Experiencing Oneness : a Couple's Study for Growth in Intimacy
As we met thousands of men through our ministry booths  at Promise Keeper events around the country, we heard a cry from their  hearts - Give me something I can DO with my wife to help our marriage.  That's when we knew we had to writeExperiencing Oneness.We had toyed with the idea of writing an interactive study for couples  for several years, but couldn't see how we could invest the enormous  amount of time it would take.  But after two years of hearing comments  like the one above, we knew that regardless of the cost, we had to do  it.It has been our experience that most couples do not need long term  counseling, but they DO NEED long term training.  Several years ago,  we visited with the chaplain of a large missionary organization.  He  shared an amazing observation.  He said that 10 years ago, 70% of  their missionary candidates came from strong homes where they learned  how to have successful interpersonal relationships.  30% came from  broken or dysfunctional homes, and had to have a lot more teaching and  training before they could be sent to the mission field.  Now, a  decade later, the percentages have flip-flopped.  30% come from  strong, intact families, and 70% come from dysfunctional homes.Now, if these percentages are true in a missions organization, then  they are probably even more lop-sided in most communities and  churches.  This has been born out in our experience.  As we talk with  many couples, we generally find that at least one spouse comes from a  dysfunctional home where they did not have a chance to learn how  husbands and wives were supposed to live together in harmony and love.We wroteExperiencing Onenessto be a trainer of couples.  It  gives couples the opportunity to discuss how they are going to work  biblical principles into their married lives.  We know if a couple  wrestles their way through this book, they will learn how to more  effectively communicate with each other, how to fight fair, how to  handle their anger, how to be more intimate.  In short, they will  learn how to be happily married.By usingExperiencing Onenessin our marriage and pre-marriage  counseling, we have also learned that it is a useful resource for one  couple to mentor another.  Couples in every church need mentors as  never before - a more mature couple investing their lives in another  couple who wants help in the growth process.  It is our desireExperiencing Onenesswill make the mentoring couple's job  easier and more directed.It is our sincere prayer thatExperiencing Onenesswill help  many couples experience a deeper oneness in their marriage  relationship.