Friends of the Family,

With Valentine’s Day less than two weeks away, I hope most of you men have made your dinner reservations and at least thought of the gift you plan to give to your spouse. Although we usually think of Valentine’s Day as a time for expressing love to our “sweetheart,” it’s really about marriage. The historical Saint Valentine was martyred for conducting Christian marriages of Roman soldiers at the time that the Emperor Claudius forbade the military to marry.

As in years past, National Marriage Week USA begins next week to coincide with Valentine’s Day. The goals of National Marriage Week are: 1) mobilize thousands of marriage classes, home groups and events across the nation; and 2) promote the benefits of marriage through the media and public policy makers in local communities.

My home church, Trinity Evangelical in North Reading, is doing their part by hosting “The Art of Marriage” the weekend before Valentine’s Day. I am personally participating in this seminar, and it is a fantastic program to help couples fully experience God’s plan for marriage. CLICK HERE to watch some video testimonials from actual couples who have attended the program.

We encourage you to either attend “The Art of Marriage” in North Reading, or better yet, plan your own couple’s seminar in your community or at your church. While MFI has found “The Art of Marriage” to be one of the best, there are a number of excellent marriage enrichment programs out there to choose from.

Additionally, National Marriage Week USA has a free tool kit to help you spread the positive message about the benefits of marriage and publicize your own event. The took kit includes suggested curricula, logos, sample press releases, proclamations for mayors/governors to release, newspaper ads, research, marriage tips and much, much more. CLICK HERE to download the tool kit.

Massachusetts Family Institute has always been committed to marriage. Opposition to the redefinition of marriage is only one piece of our mission. If we don’t work together to strengthen and encourage natural marriage, the battle for the definition of marriage will be significantly eroded. Too many marriages are still ending in divorce, and marriage rates continue to be historically low. While National Marriage Week USA only runs February 7 through 14, that is by no means the only time you can help couples improve their marriages.

Thank you for your ongoing support of MFI and our marriage work. Please CLICK HERE to donate and help us continue to promote and strengthen marriage.

For our families,