The Family Wellness Ministry with
The Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
present
The Eight Dates
Marriage Program
October 2020. The Family Wellness Ministry and the Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco announce their plan to host ten 75-minute marriage sessions bimonthly on Thursday nights, starting on Thursday, October 15.
This complimentary series will be led by our Metropolis Family Wellness Ministry Team, and will be a beautiful way to strengthen your commitment to one another and to God.
The program will run from 6:30p.m. to 7:45p.m. PST, and will feature topics from the popular lifestyle book Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love (Workman, 2019) by award-winning authors and psychologists Drs. John and Julie Gottman, and bestselling authors Doug Abrams and Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD.
“The authors of this book have distilled 40+ years of marriage research into 8 essential conversations that are the hallmark of thriving relationships. They give us the tools to structure these conversations and to enjoy a lifetime of discovery about the person we married. We cannot wait to share this with the couples of our metropolis!” ~ Presvytera Donna Pappas
Each session will be facilitated by members of the Family Wellness Ministry, and are carefully designed to engage couples in essential conversation on a topic of importance within their marriages: trust and commitment; addressing conflict, sex and intimacy; work and money; family; fun and adventure; growth and spirituality; hopes and dreams. These are uncertain, unprecedented times, and the goal is to give couples eight fulfilling, enlightening, and spiritually nurturing dates for improved communication and connection.
The Eight Dates Marriage Program promises to be a balance of vibrant content, integration of our Orthodox faith, and opportunity for small group discussion catered specifically to the various needs young married couples face on a daily basis. Participating couples will be given weekly thought exercise and intimacy boosters to complete together for additional value outside the scheduled meetings. Ultimately each couple should come away with the resources necessary for strengthened commitment to one another, as well as an expanded Metropolis community of supportive peers in the process.
Once you register, you will receive all of the hand-outs and information for each session.
DATES & SESSION OVERVIEW
Via Zoom – Thursday – 6:30p.m. to 7:45p.m. PST
October 15 – Eight Dates Introduction
Essential Conversations for a lifetime of love
Presenters: George Papageorge, M.F.T., & Fr. Timothy Pavlatos, M.Div., M.F.T.
• Conversations That Matter
• Your Date Night
• The 4 Skills of intimate Conversation
• The Art of Listening
October 29 – Date 1
LEAN ON ME – Trust and Commitment
Presenters: Fr. Tom, M.F.T, M.Div., and Presvytera Pat Tsagalakis
Trust and Commitment. Trust is cherishing each other and showing your partner that you can be counted on. Choosing commitment means accepting your partner exactly as he or she is, despite their flaws.
November 12 – Date 2
AGREE TO DISAGREE – Addressing Conflict
Presenter: George Papageorge, M.F.T.
Conflict. Conflict happens in every relationship, and it’s a myth to believe that in a happy relationship you’ll get along all the time. Relationship conflict serves a purpose. It’s an opportunity to get to know your partner better and to develop deeper intimacy as you talk about and work through your differences.
November 19 – Date 3
LET’S GET IT ON – Sex and Intimacy
Presenters: Fr. James M.Div., and Pres. Donna Pappas
Sex and Intimacy. Romantic, intimate rituals of connection keep a relationship happy and passionate. Couples who talk about sex have more sex, but talking about sex is difficult for the majority of couples—it gets easier and more comfortable the more you do it.
December 3 – Date 4
THE COST OF LOVE – Work and Money
Presenter: Joe Borgonia, M.F.T.
Work and Money. Money issues aren’t about money. They’re about what money means to each partner in a relationship. Discovering what money means to both of you will go a long way in resolving the conflicts you may have around money.
December 17 – Date 5
ROOM TO GROW – Family.
Presenters: Fr. Daniel, M.Div., and Presvytera Michelle Triant
Family. Approximately two-thirds of couples have a sharp drop in relationship satisfaction shortly after a child is born, and this drop gets deeper with each subsequent child. To avoid this drop in relationship happiness, conflict needs to be low and you need to maintain your sexual relationship.
January 7 – Date 6
PLAY WITH ME – Fun and Adventure.
Presenters: Fr. Tom, M.F.T., M.Div., and Presvytera Pat Tsagalakis
Fun and Adventure. Play and adventure are vital components to a successful and joyful relationship. It’s okay if you and your partner have different ideas about what constitutes play and adventure. The key is for you to respect each other’s sense of adventure and what it means to that partner.
January 21 – Date 7
SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN – Growth and Spirituality
Presenter: Fr. Vasili Hillhouse, M.Div.
Growth and Spirituality. The only constant in a relationship is change. The key is how each person in the relationship accommodates the growth of the other partner. Relationships can be more than just two individuals coming together—they can be stories of transformation and great contribution and meaning to the world.
February 4 – Date 8
A LIFETIME OF LOVE – Dreams
Presenters: Fr. Timothy, M.Div., M.F.T., and Presvytera Victoria Pavlatos Dreams. When dreams are honored, everything else in the relationship gets easier. Honoring each other’s dreams is the secret ingredient to creating love for a lifetime.
February 18 – Conclusion
Our entire Family Wellness Ministry Team will summarize and reflect on our 8 Dates Marriage Journey.
For Questions:
Please contact Johanna Duterte Carter: JDuterte@sanfran.goarch.org
or Presvytera Donna Pappas presdee@att.net
8 Dates PRESS RELEASE:
Promo Video Link: https://youtu.be/41SyP6DKawM
October 15th – 8 Dates INTRO Video:
