If you’ve made it a couple of years in a committed relationship and hit a snag, it’s common advice to institute a regular date night to get back on track.

After the pandemic lockdown ‘broke the habit’ of Mass attendance for millions of U.S. Catholics, dioceses across the country have waged a battle to bring them back ‘one by one.’ Learn more here.

I looked out at the room and hands slowly raised.  Nearly every single person had a hand raised. 

9 Practical Tips for Creating a Culture of Healthy Marriages

Excessive screen use has been linked to broken family units.

Married couples are four times as wealthy as unmarried couples who live together.

A recent essay in The New York Times claims that a “50/50 Custody Arrangement Could Save Your Marriage.” But how can a married couple really split custody without divorcing?

They decided to separate.  After nearly 15 years of marriage with young children, this Denver couple just didn’t think they would make it. 

With seemingly so many eligible single Catholic men and women, you might think that discerning the vocation to marriage would be a straightforward process. Not so, it seems, for many unattached young adults drifting into their 30s.

Mental health charity Mind Cymru said gaming and online friendships could have a positive impact on a person's wellbeing if used responsibly.

America’s young people are wasting almost all of their waking free time on entertainment instead of personal development or service to others.

“[Marriage] is a sacred union of a man and a woman that confers myriad benefits on the spouses, their children, and society at large—benefits that cannot be replicated by any other relationship.”

Decorating a house with and for small children presents similarly frustrating dualities. The home must be beautiful—for us and for them.

Make watching the game fun and interactive with your loved one! This fun Baseball Game Night kit has a game for each inning and baseball-themed recipes!

Being a first-time dad is a bit like being a first-time driver. You know what all the buttons and pedals do. You know the wheel turns. But the first time you try to do it, you’re probably going to be pretty clumsy.

The share of American men and women who are married today is at a record low: 45 percent. That's one of the headlines emerging from the 2022 American Family Survey (AFS), out this week from YouGov and the Deseret News.

"The future of the church runs through solid marriages and happy families. The churches that find ways to help men and women prepare for marriage and then encourage them to start families are the churches that will have a future."

Final reminder! Register now for this national webinar for church leaders.

As fewer young adults marry, marital formation has become increasingly stratified. Features of long-term financial stability, such as greater net worth, are positively associated with marriage among young households.

WINTHROP -- A Winthrop couple in their 80s has stayed young -- and stayed together -- thanks to a unique hobby. For 55 years, Richard and Nancy Albert have been lacing up their skates and ice dancing.

Rapidly rising prices and more than two years of living in a pandemic increase the financial stress on those without pooled assets.

If you want to know why Christianity is on the decline – and much of American culture – the source resides in the collapse of marriage. Period. Full stop.

In order of the list, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston were found to be in the top 3 positions.

They are unhappy with the moral and social state of our nation, but also inconsistent with the moral and social positions they hold. The country needs both moral help and moral clarity.

Are you looking for a way to measure the health of your marriage ministry? Join JP De Gance as he shares a tool you can use to understand if your marriage ministry is working.

The number of Americans who identify as agnostic, atheist or don't affiliate with a particular religion has grown dramatically since the 1990s, according to the research center.

Marriage is a vocation, just like the priesthood and religious life. Many people forget this and treat marriage as the place “ordinary” people go to who don’t have a special call from God.

In America, marriage is on the rocks. The rates of matrimony have plummeted. And, as is so often the case with these sorts of social trends, explanations prove complicated.

Having a child is a profoundly important milestone in any adult’s life. You may change where you live, where you work, and with whom you spend your time.

As the millennials hit more major milestones of adulthood, it is becoming evident how the generation is fundamentally reshaping many aspects of life and society in the U.S.

Communio is set to launch new partnerships with some of the largest bell cow churches on the Dallas side of the DFW metroplex

Can we start tackling the real problems now?

Moms' Employment After the Kids Grow Up

How the sign of the cross can transform your marriage

Religious Freedom after the Sexual Revolution: A Catholic Guide

Georgia ranked 4th for divorce inquiries during the pandemic.

Want to increase economic mobility for yourself and others? Make friends at church.

Baby Blues: How to Face the Church’s Growing Fertility Crisis

This is the Greatest Threat to Our Society | The EDIFY Podcast

Marriage rates are plummeting. Faith in Jesus Christ has taken a nosedive. Are these related? What can we do to fix it? J.P. DeGance explains.

As culture continues to pledge that happiness is something one can give to the self, studies seem to point to a different reality: the most content and satisfied people consistently find happiness in faith.

The Bible points to a deeper truth—that it is not good for us to be isolated from community.

ROME — Saying “superficial” marriage preparation programs leave many couples at risk of having invalid marriages or unprepared to cope with the struggles that arise in every marriage, Pope Francis endorsed suggestions for a year-long “marriage catechumenate” drafted by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life.

"The basic contexts for us fathers really to connect with our children remain in reach if we are savvy and intentional in actualizing them. No one can do it for us, no one can replace us. We need to be systematic and consistent."

June and Hubert Malicote, both turning 100 this month, adhered to one rule when they had disagreements.

