What About the Met Church?

Photo from the Met Church's website. 
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/56b268caab48de758e6c50a3/t/56e99dcd4d088ec97ee94b06/1458367050074/music.jpg

Acts 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Recently several people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have asked about the teachings and practices of the “Met Church.” Such questions are important, and they deserve accurate answers. As Christians we must examine current religious teachings in the light of Scripture. By doing so we reaffirm God’s authority, learn and correct our own beliefs where needed, and speak the truth in love regarding error. We are accountable to God to stay in the Word and to challenge the church, our youth, and the religious community to do the same. 2 Tim 4:1-5

The best way to know for sure what other people think, believe, and teach is to have them speak for themselves. Without judging or questioning anyone’s heart or sincerity, we must look objectively at specific teachings and compare them to those of the Bible.

Thanks to the Internet these materials are often publicly accessible. Churches of various types publish doctrinal statements for the express purpose of making others aware of them. They want everyone to know where they stand, so that others can assess their teachings. It is important that we reference the primary sources, as we have done below, for the sake of accuracy. We must never prejudge anyone or treat anyone unfairly.

We must also remember that not every person who attends services at a particular church necessarily agrees with that group’s published beliefs. Many who attend may not even be aware of all the group’s beliefs. Be careful not to assume. Let each person speak for himself or herself.

If any leaders of the Met Church should find any inaccuracy in this post, please comment below so that this material can be corrected or clarified.

Read about the Met Church by following these links to the church’s doctrines and practices.

http://www.metchurch.com/

http://www.metchurch.com/the-met-story/

http://www.metchurch.com/what-we-believe/

http://www.metchurch.com/worship-services/

http://www.metchurch.com/staff-page/

Now let’s note various statements that are made on these web pages and then offer comments and Scriptures in italics.

OUR STORY
http://www.metchurch.com/the-met-story/

Bill Ramsey: “The Met began in my heart in 1987 when I felt God was calling me to minister to people who, in the past, would have never entered a church. I wanted to reach people through an energetic service with contemporary music and practical messages that people could apply to their every day lives. At that time I was the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, and I knew God was calling me to a new vision and adventure. So, on August 11, 1996, I launched Metroport Cities Fellowship (The Met) in the auditorium of Carroll High School in Southlake. Our vision was to reach people living in the Alliance corridor, which developers were calling the Metroport area.” 

“The Met ministers to over 3000 people each week and over 6000 people call The Met their church home.”

The Met was begun by founding pastor and now Senior Pastor Bill Ramsey, who was formerly the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. He felt God calling him (in an undefined way) to minister to the unchurched. He currently leads the executive team at the Met Church.

STAFF
http://www.metchurch.com/staff-page/

There is no overall description of the church’s leadership on this page, but there are references to various teams, executives, and staff members. These include “pastors” – both male and female – over various areas. One woman is the Executive Adult Pastor. Another woman leads as the children’s pastor. A third woman is the Worship Director. I could not find any references to elders, deacons, or evangelists, at least not using those biblical terms.

I did not see any reference to the Bible’s teachings on male spiritual leadership in 1 Tim 3:2 or Tit 1:5-6. Nor did I see any mention of the Bible’s teachings on women’s roles given in 1 Tim 2:11-15 or 1 Cor 14:33-35.

SALVATION
http://www.metchurch.com/what-we-believe/

“We believe salvation is a sovereign gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. We believe man is justified by grace through faith apart from works (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:4-5 & 2:8-10). We believe all true believers elect of God, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever (Romans 8:1, 29-30; John 10:27-30).”

The Met’s statement does not mention repentance or baptism as necessary expressions of faith for the forgiveness of sins. See Acts 2:38; Rom 6:1-4.

The words “sovereign gift of God … elect of God … once saved … kept secure in Christ forever” identify the belief that one who has come to Christ cannot choose at any future point to leave the faith, fall away, and be lost. He or she does not have the free will to do so. This belief has its roots in Calvinism. See Heb 6:4-6.

