young kids and the issues of their teenage years.
Frequently Asked Questions
CEP bases its sessions on church documents and encyclicals relating to marriage and family, such as Familiaris Consortio, Humanae Vitae, Redemptor Hominis. These teachings are brought down to earth with the help of testimonies from couples in our community about how they struggle through and overcome issues of modern day marriages, like work-life balance, in-laws and bringing up a Christian family.
CEP teaches life skills developed by modern day psychologists and psychiatrists (eg. John Gottman, William Glasser and Judith Wallerstein) to help couples work towards building an emotionally intelligent marriage.
1 Week-end Afternoon - Intro session
• 7 Friday evenings
• 1 Week-end (Sat & Sun) session
• Talks and Sharings by presenting couples, interspersed with time allocated for private couple discussions.
The final session will end with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the renewal of your marital vows.
No problem. Your spouse can attend and we will pass the handout to her/him for you. If both of you are not able to attend some of the sessions, you can always make up for them at the next CEP run at any of the parishes that we might go to.
The registration fee is S$300/- per couple for the Programme which lasts over 10 sessions to defray the costs of book, handouts, meals and refreshments and S$50/- per child, (if child minding services are required). However, we are more than glad to accept a love offering in cases of financial hardship.
You need not do so if you are really adverse to group sharing although this is only a very small part of the dynamics/process in CEP, usually only the last 30 minutes of some of the sessions.. However, do note that the groups are small and couples generally benefit from each other’s sharings. Share only what you are comfortable with sharing.
Of course. We have a dedicated team of child minders who can handle kids of all ages.
Yes! There will also be a baby’s room for couples with babies.
Yes. They can come along but we strongly recommend that they stay with the child minding couples to better allow you and spouse to benefit most from the sessions.
Sessions usually end around 10.30 pm.
Your spouse can attend first and you can join in later; as they say “Better late than never”.
Yes, packet dinners will be provided, usually rice with dishes. However, do inform us if you or your children have any dietary restrictions or allergies and we will try to accommodate.
Yes. Coffee and tea as well as water will be provided throughout the evening.
Frequently Asked Questions
CEP bases its sessions on church documents and encyclicals relating to marriage and family, such as Familiaris Consortio, Humanae Vitae, Redemptor Hominis. These teachings are brought down to earth with the help of testimonies from couples in our community about how they struggle through and overcome issues of modern day marriages, like work-life balance, in-laws and bringing up a Christian family.
CEP teaches life skills developed by modern day psychologists and psychiatrists (eg. John Gottman, William Glasser and Judith Wallerstein) to help couples work towards building an emotionally intelligent marriage.
1 Week-end Afternoon - Intro session
• 7 Friday evenings
• 1 Week-end (Sat & Sun) session
• Talks and Sharings by presenting couples, interspersed with time allocated for private couple discussions.
The final session will end with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the renewal of your marital vows.
No problem. Your spouse can attend and we will pass the handout to her/him for you. If both of you are not able to attend some of the sessions, you can always make up for them at the next CEP run at any of the parishes that we might go to.
The registration fee is S$300/- per couple for the Programme which lasts over 10 sessions to defray the costs of book, handouts, meals and refreshments and S$50/- per child, (if child minding services are required). However, we are more than glad to accept a love offering in cases of financial hardship.
You need not do so if you are really adverse to group sharing although this is only a very small part of the dynamics/process in CEP, usually only the last 30 minutes of some of the sessions.. However, do note that the groups are small and couples generally benefit from each other’s sharings. Share only what you are comfortable with sharing.
Of course. We have a dedicated team of child minders who can handle kids of all ages.
Yes! There will also be a baby’s room for couples with babies.
Yes. They can come along but we strongly recommend that they stay with the child minding couples to better allow you and spouse to benefit most from the sessions.
Sessions usually end around 10.30 pm.
Your spouse can attend first and you can join in later; as they say “Better late than never”.
Yes, packet dinners will be provided, usually rice with dishes. However, do inform us if you or your children have any dietary restrictions or allergies and we will try to accommodate.
Yes. Coffee and tea as well as water will be provided throughout the evening.
If you've attended our programme before, we invite you to be part of our vibrant CEP community, to grow and serve as a couple.
Couple Empowerment Programme is an Affiliate of Catholic Family Life.
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