Teaching Intimate Encounters Classes

Suggestions for Teaching Classes

• Why teach a “Marriage Intimacy” class for 8+ sessions?
  
  
  • Increases credibility for you and the “intimacy” content.
    
  • Surfaces hurting couples who need help and are willing to get help.
    
  • Surfaces additional leadership.
    
• Consider on-going classes, special “elective” classes, or retreats/camps
  
• Make sure our teaching is:
  
  
  • Interactive: Students are actively thinking, writing, reflecting, meditating, talking to God or each other, doing something, etc. Not just “sitting passively.”

Example:Discussing the meaning of the word “confess.” Talking with a fellow student about what genuine confession should include. Writing out a genuine confession to God.

• Experiential:Students are specifically doing something in which they are  experiencing a biblical truth.

Example: Actually verbally expressing a confession to God and receiving His forgiveness (I John 1:9) Expressing a confession to another person (James 5:16)

Example:Confession to God and/or each other (I John 1:9; James 5:16)

• Basics for teaching classes: Intimate Life Ministries Handbook, pages 102-105
  
• What if we can’t schedule 16 sessions? (See “Scheduling Options”  )

How do we start?

• Get the Intimate Encounters Teaching Curriculum (Supplementary material: The Pursuit of Intimacy Book; Intimate Encounters video or audio sets.)
  
• Identify another person or couple to teach a lesson (or more) with you.
• Get on the church calendar.
  
• Plan publicity for the class, including personal testimonies of those who have benefitted.
  
• Develop your follow-up plan: Another class? If so, advertise to the immediately surrounding community? Small groups? If so, who is trained and read to lead them? Will people be able to indicate interest in them before the class ends?