THE ORDINANCES OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
http://www.metchurch.com/what-we-believe/

“We believe Christ instituted the ordinances of baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper, both of which are to be observed by believers until He returns (Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26). We believe by water baptism a believer is publicly identified with his Savior and that infants of believing parents may be dedicated to the Lord but should not be baptized until they can personally articulate their faith and the purpose of baptism. We believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Christ’s death, the elements being symbols of His body and blood. We believe every Christian has a right to partake of the elements of the Lord’s Supper but that participation must always be preceded by solemn self-examination.”

The Met’s statement declares the purpose of baptism by immersion to be one’s public identification with one’s Savior. No specific Scripture is noted in support of this idea. In the Scripture that is noted – Matt 28:19-20 – Jesus Himself says that baptism is a necessary step for one to be made a disciple. The New Testament also teaches that baptism is “into Christ” and “into His death” (Rom 6:1-4) and that by it one is “clothed with Christ” (Gal 3:26-27). Saul of Tarsus was told to “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

On the matter of baptism also note this:

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
http://www.metchurch.com/what-we-believe/

“We believe God the Holy Spirit is a person who restrains evil in the world and convicts men of sin. He also regenerates those who receive Christ as Savior, baptizes them into the Church, the Body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts on each one, and fills those yielded to Him (John 16:7-11; John 3:8; I Corinthians 12:4-11,13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18).”

Here the Met Church’s website notes that the Holy Spirit “regenerates those who receive Christ as Savior, baptizes them into the Church …” The idea seems to be that there is first a “Spirit baptism” that is separate from water. At this point one comes into the church; one is saved and sealed and cannot ever be lost. Later on there is to be a “water baptism,” to take place on the first Wednesday of the month, to identify oneself publicly with Christ (see below, under “1st Wednesday”).

The New Testament teaches that there is only one baptism (Eph 4:5) and that the one new birth (“regeneration”) involves both water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5; Tit 3:5).

THE ETERNAL STATE
http://www.metchurch.com/what-we-believe/

“We believe the souls of believers in Jesus Christ do, at death, immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming for the Church, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory. We believe the souls of unbelievers remain after death in constant misery in Hades until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15).”

The Met’s mention of “the millennium” refers to a belief in a one-thousand-year physical reign of Christ on earth in Jerusalem.

1ST WEDNESDAY
http://www.metchurch.com/worship-services/

“First Wednesday is designed to bring our church together for corporate worship and have a special time to rejoice together through the celebration of Baptism. This is also when we come together as a church and take the Lord’s Supper and spend time in corporate and personal prayer. Every service at The Met is designed to connect you with God but at 1st Wednesday we focus less on teaching and extend the time of worship to provide an environment for you to worship God and spend more time with Him.”

The Met’s statement indicates that baptisms take place on the first Wednesday of each month. It also notes that the Lord’s Supper is observed monthly on the first Wednesday.

According to New Testament teaching, those pricked in the heart and convicted of their sins are to repent and be baptized immediately for the forgiveness of those sins. Never in Scripture was a baptism delayed, because it was considered essential and urgent. See Acts 2:36-38; 8:26-40; 10:47-48; 10:47-48; 16:30-34.

According to New Testament teaching, the church was (and is) to observe the Lord’s Supper – the breaking of bread – on the first day of the week. See Acts 20:7.

Once again, the purpose of this post is to help answer people’s questions about the Met Church by referencing that church’s own materials and responding with biblical texts and teachings. Only God’s Word is perfect. Our only goal is to understand it better and follow it more closely.

May God bless each reader as we all seek to serve the King of kings.

Lead Us Not …

My friend and our brother at Keller, Louis Stein, presented this devotional message recently. I asked him if I could share it with you.

James 1: 2-4, 12

A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone. He was short on time and couldn’t find a space with a parking meter. So, he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: “I have circled the block a 100 times. If I don’t park here, I will miss my appointment. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES.”

