By Matthew & Wen
Matthew’s Story
When Rev. Alexa first approached us to be facilitators for this year’s Alpha Pre-marriage Course (PMC), the first thought that came to my mind was: “Wah, married 1.5 years only, qualified to be facilitators already?!” It was only after her explanation of the facilitator’s role did these thoughts settle down. As facilitators, we were expected to prepare icebreakers, food & drinks, and be a comfortable presence while leaving the counselling job to the experts, namely ‘The Alpha people’.
To be honest, I was sceptical at first in being a facilitator. “Six Saturdays wei, 4pm to 6pm. Need to come 1 hour earlier, then go back 1 hour later. And if I happen to serve on Ascend that day, gone la the whole afternoon”. As a working adult, weekends (free time) are a precious commodity to me! But it is not about me.
It was also around this time I learned that two couples who signed up were from my cell group, after much coaxing on my part. After being a CG leader for 5 years, one lesson that I’ve kept in my heart is to be present in as many ‘life-defining’ moments in my CG members’ lives, i.e., weddings, celebration of a success, death of a loved one, etc. So I said yes to Rev. Alexa. And Wen (my dear wife) said yes too.
And so did Dih Haw & Jasmine, Wilic & Violet, Sam & Jun (the other facilitators).
Alpha PMC is a five-week course designed for engaged couples or those exploring the possibility of marriage to build strong foundations for their future together. Each week, there was a 45-minute video discussing a specific topic, such as communication, conflict, commitment, etc. For PJEFC, the session started with a simple icebreaker, followed by eating amazing guavas bought by Dih Haw before the main agenda began. To make things a little more interactive, this year, we had ‘couple interview sessions’, courtesy of Dih Haw & Jasmine and Sam & Jun, who shared their marriage journey and experiences.
Wen’s Story
I personally benefited much from this ‘refresher’ course. Befriending new couples, and getting better acquainted with the other facilitator couples were bonuses! I particularly enjoyed one session where we separated into girl-boy groups. The girls’ group was filled with much laughter and heartfelt sharings by both facilitators and participants. One particular girl shared that whenever she thought of marriage, she would immediately have feelings of worry and uncertainties. However, after going through Alpha PMC, she got a clearer picture on the possible difficulties and challenges that lie ahead. This has better prepared her on how to navigate these future challenges. What a joy it is to witness people having better mental and spiritual readiness before entering marriage. I believe Alpha PMC is a wonderful platform that enriches couples considering marriage.
I was given a different perspective on topics I was already aware of. Feels balanced overall.
Bob & Michele
Break out session fun! Get to know other couple issue so we don’t feel we are alone in this. Hearing stories from other couples in the video. Especially from the different ethnicities, backgrounds, nationalities.
Nicholas Kwek & Annie
The intimate discussions I had with my partner. Wouldn’t have had these discussions without this course. The discussion prompts have been very helpful for my partner and I to carry out intimate discussions. Also, it has sparked many conversations to discover more of each other after each session.
Jeremy & Ashley
Discussion, my partner get to know me better.
Joel & Pei Ee
The sharing session between participants allowed us to have a glimpse to know how other couples operated which helped. The breakout discussion by gender allowed us to freely discuss issues without filter.
Nicholas Siew & Yoong Ning
As a couple, we have better understanding than before. We get to know more things about us.
Balan & Sounthry
Get Involved
🤝 Interested in joining the next Alpha PMC? Connect with Rev. Alexa Ho here.
🙏 Pray for the six couples who attended Alpha PMC that they will continue to discover and appreciate each other.
💻 What is the first step in a wedding planning checklist?