Strong, stable marriages are key to helping young people find faith.

This past summer, Joey and Samantha Paris did something that shocked many of the New York friends they had made working on Wall Street and Broadway: They married at the age of 24. Their decision to marry in their twenties surprised their peers for three reasons.

In 2013, President Obama charged our nation with a solemn mission in response to the tragic murder of Hadiya Pendleton. Hadiya, a middle-school girl, was shot in the back by an eighteen-year-old-boy as she was standing in a Chicago park with friends. He mistook her friend group for a rival gang.

Every bishop, priest, and pastor should read “Endgame” for the sake of the Church and the country. Much evangelization assumes things taught in families that don’t exist. This book shows the way to family—and renewed faith.

"According to a growing body of evidence, this massive erosion of fatherhood contributes mightily to many of the major social problems of our time.”

Our mission is to provide a platform to equip and resource churches for marriage ministry with strategies from other churches that are making an impact in marriage in their local area.

What are “traditional family values” and what is their role in the life of a Christian?

The Vatican is gearing up for the World Meeting of Families 2022, which will draw around 2,000 Catholic families to the Italian capital next week to meet Pope Francis and hear talks on marriage and the faith.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The vast majority of U.S. adults believe in God, but the 81% who do so is down six percentage points from 2017 and is the lowest in Gallup's trend. Between 1944 and 2011, more than 90% of Americans believed in God.

The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life would like to invite you to be part of the renewal of Catholic family life by joining us for a dynamic series of 5 webinars exploring the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life.

KANSAS CITY, KS — Communio and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas have launched a major partnership to equip and mobilize parishes across the archdiocese to save the family by strengthening and fostering healthy marriages and relationships.

The vast majority of children no longer grow up with both their married parents in the household. Divorce rates remain high. Cohabitation is common and acceptable, lessening commitment. How has the government encouraged these detrimental trends? Why are they worsening?

That includes Republicans and Democrats, gun owners and non–gun owners.

A new report by Wendy Wang and Brad Wilcox finds that young adults from disadvantaged circumstances who follow the success sequence—that is, at least graduate high school, work full time, and marry before having children—are significantly more likely to achieve economic success.

Show Dad some love this Father’s Day! This simple, printable kit is the perfect kid-friendly activity that Dad will love. Below are printable Father’s day coupons, a “#1 Dad Certificate”, and a game for the family.

In a recent Barna survey, working mothers shared with Barna that they are feeling overwhelmed, navigating workplace shifts and desiring time to prioritize self-care, findings we’ll take a closer look at in this article.

Americans are more likely than they were three years ago to say single women raising children on their own and couples living together without being married are bad for society, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2021.

Two trends have long made it a challenge for couples to maintain a strong connection over the course of their marriage. Couples tend to get progressively more comfortable with each other over time. At the same time, the burdens they are asked to carry get heavier and heavier.

The completely selfless love of an ordinary husband for his ordinary wife and his ordinary children is nothing short of extraordinary. It changes the world. "Everyone says I am strong, but rarely appreciated that Brian was always the engine, the mentor, the force of love that kept not just me, but the whole family not just running, but enjoying our lives. He taught us to, as he would say “Take an interest in the world.” When he was your friend, it was for life. He was on your team, right or wrong. If we fought it was only because he was driven to ask whether I was really on his team with something I did or said."

Studies have shown college is the perfect place where people meet their future husband and wife. There is a high correlation between spouses’ degree of educational attainment, a pattern of pairing usually called “educational homogamy.” Check out the top 50 schools that produce married grads.

Maintaining a happy marriage takes a great deal of work, from managing work-life balance to navigating financial woes and everything in between. Studies have shown that people with stable, higher-paying jobs tend to experience lower divorce rates than those who don’t earn as much money. Check out the list of jobs here.

A recent survey by Deseret News and Marist Poll found that only 21% of young adults report going to church once or twice a month. Research suggests that religious faith originates in the home, and fathers play a major role in whether it lasts. Find out the societal and generational implications a father’s religious influence is diminished or removed.

How do you define happiness, and why is it important for us to think about? Check out this conversation between Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project and Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and professor Arthur Brooks from Harvard University to learn more about the four happiness habits.

After marriage, it is often seen that men, and especially women, start gaining weight. On average, married women gain 24 pounds in the first five years of marriage. In a study of 43 couples, researchers found a connection between marital stress and making poor food choices. Learn the science behind why marriages may be the cause behind packing on those extra pounds.

We’re told that Millennials are “lonely, burned out, and depressed.” When we consider our generation’s childlessness and the growing popularity of early sterilization among younger generations, we must ask ourselves whether it is a cause or a symptom of our hopelessness.

Do we need marriage? Are the poor leading the way by abandoning it? Are the rich hanging on to marriage as some kind of status symbol? Is marriage permanently dented or is it just going through a bad patch? Read more on how to guide couples considering marriage here.

Entering fatherhood for the first time represents a major milestone in a man’s life. Although fatherhood invokes fear into the hearts of young men, particularly during the initial phase, the benefits of fatherhood itself are great and underreported. Learn more about how to encourage men on their fatherhood journey.