When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note. “I’ve circled this block for 10 years. If I don’t give you a ticket, I’ll lose my job. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.”

James 1:2-3 says: “²Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

Temptation is one of our trials. We will experience trials. We all will be tempted. Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden, Eve by the serpent and Adam by Eve; temptation has been with us from the very beginning. Jesus was tempted in the Wilderness. Jesus resisted the temptation, Adam and Eve did not. What was the difference?

I believe attitude was the difference. Jesus did not face temptation with defeatism, but as an opportunity to turn to the scriptures for strength and understanding. Temptation is not sin, but succumbing to temptation is the start of sinning. Rather, temptation is testing and should be viewed as a chance to strengthen our faith. It has been said that “Temptation is to the Christian what a football game is to the trained athlete – an opportunity to prove their ability to win.” When you resist temptation, as James 1:3 says, you show your endurance. And then, the endurance can lead to the desired outcome:     James 1:4 “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

When you are tested by temptation and resist, you gain endurance, for we know that we will be tested again. You gain maturity and grow stronger in your faith (“…so that you may be perfect and complete”), You gain independence as your endurance and faith increase (“…lacking in nothing”). You are responsible for your temptation, regardless of where it comes from. And when you have successfully resisted the temptations of this life, at the right time in God’s plan, you will receive from Jesus your just reward.   James 1: 12  “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Public School, Required Reading, and Christian Parenting

This post is written by my colleague and friend, Spencer Ross. I am grateful and glad to share it.

          Should I send my kids to public or private school? In this twisted world, should I just home school my kiddos? Every Christian family must honestly consider each option and choose the best route for them. A majority of Christians opt to utilize the public school option.  This comes with a price (other than paying your taxes). Our schools do not teach and view the world through the lens of Christianity. For many different reasons, public education is immersed in secularism.

          At the end of summer, I often ask students if they are ready for the new school year. Most of them are hesitant to say “yes” because they have not finished their dreaded required summer reading. Most school districts have similar recommend reading lists that teachers will use for their student’s required reading.

          Recently, one parent at the church where I labor noticed the content of one of the books his daughter was reading. The book was Anthem by Ayn Rand. The messages in the book were very disturbing to this Christian father.  Anthem promotes human autonomy, freedom from any higher authority than oneself, and the view that the author herself is “god.” This book denies the need to serve others unselfishly and calls the reader instead to live a self-centered, self-serving life. It presents a philosophy or belief system regarding deity, humanity, self, others, and the meaning of life. In that sense it is a religious book. Atheism, as well as theism, is a faith system or worldview.

          How should a Christian parent respond? How should a Christian parent respond to anything that the education system promotes that is opposed to Christ? Let me offer just three general suggestions that parents can specifically apply to their unique situations.

(1) Create An Environment of Open Discussion

          Our teenage students are going through this fast paced age of reasoning and enlightenment stage of life. They want to understand why they have been taught to believe and act in a certain way. They are curious to what opposing views advocate. My prayer as a parent is to create an environment where my children feel comfortable to ask questions and challenge fundamental beliefs without the fear of quick retaliation. I want to use opportunities like homework about humanism as an occasion to emphasis why the Christian worldview is superior.

          Jesus did not have scheduled Bible study sessions. In Scripture, he would use everyday life as classrooms to communicate spiritual truths. As a parent I can use the awkward experiences of inappropriate behavior we are exposed to on television, movies, and music as teachable moments to discuss the Christian worldview.

          God has blessed us with a mind and wisdom, and we should embrace education and learning. Paul was a well-versed student of secular studies as evidenced by his quotations in his speech on Mars Hill.

(2) Be a Concerned Parent

          My position on the whole public, private, or home school debate is that we must be concerned parents. I feel compelled as a Christian parent to come across as a “nosy” father. As we grow up we can reflect on our childhood and conclude that our parents seemed to care about us by how much they invested in my school, extracurricular activities, and faith. There seems to be a correlation between uninvolved parenting and sinful activity with teenagers.

