FAQs
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What we are doing isn’t counseling, but coaching. We equip the two of you to be able to continue communicating effectively with each other long after the weekend.
While the sessions are in a group setting, there is no sharing your feelings in a circle or disclosing the details of your relationship with anyone.
You’ll have the option of meeting privately with a marriage coach (at no extra cost) for assistance with the Saturday evening Relationship Renovation project, but that's completely up to you.
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While we teach everything as a group, at no point during the weekend are you sharing with others about your relationship.
After each session, you’ll be assigned an activity, which is structured to be done by the two of you alone as a couple. The activity will give you an opportunity to immediately put into practice whatever tool you learned in the previous session.
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While all the concepts we teach are based on biblical principles, you don’t need to be a Christian to benefit from the weekend. Our attenders have expressed views ranging from Muslim to atheism, but all said the weekend was extremely helpful for their relationship.
This program was designed with trained counselors, so everything we teach is both clinically sound and application-oriented.
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We’ve connected with couples at every stage of distancing in their relationships – from roommates to discouragement to apathy.
No matter what stage your relationship is in, there is still hope. Other couples with situations very similar to yours have experienced restoration through our renovation process and re-established a loving relationship with their spouse.
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We regularly have couples attend who are wanting to do “marriage maintenance” or are engaged and wanting to start out with a solid foundation. You’ll be able to apply the tools into your specific context, whether you’re overcoming challenges or simply wanting to keep growing a healthy relationship.
Our Sunday sessions will guide you to set future goals for your relationship and to build a personalized plan for how to achieve them.
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There is! If you attend a Renovation Marriage weekend intensive and then don’t feel like it helped you, the full registration fee will be refunded upon written request no later than seven days after the weekend you attended.
Email your request to todd@renovationmarriage.com or send by postal mail to:
Renovation Marriage
849 Lost Lake Hills Rd
Columbus, MS 39702.
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Registration includes access to all 9 sessions, two workbooks, & access to follow-up resources. Does not include meals, parking, or lodging.
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In order to maximize the effectiveness of the weekend for you and our other guests and to keep your weekend free of distractions, we do not allow children or pets in our sessions, including nursing infants. Only certified service animals are allowed (not emotional support).
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Registration fee is $500/couple for the in-person weekend retreats (meals & lodging not included). Registration fee for online intensive events is $500.
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Your registration fee is refundable, minus a $50 processing fee, provided it is cancelled in writing at least 30 days prior to the event. Registrations made or cancelled less than 30 days prior are not refundable for any reason. However, your registration will be credited to another Renovation Marriage weekend intensive, within one year of the date of the retreat you were originally registered for.
Schedule for the Weekend (times are approximate)
Friday
We kick things off by helping you recognize negative patterns, understand the current stage of your relationship, and find hope for meaningful change within a Christian framework.
6:30 PM - Workshop check-in opens
7:00-7:50 PM - Session 1
8:00-9:00 PM - Session 2
Saturday
We'll spend the day learning practical tools for better communication, understanding each other's emotional needs, and resolving conflicts to achieve true healing and restoration.
9:00-9:50 AM - Session 3
10:00-11:00 AM - Session 4
11:00 AM-1:00 PM - Lunch break (with assigned activity to complete)
1:00-1:50 PM - Session 5
2:00-3:00 PM - Session 6
Saturday evening - Relationship Renovation Project (approximately 2 hours) The two of you will work on a relationship restoration project together. You'll have the option to meet privately with a marriage coach or counselor at no extra cost for additional guidance.
Sunday
You'll start crafting a personal plan to establish new priorities and develop positive habits for your relationship moving forward.
9:00-9:50 AM - Session 7
10:00-11:00 AM - Session 8
11:00 AM-12:30 PM - Lunch break (with assigned activity to complete)
12:30-2:00 PM - Session 9
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What’s the format?
All sessions are done in a group meeting room and you're given assignments to go and do together on your own. This allows you to begin putting the tools into practice and taking steps toward healing the hurts. While the sessions are in a group setting, there is no public disclosure of sensitive matters. You’ll have the option of meeting privately with a marriage coach for assistance with the Saturday evening restoration activity.
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Does it work?
In traditional weekly marriage counseling, the start-and-stop of hour-long sessions can make it difficult to get to root issues. Our distraction-free weekend offers you the gift of uninterrupted time, which allows you to cover the groundwork of six to nine months of counseling. We’ve helped over 95% of couples in serious distress find healing and hope. In addition, 99% of participants recommend the program to others.
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What makes Renovation Marriage different?
All of our communication tools, relational assessments, and aftercare coaching are rooted in biblical principles. Our therapists are also grounded in research-based methods. The result is a process that is both clinically sound and theologically solid. Our weekend facilitators are skilled at navigating serious issues. They share personal examples you will relate to and make the content easy to apply.
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Who should attend?
While anyone can benefit, our weekend Christian retreats are designed especially for couples who want to improve their marriage. The workshop is just as valuable for engaged and unmarried couples. We help couples repair their relationships from issues ranging from lack of communication and the stress of raising kids to loss of intimacy and recovery from infidelity. Even spouses who come reluctantly experience breakthroughs on a consistent basis.
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What’s the schedule?
We begin the workshop at 7:00 PM on Friday and finish around 9:30 PM. On Saturday we’ll start at 9:00 AM and end around 3:30 PM. Then on Saturday evening, couples will work through the relationship renovation project, which typically takes 1-2 hours. On Saturday evening you’ll have the option of meeting privately with a marriage coach or counselor (at no additional cost). On Sunday, the workshop begins again at 9:00 AM and concludes by 2:30 PM. See below for a more detailed schedule.
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What is the cost of the weekend?
The intensive is $500/couple and includes 9 facilitated sessions and coaching support (meals & lodging not included). Some couples find it helpful to do monthly payments, so we also offer the option to pay $100/month. Financial assistance is also often available when needed. We intentionally keep our rates lower than other marriage intensives because we want EVERY couple to have access to the help they need to build a strong and loving marriage.
Who we are
Todd and Erin Stevens are the founders of Renovation Marriage. Todd has served as the lead pastor of several fast-growing churches. Erin is the former executive director of National Marriage Week.
They’ve been married since 1994 and have over two decades of experience in ministering to couples. They currently live in Columbus, MS, and have three grown sons. They both have MBA degrees and Todd is a licensed and ordained minister with a Master’s in Divinity. They developed the content for these nationally acclaimed weekend intensives in collaboration with their team of licensed professional counselors.
Reviews
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This weekend saved our marriage. I moved out the week before we came. This was my last hope. This weekend I learned so many skills that I know will help us for the rest of our lives. We have a plan for how to successful maneuver challenges in our marriage going forward. We were able to connect heart to heart and really understand each other, so we can both heal. Thank you for offering this marriage conference!
Troy, human resources manager
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After 18 years our marriage began to unravel to where we were planning our lives without each other, as we considered divorce. This weekend retreat has helped us to identify issues, apologize, and forgive. Thank you from the depth of my heart for bringing water to the desert and bringing life back into our relationship!
Wendy, stay at home mom