In bomb shelters and battle fronts, in wedding dresses and military fatigues, thousands of Ukrainian couples are getting married in the midst of the Russian invasion. Read more about how Ukranians are finding strength through marriage during these drastic times.

Contrary to the popularly held stereotype, pet owners “do not tend to have fewer kids,” explained Lyman Stone, research fellow at the Institute for Family Studies. Instead cultural attitudes on the priority of having a family have shifted, and massive economic changes are driving down fertility rates even further by forcing would-be parents to have less children than they would like, or to delay or even forgo children altogether.

The marriage crisis in the United States will deepen if we don’t do something to help, and JP DeGance knows how. In honor of National Marriage Week, listen to part 2 of the interview with him dives deeper into concrete ways parishes are helping couples to stay together.

Should people have kids? Is there a reason to follow the advice of Pope Francis and Musk on this?

If you’re looking for romance, stop focusing on what you and your date have in common.

Conventional wisdom tells women to focus on professional advancement in their 20s and wait to marry and start a family in their 30s. As the thinking goes, this plan allows women to “establish themselves as independent adults” and “maximize their odds of a lasting bond.” However, the Wall Street Journal has found “an interesting exception to the idea that waiting until 30 is best.”

Recent research suggests that young couples are doing fine, despite the stereotypes.

Have you ever experienced couples arguing within your congregation? They were trying to communicate with each other. But somewhere along the way, wires got crossed. Let’s explore a few reasons why they’re misunderstanding each other and how to cut through the noise.

It’s now marriage proposal season—the time between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day when nearly 40% of couples decide to get engaged. The holidays tend to put people in mind of marriage. So what’s the best age to put a ring on it?

Fr. David Moses shares more insight into his life as a young, energetic priest. Experience the relatable side to priesthood with his story on how he "sabotages" his friend's wedding.

Suicide now kills about 45,000 Americans per year. The increase brings new attention to the social factors that might shape a person’s decision to end their own life. Among these, family relationships stand out. Learn how to encourage family formation, stability, and harmony within your congregation.

The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life would like to invite you to be part of the renewal of Catholic family life by joining us for a dynamic series of 5 webinars exploring the Liturgy of Domestic Church Life. Don't miss out on this special opportunity!

The wedding at Cana didn’t happen only once — if we look, we can see it in our own lives over and over. We should be familiar with the facts John presents about what happened at Cana — Mary’s intercession, the “first of the signs” of Jesus, and more. With its lessons, Cana sparkles and glistens many times more than the finest of jewels the bride might have been wearing. Let’s take a look at what just a small few of the gleaming jewels tell us, starting with marriage.

Workism is a new word, and it’s a good one. It captures the spirit of our elites, who from childhood are raised to be workers for work’s sake. Work is their priority, their imperative, their strategy, their solution, their delight, their governing ­philosophy. Read how this could be effecting the people in your congregation.

Read how "Encanto" is helping restore a narrative about stories that are not picturesquely happy or neatly socially conservative, but point to the potential transformation of familial wounds into strong and resilient love.

Before COVID-19 shut things down in March 2020, the independent evangelical church averaged about 220 people a week. Almost two years after the church briefly suspended in-person services because of COVID-19, he says they are averaging about 150 people a week. Read more here.

Five years ago, a Catholic family of 16 made international news for sending their children to college without any debt – and now the parents are offering their financial advice in a book.

The average American couple gets married around the age of 30. Many young adults believe that forming unions closer to that age reduces their risk of divorce, but we also have evidence suggesting that religious Americans are less likely to divorce, even as they are more likely to marry younger than 30.

The Covid-19 pandemic upended many family dynamics but one positive consequence of this upheaval: Parents shared more dinners and read to their children more often. How do these changes to the nuclear family affect the future of the church? Read more to find out.

Brad Wilcox is the Director of the National Marriage Project, and a Professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He joined Bob Sirott to talk about how couples have coped throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, how internet searches of “divorce” spike in January - listen to the discussion now.

More conversation needs to happen to help revive a pro-marriage culture. Social dialogue devoid of meaning and purpose — and long on superficiality and consumerism — is the root of the global decline marriage is witnessing.

The average American couple gets married around the age of 30. Many young adults believe that forming unions closer to that age reduces their risk of divorce, but we also have evidence suggesting that religious Americans are less likely to divorce, even as they are more likely to marry younger than 30.

The local pastor is perhaps the most commonly called “first responder” to a marital crisis, but most are ill-equipped to handle it. Anyone who works in this field will tell you that it is far easier to save a marriage by preventing it from ever falling into such a crisis in the first place. Learn more here.

“I had been specifically praying for ways to solidify my marriage – a path,” said a woman who joined a new couples small group with her husband. “Ask and you shall receive indeed!"

“According to the authors [of Endgame], the way to save the declining American family is to have churches across the country more actively pursue family and relationship ministries.”

How can your church feed those who are wounded so they can better know Christ? J.P. De Gance, Communio's President, highlights findings on how to do just that in his conversation with Eric Metaxas on his new book, Endgame.