          Ken Ham’s book Already Gone documents research about how our teens are losing their faith before they even leave the home of their parents. In the study, students did not believe in the literal Genesis account and the complete inspiration of Scripture. It is strongly recommend that concerned parents emphasis apologetics in their home. Apologetics is the study of reasoned arguments in justification of Christianity.

          Teens deep down would admit that they are appreciate to have concerned parents because it is a demonstration that they truly care about their physical, social, educational, and spiritual well-being.

(3) Take Appropriate Action

          We represent Christ with our words and actions. 1 Peter 3:21 “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” It is perfectly justifiable to be angry about literature that is contrary to God’s word. However, we must be “angry and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26).  Remember our attitudes when we address these situations.

          We should not be hesitant to express our concerns to teachers, school boards, and other parents. You never know what kind of reaction you may get just for bringing something up. Many people never firmly and kindly express their complaints. Most school districts have policies in place to request the removal of books. Many parents can offer suggestions. For example, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis would be a comparable reading to serve as a counter study to Anthem. This would create more balance and diversity.

           Ask the Lord for wisdom how you as a Christian ought to react to anything in the public school system that bothers your conscious and challenges your core beliefs. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).

An Experiment in Atheism: Liberal, Missouri

I am grateful to Eric Lyons for this fascinating article, and I am happy to share it.

Atheism and Liberal, Missouri

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

In the summer of 1880, George H. Walser founded the town of Liberal in southwest Missouri. Named after the Liberal League in Lamar, Missouri (to which the town’s organizer belonged), Walser’s objective was “to found a town without a church, [w]here unbelievers could bring up their children without religious training,” and where Christians were not allowed (Thompson, 1895; Becker, 1895). “His idea was to build up a town that should exclusively be the home of Infidels...a town that should have neither God, Hell, Church, nor Saloon” (Brand, 1895). Some of the early inhabitants of Liberal even encouraged other infidels to move to their town by publishing an advertisement which boasted that Liberal “is the only town of its size in the United States without a priest, preacher, church, saloon, God, Jesus, hell or devil” (Keller, 1885, p. 5). Walser and his “freethinking” associates were openly optimistic about their new town. Excitement was in the air, and atheism was at its core. They believed that their godless town of “sober, trustworthy and industrious” individuals would thrive for years on end. But, as one young resident of that town, Bessie Thompson, wrote about Liberal in 1895, “...like all other unworthy causes, it had its day and passed away.” Bessie did not mean that the actual town of Liberal ceased to exist, but that the idea of having a “good, godless” city is a contradiction in terms. A town built upon “trustworthy” atheistic ideals eventually will reek of the rotten, immoral fruits of infidelity. 

Such fruits were witnessed and reported firsthand by Clark Braden in 1885.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Saturday, May 2, 1885

Braden was an experienced preacher, debater, and author. In his lifetime, he presented more than 3,000 lectures, and held more than 130 regular debates—eighteen of which were with the Mormons (Carpenter, 1909, pp. 324-325). In 1872, Braden even challenged the renowned agnostic Robert Ingersoll to debate, to which Ingersoll reportedly responded, “I am not such a fool as to debate. He would wear me out” (Haynes, 1915, pp. 481-482). Although Braden was despised by some, his skills in writing and public speaking were widely known and acknowledged. In February 1885, Clark Braden introduced himself to the townspeople of Liberal (Keller, 1885, p. 5; Moore, 1963, p. 38), and soon thereafter he wrote about what he had seen.

In an article that appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on May 2, 1885, titled “An Infidel Experiment,” Braden reported the following.

