Mission statement for marriage


Marriage: Developing a Marriage Mission Statement

  • May 1, 2013
Marriage: Developing a Marriage Mission Statement
Know Why You are Developing a Mission Statement as a Couple

Life is about choices. When you intentionally make the right decisions, so many things will go well in your marriage – never perfect but far better. When you make the wrong choices, the fall out in your world at home can be severe. You add sorrow upon sorrow to your relational experience. Interesting. There is a third category…those who fail to choose. They will lose by default. Letting life take its course in your marriage without setting priorities and goals leaves you and your future family helpless to the cultural current. Not good for you or your family.

Three Verses for Developing a Marriage Mission Statement

Three verses come to mind when considering developing a Marriage Mission Statement. Joshua 24:15 reads, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Your decision sets the tone in the home and the trend for the future. You need to live what you believe. You need to make the choice. You need to put God first and buy in at a deep heart level. In so doing, you make a commitment to what’s really important.

Psalm 127:1 reads, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Will you let Him be the chief architect in your marriage? Will you build with Christ as your foundation? How will that be seen in your day-to-day life? Weave this into your mission statement.

We are called upon to “please our mates” – that truly honors the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 7: 33-34). I cannot live to please the Lord without caring well for my spouse. They need to be my earthly priority ~ it says, “Our interests our divided”. Pleasing God yes, but simultaneously pleasing my spouse.

What is a Marriage Mission Statement?

A Marriage Mission Statement (MMS) is a vision for what you want your marriage to be. Done well, it will help shape the next generation too, as the stronger YOUR relationship is the greater security and stability you will give you children. A MMS is an expression of your core values of life for your primary relationships ~ God and spouse. It will reflect your priorities – what’s important to you. It is a merger of what you believe life and marriage are about.

Keep in mind that in your MMS, you are not focusing on describing who you are as a couple now as much as whom you want to be in the future. It is true though the latter grows out of the former. A MMS becomes your goals – the target to aim for in your marriage. It is describing what it is you want and then agreeing to get on the same page.

Ultimately, the best MMS has to be something that you as husband and wife are very passionate about. It must truly grab you at a heart level. Your MMS needs to carry such weight in you that you pray that some version of it will be in the life of your children’s children long into the future. It is part of your legacy.

It is out of this deep conviction about your MMS and your enthusiasm and commitment to it that you will be able to transfer the implications into your family and, Lord-willing, into the lives of all your kids before they leave home. Your marriage is ideally to be their best premarital preparation. It is said, “the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree”. A MMS is your tree. Here is our MMS. It’s overly detailed and could use some tweaking but since we jointly aimed at this, we are quite happy and grateful to the Lord with how things turned out in our family.

Revisit your MMS every year or two. Update as needed. Now let’s get started.

The Process of Developing a Marriage Mission Statement
  • SET UP SOME DISCUSSION TIMES: Have two or three 30-minute discussions to begin getting your initial thoughts. Write everything down. Try to record it in your own words. You are looking for 3-5 traits or descriptions that you want your marriage to be. Pray together asking God to lead you.
  • DEVELOP A GOOD SET OF QUESTIONS: Hear is a collection of questions you could use to get the discussion about marriage goals started. Use them during the different times that you discuss your MMS.

1. What do you like about our marriage?
2. What don’t you like about our marriage?
3. Why do you like being part of our marriage?
4. What is different about our marriage?
5. What other marriage do you really respect? Why?
6. What is important to our marriage?
7. What kind of marriage do we want to have?

  • DETERMINE WHAT CATEGORIES YOU WANT TO INCLUDE: While you are free to include anything you want to in your MMS, here is a basic guideline. It is wise to include your views about God, others and you as a couple.
  • God: Who we are in relation to God as a couple. Describe where God should fit in. How important is God to our marriage?
  • Others: Who we are in relation to others outside our home. Describe how we will impact our world. How important is caring for others? How do you want your marriage to be in the lives of others?
  • Your Marriage: Who we are in relation to each other? Describe how we want our relationship to be. How important will my marriage be to me and me to my marriage?
  • Be careful about adding too much that is really secondary. A MMS is not a collection of everything you believe. It is your core values. Remember – less is often more.
  • CHOOSING A MARITAL VERSE OF SCRIPTURE: Ask God to lead you to a verse that is going to frame your marriage. Be sure to use a modern translation for more understandable wording.
  • SPEND TIME TWEAKING AND PRAYING: You want to be in full agreement with the final product. Tweak the wording into clear and warm language. Reread it daily for about 2 weeks. When committed to it, post it in a prominent place in your home. Ask God to help you live it.

