Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Project Portfolio
Degree Name
Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives (DLd)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Aaron Friesen
Second Advisor
Holley Clough
Third Advisor
Jason Swan Clark
Abstract
Numerous couples in our local church struggle to maintain their marital commitment and longing helps to overcome marriage hurdles. Regrettably, the denominations in our context, have not developed a coherent plan or roadmap for empowering and enriching married couples. While serving as a pastor, I witnessed countless couples in many congregations dealing with marital troubles in solitude without the required support from the church. I started developing a curriculum to satisfy this requirement in response to this circumstance. This project seeks to strengthen marital commitment, increase intimacy, and promote harmonious and loving relationships by applying biblical principles. A Marriage Enrichment Retreat Curriculum was developed to accomplish this. The program is designed as a three-day, two-night retreat in a welcoming environment, with programs that incorporate theological, spiritual, psychological, and mental health views, achieving cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects of human beings. The interactive activities in which participants will participate include reflective discussions, exercises in expressing affection, thoughts on the obligations of husband and wife, and spiritual moments such as foot washing and marital vow renewal. This initial focuses on married couples from our local church who have been married for five years. This project intends to expand to the denominational and interdenominational levels. The program, expected to be a sustainable model, will be implemented twice a year to ensure its long-term impact. This project's research has demonstrated that a spiritual leader's presence, attentiveness, and compassion significantly impact supporting couples in marital struggles. As a result, this retreat curriculum is expected to build a church culture that prioritizes the well-being of its congregation through the renewal and strengthening of marital relationships.
Recommended Citation
Utomo, Dinka Nehemia, "Project Portfolio: Strengthening Marital Bonding in Indonesian Christian Spouses Through a Contextually Designed Marriage Enrichment Retreat Curriculum" (2025). Doctor of Leadership. 35.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dld/35