The boast about the sobriety of the town is false. But few of the infidels are total abstainers. Liquor can be obtained at three different places in this town of 300 inhabitants. More drunken infidels can be seen in a year in Liberal than drunken Christians among one hundred times as many church members during the same time. Swearing is the common form of speech in Liberal, and nearly every inhabitant, old and young, swears habitually. Girls and boys swear on the streets, playground, and at home. Fully half of the females will swear, and a large number swear habitually.... Lack of reverence for parents and of obedience to them is the rule. There are more grass widows, grass widowers and people living together, who have former companions living, than in any other town of ten times the population.... A good portion of the few books that are read are of the class that decency keeps under lock and key....

These infidels...can spend for dances and shows ten times as much as they spend on their liberalism. These dances are corrupting the youth of the surrounding country with infidelity and immorality. There is no lack of loose women at these dances. Since Liberal was started there has not been an average of one birth per year of infidel parents. Feticide is universal. The physicians of the place say that a large portion of their practice has been trying to save females from consequences of feticide. In no town is slander more prevalent, or the charges more vile. If one were to accept what the inhabitants say of each other, he would conclude that there is a hell, including all Liberal, and that its inhabitants are the devils (as quoted in Keller, 1885, p. 5).

According to Braden, “[s]uch are the facts concerning this infidel paradise.... Every one who has visited Liberal, and knows the facts, knows that such is the case” (p. 5).

As one can imagine, Braden’s comments did not sit well with some of the townspeople of Liberal. In fact, a few days after Braden’s observations appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he was arrested for criminal libel and tried on May 18, 1885. According to Braden, “After the prosecution had presented their evidence, the case was submitted to the jury without any rebutting evidence by the defence (sic), and the jury speedily brought in a verdict of ‘No cause for action’ ” (as quoted in Mouton, n.d., pp. 36-37). Unfortunately for Braden, however, the controversy was not over. On the following day (May 19, 1885), a civil suit was filed by one of the townsmen—S.C. Thayer, a hotel operator in Liberal. The petition for damages of $25,000 alleged that Clark Braden and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an article in which they had made false, malicious, and libelous statements against the National Hotel in Liberal, managed by Mr. Thayer. He claimed that Braden’s remarks, published in the St. Louise Post-Dispatch on May 2, 1885, “greatly and irreparably injured and ruined” his business (Thayer v. Braden). However, when the prosecution learned that the defense was thoroughly prepared to prove that Liberal was a den of infamy, and that its hotels were little more than houses of prostitution, the suit was dismissed on September 17, 1886 by the plaintiff at his own cost (Thayer v. Braden). Braden was exonerated in everything he had written. Indeed, the details Braden originally reported about Liberal, Missouri, on May 2, 1885 were found to be completely factual.

It took only a few short years for Liberal’s unattractiveness and inconsistency to be exposed. People cannot exclude God from the equation, and expect to remain a “sober, trustworthy” town. Godlessness equals unruliness, which in turn makes a repugnant, immoral people. The town of Liberal was a failure. Only five years after its establishment, Braden indicated that “[n]ine-tenths of those now in town would leave if they could sell their property. More property has been lost by locating in the town than has been made in it.... Hundreds have been deceived and injured and ruined financially” (Keller, p. 5). Apparently, “doing business with the devil” did not pay the kind of dividends George Walser (the town’s founder) and the early inhabitants of Liberal desired. It appears that even committed atheists found living in Liberal in the early days intolerable. Truly, as has been observed in the past, “An infidel surrounded by Christians may spout his infidelity and be able to endure it, but a whole town of atheists is too horrible to contemplate.” It is one thing to espouse a desire to live in a place where there is no God, but it is an entirely different thing for such a place actually to exist. For it to become a reality is more than the atheist can handle. Adolf Hitler took atheism to its logical conclusion in Nazi Germany, and created a world that even most atheists detested. Although atheists want no part of living according to the standards set out by Jesus and His apostles in the New Testament, the real fruits of evolutionary atheism also are too horrible for them to contemplate.