If you have half of your children age 10 or older, you may want to create a Family Mission Statement as well. Details on how to involve the kids are on our website. Visit us regularly for a ton of helpful resources to strengthen your marriage and family life. Check out our new podcasts on itunes. We’ll help you in Doing Family Right – God’s Way. We invite your comments there as well. Start living with purpose.

© Dr. Dave Currie – March 2013


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30 Marriage Mission Statement Examples • Eat, Sleep, Wander

Creating a marriage vision statement is an important step couples take as they prepare to embark on a lifetime of marital commitment. Marriage vision statements provide a snapshot of the couple’s values, hopes and dreams for the future. It helps the couple stay focused on their shared goals, while also inspiring them to continually work towards these objectives. Writing a powerful, meaningful marriage vision statement, however, can sometimes be tricky. To help you get started, here are 30 marriage mission statement examples that can provide the perfect source of inspiration.

Example 1

Our marriage will be founded on acceptance of one another’s differences, while always striving to ensure mutual respect and understanding. We will always remain committed to being open and honest in communication, and honoring each other’s feelings and emotions.

Example 2

In our marriage, we will strengthen and nurture the spiritual bond that binds us together. We will be each other’s greatest source of emotional and physical support, prioritizing marriage growth over individual growth.

Example 3

We will always prioritize shared faith-based values, and will uphold these values no matter what life throws our way. Our marriage will be a reflection of our devotion to God’s will, and will be nourished by our Christian values.

Example 4

We both value spending quality time with one another, and will do our best to keep this a priority throughout our marriage. We recognize the importance of creating a strong bond of trust and intimacy so that we can go through life together, hand in hand.

  • See also: 50+ Wedding BIO Examples

Example 5

We are determined to make our marriage a model of unconditional love and understanding. We will always listen to each other, communicate openly and honestly, and actively work against feelings of resentment.

Example 6

We vow to make our marriage a source of inspiration for our friends, family and children. We will strive to build a life of mutual respect and collaboration, nurturing each other’s dreams and passion so we can grow together.

Example 7

In our marriage, we will prioritize consistent communication, trust and respect. We will listen to each other without judgment and extend patience and understanding whenever possible.

Example 8

We want our marriage to be a mutual partnership of respectful collaboration and enduring love. We will strive to stay connected, maintaining an accurate awareness of each other’s emotions while taking joy in the little things.

Example 9

Our marriage will be sustained by a foundation of honesty and uncompromised values. We will always stay true to our beliefs and principles, putting our marriage first and cherishing our commitment.

Example 10

In our marriage, we will strive to have equal respect for each other. We will cultivate a relationship of genuine love, acceptance and validation; creating a strong bond of trust and loyalty.

More Marriage Mission Statement Examples on the next page…

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Official website of the Embassy of Sri Lanka

Registration of marriages

  1. One of the married partners must be a Sri Lankan citizen and must provide information on the marriage status to the Sri Lankan Embassy. (Download form)

  2. Marriage can be registered at the Embassy within 12 working days from the date of receipt of information about the marriage and within three months from the date of marriage.

  3. Valid passports of both partners must be provided.

  4. At the time of registration, 2 witnesses with valid passports must be present.

  5. For registration of marriages, the following documents must be submitted:

    • Letter of inquiry

    • Embassy issued identity card

    • Certificate of marital status

    • Marriage information

    • Valid passports

    • Visa / residence permit information

    • Consular fee

Marriage between two citizens of Sri Lanka

  • Certificate of marital status / written confirmation that both partners were not married must be certified by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, located at: Sri Lanka, Colombo 01

Marriage between persons one of whom is a citizen of Sri Lanka and the other is a citizen of another country

  • The non-Sri Lankan co-partner must obtain a marital status certificate from the Embassy of the country of which they are a citizen.