Above: Registration page for “Pancakes with Santa”. With consultative and marketing support from Communio, St. Ann’s in Midland is hosting a major Christmas-themed outreach for more than 1,175 people from the community not already connected to the church.

During 2020 many church parishes were closed and homes became, for a short time, the place where families prayed and sacrificed together, begging the question, "will any of this impact our love and understanding of the church of the home”?

Only in fairy tales do couples get married and live happily ever after. In real life, all marriages have their ups and downs, good times and bad. But while many couples are generally satisfied with their relationships, others become greatly disappointed with theirs.

Pathologies of unruliness are being displaced by pathologies of passivity. This article by The Dispatch discusses how technology and the internet have fostered the ability for people to function with less personal interaction. Learn more here.

The number of U.S. homes with a married couple and kids fell to a record low, according to new government data, as the pandemic further delayed weddings and more adults don’t plan to have kids at all. How will this affect the future well-being of the American church?

Many of America’s Protestant clergy, whether suffering from the pandemic, burnout or feelings of isolation, are thinking about quitting, according to a survey released Tuesday.

We’d determined our ‘win’ was 300 people. We stopped counting at 750.

Pope Francis, who has often spoken about pastoral ministry for married couples, observed that those who have come through crises are a valuable resource. Today there is a great need for people, for spouses who know how to bear witness to the fact that the crisis is not a curse, it is part of the journey, and it constitutes an opportunity.

A new report, “Women in the Workplace,” by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. illustrates how the pandemic imposed an especially heavy toll on working women. It found that one in three women over the past year had thought about leaving their jobs or “downshifting” their careers.

Research suggests the current generation of religious young adults might value abstinence more than those in past decades.

A new study found that couples who meet online are more likely to get divorced during the first three years of marriage. Learn more here.

With marriage and church attendance on a steep decline overall in the United States, Catholic parishes need to make some radical changes in the way they approach marriage ministry and teach the faithful about relationships.

More than 3,000 participated in a series of Communio-supported marriage and relationship-focused outreach and skills ministry activities run by our church partners this past weekend – with more than 30 percent of registrants, on average, being non-church-members.

The pope and the president met in October to discuss the issues of social and economic justice. But unfortunately, they left out the single biggest item that reduces poverty and closes the income gap in the West: healthy and fruitful marriages.

COVID-19 turbocharged polarization in America. Although many hoped the pandemic would bring us together, on many fronts, it drove us farther apart. A new report suggests this polarization extends to the home front. As the Delta wave recedes, Americans look more divided than ever—by income, religion, and political allegiance.

Great relationships are formed, not found. Falling in love can still be the foundation for building a strong relationship, but it is the beginning—not the end—of the story. Read this article as a way to help guide the couples in your congregation.

When I was 9 years old, my parents separated and then divorced. When I was 15, I announced to my mother that I no longer would go to church. Apparently, in doing so, I was living out a common phenomenon. As marriage declines, so does religious belief.

After a violent week of fighting in school that saw 23 students arrested in three days, some dads decided to take matters into their own hands. They formed Dads on Duty — a group of about 40 dads who take shifts spending time at the school in Shreveport, Louisiana, greeting students in the morning and helping maintain a positive environment for learning, rather than fighting. Take a deeper look at the power of fatherhood here.

The Senior Pastor at this one church in Texas reported that at least 50 percent of those in attendance at his recent Outreach Event were brand new to his church!

Middle and upper-middle-class American families have gotten used to outsourcing a lot of their life: child care, cooking, house cleaning, and even driving. Pandemic-related health fears and work disruptions have changed some traditional family responsibilities. More on this cultural shift in this article from IFS.

Compared to other groups, more young adults view marriage as old-fashioned and out-of-date, although more than half agree the institution makes families and children better off. What's causing this inconsistency? Learn more with this article from Deseret News.

A new study from Pew Research Center released Tuesday underscores the economic advantages of being married, especially as the share of single people in the U.S. has grown over the past three decades. Access the insight to this research from AP News below.

The vocation of marriage is in crisis. But there is something that can be done about it right now, by every faithful Christian. We can reclaim humanity, explains author Mary Cuff with Crisis Magazine, from modern isolation and anonymity on a local level—one healthy, holy couple at a time.

Vibrant Christian families, where the joy of the Gospel is celebrated each day, are a powerful evangelizing tool for a society that is battling loneliness and depression. The future of the church depends on it details this article from The Leaven.

Where are our churches falling short? What's the way back? Communio President, J.P. De Gance shares his insight on church attendance and active faith in the wake of his new book, Endgame.

Some parents have lost faith in traditional schools, others fear exposing their kids to the coronavirus — and the broad exodus could further weaken America's struggling public education system. More on how this affects the family dynamic at this link from Axios.

Dinnertime now lasts 15 minutes longer than it did before the pandemic began, according to a recent study of over 2,000 people. This family time is critical to the health and overall wellbeing of the American family. Check out these statistics on how family meals are evolving.

All of the family strengths are interconnected and are impossible to separate. What unites the strengths is that each is founded upon a sense of positive emotional connection. Learn more about how the families in your church can harness these strengths through this article from Family Strengths.