Although the town of Liberal still exists today (with a population of about 800 people), and although vestiges of its atheistic heritage are readily apparent, it is not the same town it was in 1895. At present, at least seven religious groups associated with Christianity exist within this city that once banned Christianity and all that it represents. Numerous other churches meet in the surrounding areas. According to one of the religious leaders in the town, “a survey of Liberal recently indicated that 50% of the people are actively involved with some church” (Abbott, 2003)—a far cry from where Liberal began.

There is no doubt that the moral, legal, and educational systems of Liberal, Missouri, in the twenty-first century are the fruits of biblical teaching, not atheism. When Christianity and all of the ideals that the New Testament teaches are effectively put into action, people will value human life, honor their parents, respect their neighbors, and live within the moral guidelines given by God in the Bible. A city comprised of faithful Christians would be mostly void of such horrors as sexually transmitted diseases, murder, drunken fathers who beat their wives and children, drunk drivers who turn automobiles into lethal weapons, and heartache caused by such things as divorce, adultery, and covetousness. (Only those who broke God’s commandments intended for man’s benefit would cause undesirable fruit to be reaped.)

On the other hand, when atheism and all of its tenets are taken to their logical conclusion, people will reap some of the same miserable fruit once harvested by the early citizens of Liberal, Missouri (and sadly, some of the same fruit being reaped by many cities in the world today). Men and women will attempt to cover up sexual sins by aborting babies, children will disrespect their parents, students will “run wild” at home and in school because of the lack of discipline, and “sexual freedom” (which leads to sexually transmitted diseases) will be valued, whereas human life will be devalued. Such are the fruits of atheism: a society in which everyone does that which is right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6)—a society in which no sensible person wants to live.

Note from Cory: "grass widows" and "grass widowers" are terms that referred to those divorced, separated, or living away from their spouses. For more information: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/grass+widow.

REFERENCES

Abbott, Phil (2003), Christian Church, Liberal, Missouri, telephone conversation, April 7.

Barnes, Pamela (2003), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, telephone conversation, March 12.

Becker, Hathe (1895), “Liberal,” Liberal Enterprise, December 5,12, [On-line], URL: http://lyndonirwin.com/libhist1.htm.

Brand, Ida (1895), “Liberal,” Liberal Enterprise, December 5,12, [On-line], URL: http://lyndonirwin.com/libhist1.htm.

Carpenter, L.L. (1909), “The President’s Address,” in Centennial Convention Report, ed. W.R. Warren, (Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company), pp. 317-332. [On-line], URL: http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/wwarren/ccr/CCR15B.HTM.

Haynes, Nathaniel S. (1915), History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois 1819-1914 (Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing Company), [On-line], URL: http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/nhaynes/hdcib/braden01.htm, 1996.

Keller, Samuel (1885), “An Infidel Experiment,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Special Correspondence with Clark Braden, May 2, p. 5.

Moore, J.P. (1963), This Strange Town—Liberal, Missouri (Liberal, MO: The Liberal News).

Mouton, Boyce (no date), George H. Walser and Liberal, Missouri: An Historical Overview.

Thayer, S.C. v. Clark Braden, et. al. Filed on May 19, 1885 in Barton County Missouri. Dismissed September 10, 1886.

Thompson, Bessie (1895), “Liberal,” Liberal Enterprise, December 5,12, [On-line], URL: http://lyndonirwin.com/libhist1.htm.

The original publisher of this article is Apologetics Press at this URL: https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=1447

Help for Your Future or Present Marriage: Prepare Enrich

Cory Collins is a licensed facilitator of Prepare Enrich. He does not charge for his assistance.

Prepare Enrich is a tool that assesses couple relationships. It is not exactly a test that people can pass or fail, but a device to measure the strengths and possible growth areas of a couple's relationship.

