5C Marriage Reflection Exercise
From Leaderpedia
by Ben Stoffel
Instructions
Do the Reflection: You and your spouse should each complete this reflection exercise separately. Before starting the reflection, spend some time in worship, prayer and meditation on the Word. When completed, come together with your spouse and spend time in prayer and worship together before sharing your results with one another.
Share with Spouse: After praying together, go over each response and compare and contrast the similarities and differences. It is important that each person remains open and transparent during the time of sharing. Though it may be tempting to argue or defend certain points, just listen to one another and share truthfully out of genuine love for one another.
Share with Marriage Mentor: After sharing with your spouse and hearing from your spouse, go back over both sets of responses. Combine all results onto one document. Show this combined document to your Marriage Mentors at your next meeting. Go through each response with your marriage mentors and share how you came to your collaborative responses.
Set Goals: While with your marriage mentors, focus on the improvement section of this reflection exercise. Together, set an improvement goal for each of the 5C’s. Select which area (5C) you consider to be the most important one to focus on right now (can be more than one).
Commit to Action: Before leaving the meeting with your marriage mentors, commit to a specific action plan that they can hold you and your spouse accountable to. Pray together and commit this new plan and goal to the Lord.
The Reflection
What are currently the most healthy or exemplary components of your marriage in each of the 5C’s?
- Christ
- Community
- Character
- Calling
- Competencies
What has been your experience with marriage building/enrichment materials? Have you been through seminars or books on marriage? List all you can think of:
What is the biggest thing you have learned through being married?
How has your marriage impacted your relationship with God?
Describe your relationship to your spouse’s family?
Describe your spouse’s relationship with your side of the family.
How is your marriage impacted by your character? (positive or negative)
How is your marriage impacted by the character of your spouse? (positive or negative)
How would you describe the purpose of your marriage? What has God called you to do or accomplish as a marriage unit. (be as specific as possible)
What skills do you consider to be the most important for building a healthy marriage?
Read back through your list of skills and rate yourself by how well you display the skill mentioned. (1 is lowest level, 10 is highest level)
Also rate your spouse by how well they display the skill mentioned. (1 is lowest level, 10 is highest level)
What would you like to improve or strengthen in your marriage in each of the 5C’s?
- Christ
- Community
- Character
- Calling
- Competencies
