WELCOME INTRODUCTION WHY MARRY IN CHURCH? WHICH CHURCH? NEW RULES PLANNING A CHURCH WEDDING MARRIAGE PREPARATION	WHY MARRY IN CHURCH? A marriage service, wherever it is held, is a public declaration of a couple’s love and commitment for each other. If you choose to get married in church, there is an added dimension - you are also saying something about desire to involve God in your new life together. You’re inviting him to bless your marriage and be part of your relationship. You won’t avoid all the usual ups and downs of life, but you will be able to look to God for help and guidance and have the assurance that his love will sustain you. You will also have the support and encouragement of the church, the local Christian community. What do Christians believe about marriage? Christians believe that marriage is one of God’s gifts to us. In the marriage ceremony, a couple make a public declaration of lifelong commitment to love each other, whatever happens - ‘for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health’. The Bible tells us that married love is intended to be a picture of the love Jesus has for his followers. He showed the depth of his love by being ready to sacrifice himself - even to die for the people he loved. What's more, his love is absolutely unconditional. Jesus never said “I love you, but..” Christian marriage is about learning to follow his example by loving our partners in this self-sacrificial way and putting their needs before our own. It isn’t always easy - to put it mildly! - but it’s immensely fulfilling and worthwhile. The marriage ceremony gives you a new legal status as husband and wife and a new stability within which your relationship can flourish and grow. Christians also believe that marriage offers the best place for the fulfillment of our sexuality and that it provides the most stable and secure environment for bringing up children. (Adapted from material produced by The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England)