1. What is the Prepare Enrich assessment?

2. How many people have taken the Prepare Enrich assessment?

3. What are the different inventories?

4. What are the major goals of the Prepare Enrich assessment?

5. What relationship areas are assessed by the Inventories?

6. What evidence is there that the Prepare Enrich assessment is valid and reliable?

7. Who developed the Prepare Enrich assessment?

8. How much does it cost to take the Prepare Enrich assessment?

9. How does a couple sign up?

10. What happens next?

1. What is the Prepare Enrich assessment?
The Prepare Enrich Premarital Assessment is a program based on a set of five inventories that examine major relationship issues a couple may experience. These inventories must be administered by a trained Prepare Enrich Premarital Assessment assessor and include feedback in which the counselor facilitates discussion between the couple based on their inventory results.

2. How many people have taken the Prepare Enrich assessment?
Over 2 million couples (4 million people) have taken the Prepare Enrich Premarital Assessment since it began in 1980.

3. What inventories are available?
Depending on your relational situation you will select one of the following:

- Prepare – Pre-marital couples
- Enrich – Married couples with or without children
- Mate – Couples over the age of 50

4. What are the major goals of the Prepare Enrich program?

There are six goals of the Prepare Enrich program. In order to achieve these goals there are also six corresponding couple exercises designed to help couples improve their relationship skills. The six goals are:

1. To explore Relationship Strengths and Growth Areas
2. To learn Assertiveness and Active Listening Skills
3. To learn how to resolve conflict using the Ten Step Model
4. To help the couple discuss their Family-of-Origin
5. To help the couple with financial planning and budgeting
6. To focus on personal, couple and family goals

5. What relationship areas are assessed by the Inventories?

The following are the 20 relationship areas assessed in each of the five Couple Inventories:

A. Assessment of Significant Issues for Couples (14 scales)

Communication
Conflict Resolution
Personality Issues
Financial Management
Sexual Expectations
Marital Satisfaction
Leisure Activities
Children and Parenting
Family and Friends
Expectations/Cohabitation Issues
Idealistic Distortion
Role Relationship
Spiritual Beliefs

B. Personality Assessment (4 scales):
Assertiveness
Self Confidence
Avoidance
Partner Dominance

C. Couple and Family Map (4 scales):
Family-of-Origin Closeness
Family-of-Origin Flexibility
Couple Closeness
Couple Flexibility

6. What evidence is there that the Prepare Enrich assessment is valid and reliable?

An important strength of the Prepare Enrich Premarital Assessment is its strong psychometric properties. High levels of reliability and validity have been found for each instrument, making them valuable tools for research as well as clinical use. The national norm base, validity and reliability information are listed below.

National Norms based on:
500,000 couples for Prepare
250,000 couples for Enrich
150,000 couples for Mate

High Levels of Validity and Reliability:
Prepare Enrich has validity in that it discriminates premarital couples that get divorced from those that are happily married with about 80-85% accuracy. Reliability is high (alpha reliability of .80 – .85).

7. Who developed the Prepare Enrich assessment inventories?

David H. Olson, Ph.D
Professor Emeritus, Family Social Science, University of Minnesota & President, Life Innovations; Developed ten diagnostic tools and Circumplex Model; Licensed Consulting Psychologist and Licensed Marital & Family Therapist, State of Minnesota.

Joan M. Druckman, Ph.D
Marriage and Family Counselor, Palo Alto, California; Co-directed study on "Effectiveness of Five Types of Premarital Preparation Programs."

David G. Fournier, Ph.D
Associate Professor, Child and Family Development, Oklahoma State University; completed study of reliability and validity of Prepare. Former Director, Marital & Family Therapy Program.

8. How much does it cost to take the Prepare Enrich assessment?

The company charges $35 per couple. Cory Collins does not charge for his assistance as a facilitator.

9. How does a couple sign up?

A couple may not sign up directly, but only by meeting with any licensed facilitator. The facilitator will register the couple by submitting their email addresses to the company. The company will then email the couple. The couple will pay online and take the inventory online.

10. What happens next?

The facilitator will receive a detailed report from the company. The couple will then meet with the facilitator several times to go over the results and go through the various exercises.

Here is the company’s website: https://www.prepare-enrich.com