D.A.R.E. to be Different

Dare to be Different, Inc, a nonprofit organization that focuses on strengthening families by empowering marriages with and building marriages on a strong Christ-centered foundation was founded by Matt and Pam Loehr. D.A.R.E. is an acronym for Discover, Ask, Require, and Evaluate. Through the process of mentoring, many marriages have been empowered, healed, transformed and by the grace of God have been completely restored.

The underlying assumptions are

1. marriage is a lifelong union/relationship between a man and a woman as husband and wife.
2. the strength of the family begins with the relationship between the husband and the wife. When the marriage relationship is healthy, the family is healthy.
3. all people can change and most marriages can thrive when they apply healthy principles and faithfully use practical tools.

We are joining many of the other churches in town to provide this ministry in our community. In this process, trained mentor couples work with newly married couples, couples who are experiencing conflicts in their relationship, or couples who want to renew their marriage commitment. We also hope to develop a ministry to engaged couple s and incorporate this process into it.

Although this is not a process written from a Catholic perspective, it has many elements of the Catholic marriage preparation and marriage enrichment programs. It has many Scripture references and a very good conflict resolution process that are not part of FOCCUS or REFOCCUS. Our hope is to give couples an option to explore the points of conflict in their relationship before divorce seems to be the only option. Marriage, as in all relationships, requires work and communication to stay alive and well.

If you are interested in being a mentor couple, please contact the parish office at 937-526-4945.

If you want to meet with a trained mentor couple, please contact the parish office.