Ever heard the term "opposites attract." The reality is that people sometimes don't pick partners that share all their habits and preferences. Help couple's in your church navigate these differences with these strategies from Focus On The Family.

Pastors, you know that relationships are messy. Are your congregants equipped to tackle hard topics that come with being in a relationship? Check out this article by Love Thinks for strategies for managing these kinds of conversations.

The family dinner can be a refuge and a place of restoration. So why is it that America is moving away from the idea of family dinner? This article from IFS suggests that healing can be done around the table, regardless of the size of the family.

What keeps these couples together? It is free and complete submission to Jesus Christ, whose Cross deeply unites every aspect of their lives. Institute these practices in your own parish for long-lasting marriages.

We’re in the heart of wedding season! Help the couple's in your church prepare for marriage with this insightful article from WinShape Marriage.

The concepts of we-ness and couple identity arise throughout philosophy, literature, poetry, and social science. Here's what leaders of the 21st Century Church have to say about it.

The story of marriage is so prominently woven in God’s story with humanity that God took the first two chapters of the Bible to ensure we captured it. If marriage is this important to God, shouldn't we be praying for it? Stadia invites you and your church to partner with them in praying for the health of marriages in the church.

Pornography crept into their marriage. His wife found out about it. And a feeling of betrayal set in. After months of unmet expectations on both sides, their marriage was pushed to a breaking point.

Wedding bells were muffled when America locked down to cope with the pandemic. Now, research is showing that many are ready and willing to exchange vows again. What does this mean for marriage in the church? All your questions will be answered in this riveting article from Deseret News.

Enjoy 11 nuggets of marriage wisdom from the ladies of Love Thinks. After reading through this interesting brunch conversation, women will walk away with one question, "Who can I go to when my marriage needs lifting up?"

As the saying goes, ladies first, but now it’s the guys' turn to soak up wisdom from some of the happiest married men in the world. Check out this insightful article from Love Thinks, as the author shares key takeaways to helping men find satisfaction in marriage.

For the past 50 years, the constant drumbeat from the news media, popular entertainment, and from all other cultural influencers has been this: The nuclear family, consisting of one child or more living with both a married mother and a father, is a dinosaur on its way to extinction. But new information is showing the opposite - there is hope for the family and hope for the future of marriage ministry.

Dr. Stinson explains that people are often taught that romance and friendship are totally different types of relationships that form in different ways and meet distinct needs. The new findings, however, suggest people really can have their cake and eat it too.

On this episode of "Moment of Truth," Nick and Emma sit down with Brad Wilcox, Director of the National Marriage Project and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, to discuss the sorry state of marriages in the United States, the impact of healthy families on our culture and economy, and how the impact of COVID-19 might not be so bad for our marriage rate in the years to come. Get insight that will help the future of marriage ministry in your church by checking out the link below.

With summer in full swing, Communio-supported churches are ramping up creative outreach into their communities to support marriage and relationships. 

Our lunch in Billings today included leadership from the largest churches in Montana – such as Faith Chapel and Harvest Church. This was an incredibly encouraging meeting.

The Archdiocese of Detroit just launched a two-year pilot initiative to equip three large parishes with Communio’s marriage-strengthening model.

Accessible marriage ministry opportunities are essential to the emotional and physical health of your church. Misery during a marriage is a ‘risk factor just like smoking,’ say Tel Aviv researchers, leaving men 69% more likely to die from a stroke. Read more on this shocking study from the Times of Israel.

Humans have a tendency to take their partners for granted. Gratitude serves as a buffer against that. Encourage the couples in your congregation to thank their partners more often with these simple tips from The Atlantic.

Priorities are shifting. Birth rates have reached extremely low levels in virtually all high-income countries. How will this affect church attendance in future generations? Download this study from the Institute of Family Studies.

It's no surprise that Americans are lonely. This presents a unique opportunity for the church to meet people in their loneliness. Read more on this poll from APNews.

As pastors, you know that not all families look the same. In some situations, uncles must play the paternal role. Research is now showing the significance of uncles in the identity formation and development of children. Read more on these interesting findings from Institute of Family Studies.

Father's Day is right around the corner. The fathers in your church might be looking for more ways to stay connected to their adolescent daughters. Check out this article by ChildMind for 10 ways to encourage fathers to stay engaged.

Ed’s alcoholism threatened his marriage with Heidi. But, a car accident while driving under the influence changed everything. Listen to this powerful couple's testimony from a Communio-supported church in Fort Worth.

Experts have found that empathy in a marriage can be transformative. In this article from Prepare and Enrich, you'll recieve helpful insight on practical applications to empathy that you can share with the married couples at your church.

Research is showing that the success of a marriage is pretty closely connected to the wedding, itself. Check out this article from Lifehacker to learn more.

Science suggests shared mealtime is good for the mental and physical health of each member of the family. Learn more about how this time together could positively affect the members of your congregation in this article from The Conversation.

Earlier this month, Communio helped his church plan and market their first big in-person outreach since the pandemic began – a “Rockin’ Date Nite”. Pastor Doug tells us more than 27 percent of the more than 1,000 attendees were new to the church.