Registration of marriages in Sri Lanka

To register a marriage in Sri Lanka, you need to provide the following documents:

  1. Written confirmation that neither of the partners is married / certificate of marital status in case the partners were not previously married (Documents valid only for 6 months from the date of issue)

  1. Valid passports and visas of both partners (Originals)

  2. Divorce Certificate (Original) if Applicant is divorced (with official English translation)

  3. Death Certificate (Original) in case of death of the Applicant's spouse (with official English translation).

Written confirmation that the partner is not married/certificate of marital status must be certified by the Consular Department of Foreign Affairs of the country where one of the spouses is a resident. For example, if you are a citizen of the Russian Federation, a written confirmation that you are not married/certificate of marital status must be certified by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

If you wish to register a marriage in Sri Lanka, you need to certify a document confirming that the partner is not married / certificate of marital status at the Embassy of Sri Lanka before using these documents in Sri Lanka. We provide certification of documents for citizens of the following countries.

  • Russia

  • Belarus

  • Ukraine

  • Moldova

  • Armenia

  • Kazakhstan

  • Uzbekistan

Sri Lankan marriage certificates for foreigners will be issued in English. Otherwise, you will need to translate into English using the services of an interpreter present at the registration. Also, the certificate must be submitted to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka for certification.

Consular Department Address

Sri Lanka,

Colombo 01,

B.O.I Building

3rd Floor

Mr. Baron Jayatilake Mawata,

certify the marriage certificate at the Embassy of your country in Sri Lanka or the nearest accredited country. Documents submitted for certification must be in English and certified by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. After that, submit the documents to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country for certification.

Consular fee

REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGES

USD

Certificate of marital status

20 USD

Application for marriage certificates in accordance with paragraph 24 (Certificate of marital status)

0.00USD

Marriage registration

20 USD

Each additional copy of

20 USD

CONSULAR DEPARTMENT0076

Opening hours 10:00 - 12:30 and 14:00 - 16:00 (Monday - Friday)

Weekends - Saturday, Sunday and public holidays

Tel.

  +7 495 688 16 20

Факс:   +7 495 688 17 51

E - mail :  consular @ srilankaembassy . en

(If you are unable to reach us, please e-mail your request)

Marriage Registration - U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan. This process consists of several steps and it is important to follow this order.

Please plan ahead : If you are a US citizen and you are going to be legally married in Uzbekistan, you must bring the following civil status information with you:

  • Certificate from a US vital records agency that you are not currently married; and
  • If applicable, proof of termination of previous marriage(s), including divorce decrees or death certificate of former spouse.

View a list of state agencies that issue birth, death, and divorce records.

Attention: When you receive these documents, you MUST legalize (not just notarize, but legalize with the Apostille seal) in the prescribed manner before your arrival in Uzbekistan. Otherwise, they will not have legal force in Uzbekistan. This process can be lengthy. Please read the legalization information on our Notary Services page.

When applying for an Uzbekistan visa, the fiancé/bride in Uzbekistan must/do not issue an invitation through the Office of Entry, Exit and Citizenship Registration (OVViOG) of the Republic of Uzbekistan for a PV visa - a personal visit. The Uzbek authorities announce that T-Tourism visa holders cannot register a marriage in Uzbekistan.

According to the laws of Uzbekistan, the bride and groom must undergo a medical examination before marriage is registered.

Make an official translation : The personal information page in your passport must be translated into Russian or Uzbek and the translation must be certified. The Embassy does not provide translation services. There are a number of agencies in Tashkent that provide translation services. Advertisements for their services are available in local newspapers. The Embassy does not give any guarantees of the quality of services of such agencies.

Must register : If you live in a hotel, you will be registered automatically; otherwise, you are obliged to register yourself at the Department for Migration and Citizenship of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Proof of registration is required for further consideration of your marriage registration application.

Go to the registry office : Take with you all the documents that you have collected (including a certificate that you are not married and documents proving that previous marriages have ended, a certified translation of the passport and the passport itself with a valid visa Uzbekistan and with a valid registration) and go to the Civil Registry Office (ZAGS) at the place of residence of your fiancé/bride.


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