Facebook is working on a new version of its popular app that’s targeted at children under 13. Experts are saying this is a bad idea. Learn more about how this update could affect the psyche of the youth at your church in this article from Vox.

Looking for a marriage-related reading list to share with your congregants? The Federalists just released their 10 top books for rejuvenating the American family.

When work becomes the centerpiece of life, the most valuable things in life suffer. Check out this article by AEI for a comprehensive analysis on how work may be affecting the families in your church.

Contrary to popular beliefs, some pandemic relationships are doing just fine. Check out this article from the Cleveland Clinic for tips on encouraging couples on how to keep love alive.

Between relationship education programs and couple's therapy, couples' have several options for serving their relationships. Learn more about these options for couples in this article from the Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science.

The psychology of birth order has been discussed since the beginning of time. But is there a science to support the claims that family order affects personality? Check out this article by Times Magazine to enjoy anecdotal evidence from Lynn Berger.

“We had many more guests for this event than we had on Easter,” said Pastor Scott. “With the way that Communio ran the marketing for us - we were able to find families who perfectly fit the programs of our church. Due to the geo-locating of the advertisements, we were able to meet families who live right around our church but had never been inside the doors.”

How do happy marriages stay happy? What qualities help a marriage endure? Researchers like DeFrain have spent decades publishing studies dissecting marriages to figure out what works to keep couples happy for the long haul. Read more from this YahooLife article below.

Before the pandemic, calendar Tetris and multitasking were the name of the game for many families. We now have a unique opportunity to advocate for less instead of more. Learn how to preserve this healthy pace in this article from Washington Post.

Many of the keys to a satisfying, lasting bond are probably already present in most relationships. Help couples maximize them by following these 10 tips from Greater Good Magazine.

Communio’s President, JP De Gance, sat down with Jeremy Beer on the Givers, Doers, & Thinkers podcast to discuss the status of marriage in the United States and what it means for civil society. Click below to listen.

Children are some of the world's greatest communicators. Enjoy a breakdown of all you'll need for marital bliss by this Kindergarten classroom.

Did you know that praying for your partner has scientific benefits? Check out this study from Florida Statue University for a breakdown of how prayer affects commitment.

Relational Authority is a powerful tool, which invites people into bringing themselves to the conversation as they are. Check out this valuable article by Springtide Research Institute on relational wellness and how you can practice it in your relationships.

"Gray Divorce", a term used to describe those over the age of 50 experiencing divorce, has nearly doubled since 1990. Yet, little is known about the economic impact of these statistics. Check out this study from Journals of Gerontology to learn more.

Communio President JP De Gance joined Greg, Brad, and Brian at REimagine Podcast to discuss the organization’s work with marriages in churches and what they can do to take the first step to make marriage ministry a front porch for the church's evangelization.

"Yes" a word that can express the heart of being a wife—and more generally the heart of being human. The marriage proposal symbolizes the rich, lifelong yes of choosing each other every day.

Dr. Mark Regnerus joins Albert Mohler for a conversation about the future of Christian marriages. Listen to this discussion on the latest episode of Thinking in Public.

Marriage remains a defining landmark in the lives of more well-off, college-educated Americans. But it is well on the path to obsolescence among the less educated, poor, and working class. In other words, marriage adds another dimension to the nation’s inequality, one that both explains and perpetuates America’s divisions. Read this fascinating article from American Compass below.

As Texas ends its mask mandate and restrictions on public gatherings, churches in Midland and Odessa – home to Communio’s second City Platform in the Permian Basin – are launching a wave of new outreach and engagement over the next 30 days to support marriages.

Sanctuary’s director of missions and outreach, Sean Ray, tells us that every one of the paid registrations for the in-person portion of the event came in through the digital campaign Communio designed and ran – 75 percent of them are not members of the church.

“The biggest success,” said Fr. Charles, “was to see a completely new team of workers. Christian, Sloan, Maria, Rachel, Antonio...a completely new team of workers who set up and cleaned up.  It was a marvel to my eyes."

We all have that one couple that we look up to - the one we try to emulate our relationships after. How do the role models in our lives step into that leadership role? Check out this article by Prepare & Enrich for a few tips on becoming a positive example for others.

The pandemic has been hard on children. Sibling screaming matches seem louder, now that they have no where to go and nothing to do. Provide the parents in your congregation with the resources they need to mediate arguments with this helpful article from Irish Times.

Falling in love is exhilarating, but that feeling isn’t the key to a happy relationship or compassionate love. Check out this article by the Atlantic, for a rundown of how to find contentment in your relationships during any season of life.

New research suggests that children who grow up in warm and loving homes have a better chance to become compassionate adults. Learn more about this interesting Finish research project at the link below.

Children are some of the world's greatest communicators. Enjoy a breakdown of all you'll need for marital bliss by this Kindergarten classroom.

Marriage has been on a downhill trajectory for generations, but with millennials, it's a free fall. Why is this? Check out some of the latest research by Bentley University and Pew Research Center for a comprehensive analysis of this detached generation and where we go from here.

"If we were more honest about the so called challenges of wedded bliss, we'd all be better off." American culture demands for more transparency in marriage. Elle suggests that couples should embrace each moment without the pressure of labeling. “There are moments of both joy and suffering in any relationship, but the sacredness of marriage is weathering the storm.”

Research shows that the psychologically flexible person excels in family life. Characterized by their open-mindedness and independent thinking, they have the ability to embrace every moment. Learn more about how the church can encourage these qualities at the link below.

The instinct to nurture was embedded in male biology from the beginning of creation. Though, nowadays, men have stepped into a more providing role, research shows that our early fathers were caretakers. Read more from this counter-cultural article at the link below.

The question, "why" is no stranger to parents. However in a year that's left everyone wondering why, parents are finding themselves stumbling over how to answer this difficult and pressing question - "why are we still at home?" Check out this article by the Child and Family blog for tips on how to guide parents through this difficult season of transparency with their children.

American's attitudes about marriage are changing and these trends are consistent with attitudes surrounding morality, which has moved in a less traditional direction. For some of the latest news on these kinds of discoveries, check out this article by Gallup.

The Marriage Foundation released an interesting research paper on the effects of childhood stability in non-married families. For a breakdown of this research, check out the link below.

Need a good laugh? Check out this compilation of hilarious tweets that perfectly depict the good, the bad, and the humorous parts of marriage.

Studies are now showing a link between paternal depression and a child's internalizing of negative emotions. Read more on this groundbreaking discovery by Psy Post study at the link below.

Studies are now showing a link between paternal depression and a child's internalizing of negative emotions. Read more on this groundbreaking discovery by Psy Post study at the link below.

The affects of a father's presence in the household are psychologically exponential for a child's development. That is why promoting responsible fatherhood should be at the forefront of every organizations priorities list. Check out this article by IFS as they share the lengths being taken to promote this kind of environment in black communities.

Cohabitation is the new norm. Shifting gender roles and expectations, the delay of marriage, and a secularizing culture are leading more American adults to believe that moving in together before tying the knot is a good idea. A recent Barna study asked Americans their views on cohabitation: the pros, cons, motivations, and effects of living together prior to marriage. Gain insight into this cultural shift with the article at the link below.

The way that families relate to one another is dependent on generational patterns. Check out this article by Psychology today, as they shed light on simple adjustments families can make to better connect. 

The pandemic has brought historic challenges to parents, as they have had to manage their children, while working from home. At this point in the year, many parents are feeling burnt out. Read this article to learn about how they are coping

Springtide Research Institute asked over 2,000 young people, ages 13–25, what they are planning and how they are feeling about this winter holiday season and their answers consisted of two things: rituals and relationships. 

Save yourself the time it would take you to navigate to your google search bar and check out this list of must read marriage blogs by marriage experts, Love Thinks!

Nearly all US couples believe that it is possible to have a career, raise a healthy family, and stay in love, but does data support this ideolody? Check out this article by Barna for a breakdown of statistics and helpful insight for making it work.

We live in a tumultuous time. Like all living organisms, love in a marriage needs to be nourished to thrive. What works for one may not work for another, and what worked once may not work now. Therefore, we frequently need to focus on and tend to the health of one’s marriage and not take its existence or our spouse for granted. Check out this article with some simple and practical tips for keeping love strong in today's marriages.

We live in a tumultuous time. Like all living organisms, love in a marriage needs to be nourished to thrive. What works for one may not work for another, and what worked once may not work now. Therefore, we frequently need to focus on and tend to the health of one’s marriage and not take its existence or our spouse for granted. Check out this article with some simple and practical tips for keeping love strong in today's marriages.

Statistics following this years pandemic are predicting a decrease in the number of divorces, since spouses are able to spend more time together working on issues. To read more, check out the link below.

Statistics following this years pandemic are predicting a decrease in the number of divorces, since spouses are able to spend more time together working on issues. To read more, check out the link below.

Interfaith marriages are far more common than that of marriages between two individuals of opposing political parties. Studies are showing that only 4% of people willingly marry into marriages with different political affiliations. To read more about these interesting statistics, click the link below.

Helen Alvaré, an internationally recognized scholar on the family and an advisor to the Holy See, and Jared Smyth, Communio’s national director of church strategy, host an exclusive discussion on how the current crisis can be a time for renewing the Church.

Communio quickly developed an online toolbox of free and inexpensive digital resources and outreach strategies pastors can leverage to serve marriages at this time of crisis. We call it the COVID Crisis Toolbox for Relationships.

Will marriage be the next victim of COVID-19? Join Communio and the nation's leading sociologist on marriage – Dr. Brad Wilcox – to learn about the challenges and opportunities for marriages during this COVID-19 pandemic.

One of Communio’s most dynamic church clients, LCBC Church, hosted its largest ever Outreach Event with more than 6,200 attending their “Great Date” experience on 13 of its campuses across central and southern Pennsylvania.

Communio is replicating its model across Martin, Midland, and Ector counties – home to the sister cities of Midland and Odessa.

Communio, a national nonprofit that consults with churches to leverage data insights and ministry best practices to strengthen marriages and relationships, has launched its first new City Platform this summer.

Communio just launched its largest initiative ever and first citywide project of 2020. Local donors have provided start-up funding for Communio to build its fourth, family-strengthening, City Platform in Tarrant County, Texas – home of Fort Worth.

Communio President JP De Gance sat down with John Stonestreet at The BreakPoint Podcast to discuss the organization’s work with local Christians in Jacksonville, Florida to reduce the divorce rate by a historic 24% over three years.

Communio is launching a three-year initiative to equip local churches in Denver, CO to strengthen marriages, reduce divorce, and grow their congregations through Data-Informed, Full-Circle Relationship Ministry™.

The 100-year old St. Matthew Catholic Church in Conshohocken, Pa. will become a model for parish renewal in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by implementing Communio’s Data-Informed, Full-Circle Relationship Ministry™.

Communio just wrapped up another successful two-day training and planning session with one of the most influential Mainline Protestant churches in the United States – the historic Truro Anglican Church in Fairfax.

by John-Paul De Gance, October 20, 2019 12:00 AM: Marriage season is in full swing. Early autumn has become the most popular season to marry, as more and more couples choose an October wedding. In fact, October lays claim to three of America’s most popular wedding dates.

By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter: A faith-based nonprofit in Virginia that uses data tools to help churches build more effective relationship ministries could have already helped drive down divorce rates in Florida’s most populous city.

A faith-based marriage enrichment program developed in Jacksonville appears to have driven divorce rates down. Can the model be replicated? In 2017, something unprecedented took place in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jacksonville Baptist Association and local Catholic Diocese joined forces to co-sponsor a large marriage education and enrichment program for the Duval County area. What inspired local Catholics and evangelicals to come together was a privately funded community campaign to strengthen marriage. Over a three-year period, an organization called the Culture of Freedom Initiative (COFI) worked with about 50 Protestant and Catholic churches and over 40 local nonprofits to reach about 50,000 adults in Jacksonville…

NEWSWEEK – Anyone who's experienced divorce knows the tragic consequences. It's hard on the adults, the kids and anyone else connected to it. In an age where common ground is hard to find, there's been widespread agreement in academic and political circles about the importance of family stability in the lives of children and communities across the country. Yet there's also been a real sense of fatalism about our ability to do anything about it. Changing something as important as divorce rates has seemed about as possible as changing the weather to many experts and social scientists.

With Communio’s help, LCBC Church, with more than 18,000 adult attendees, is now making relationship ministry for singles, married, those preparing for marriage, and those in crisis their number one priority in 2020.

WASHINGTON EXAMINER – To understand the vast gap in efficacy between government work to promote healthy marriages and the work of civil society, one privately funded project, now called Communio, worked with local organizers and churches to produce a sharp decline in divorce in Jacksonville, Fla., by 24% over three years. The program cost just 0.8% of the cost per person of the federal program, which was created during the Bush administration.

Since 1950, we have seen a 30% drop in marriage rates. This breakdown is affecting America’s social fabric and communities in profound ways.

VOX – Today, members of the millennial generation are ages 23 to 38. These ought to be prime years of careers taking off and starting families, before joints really begin to ache. Yet as a recent poll and some corresponding research indicate, there’s something missing for many in this generation: companionship.

Communio President JP De Gance joins Traci DeVette Griggs on Family Policy Matters, a weekly radio show from the North Carolina Family Policy Council, to discuss how Communio operates and what it is doing differently to strengthen marriages and limit divorces.

Communio President JP De Gance continues his conversation with Traci DeVette Griggs on Family Policy Matters, a weekly radio show from the North Carolina Family Policy Council. He discusses how Communio equips churches with Big Data tools and relationship ministry best practices to strengthen marriages in a community.

Do Millennials Believe in God? Communio’s President JP De Gance sits down with Blanquita Cullum on The Hard Question – a local Chicago-based show broadcast locally on WCGO and on Soundcloud – to share our key findings on the direct relationship between the strength of married life and active faith practice. They also discuss the launch of Communio’s first City Platform in Billings, Montana as well as our plans to scale into new cities in 2019.

Faith is Falling Because the Family is in Freefall Communio’s President JP De Gance sits down with Bill Martinez on Bill Martinez Live – a nationally syndicated conservative talk show – to share our key findings on the direct relationship between the strength of married life and active faith practice. They also discussed the launch of Communio’s first City Platform in Billings, Montana as well as our plans to scale into new cities 2019.

THE WEEK – According to a recent YouGov survey, some 30 percent of American millennials say that they are "lonely." More than 20 percent report that they have no friends; a quarter claim to have no close ones. Many even insist that they have no "acquaintances," which should, one hopes, be impossible. But I wonder. For even younger people, in so-called "Generation Z," the figures are even bleaker.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS – Communio…used the latest marketing techniques to "microtarget" outreach, engaged local churches to maximize its reach and influence, and deployed skills training to better prepare individuals and couples for the challenges they might face. [Communio] highlights how employing systems thinking and leveraging the latest in technology and data sciences can lead to significant progress in addressing our urgent marriage crisis.

JP DeGance, president and CEO of Communio, discusses the proven, data-informed strategies that strengthen families, marriages, and faith.