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PRIMER ON THE CFC YOUNG COUPLES PROGRAM

RATIONALE
As the family goes, so goes the nation and the whole world in which we live. --St. John Paul II

Our Catholic faith places great value on the sacredness of the family, its importance in the mission of
Christ, and its impact in modern society. The Famliaris Consortio, a post-synodal apostolic exhortation
written by Saint Pope John Paul II, stands as our living guide and testimony to the Lords call to protect
the life and purpose of the family. However, we have been witness in recent times to the harsh and
sometimes subtle attacks on the family.

Couples for Christ, being Families in the Holy Spirit Renewing the Face of the Earth, desires to
preserve the sacredness and unity of the family by forming and ministering to the particular needs of
todays young couples in order to empower them to stand against the attacks on marriage and family.
By helping young couples build strong families who will become family evangelizers that will set the
world on fire with the fullness of Gods transforming love, we in CFC will also be contributing to
building a strong and united Church.

Caring for young couples will also harness their vibrancy and dynamism to continue to build up
Couples for Christ and further Gods work for the Church of the Home and the Church of the Poor.
Todays young couples, leaders of their growing families, will be the communitys future leaders who will
steer CFC towards where the Holy Spirit will lead. Thus they need to be pastorally formed and
empowered to be the best examples to their children, to the community, and to society.

OUR CATHOLIC CHURCH AND YOUNG COUPLES

All of these are consistent with the Catholic Churchs teaching on the importance of the family.
In Familiaris Consortio, particular emphasis is given to the needs of young families, namely, that The
family should be helped and trained in their responsibilities as they face the new problems that arise, in
mutual service and in active sharing in family life ---- This holds true especially for young families, which,
finding themselves in a context of new values and responsibilities, are more vulnerable, especially in the
first years of marriage.

Furthermore, it highlights the urgent need for communities to take on this calling for pastoring
these young couples:
Thus, within the ecclesial community the great family made up of Christian families there
will take place a mutual presence and help among families, each of putting at the service of others its
own experience of life, as well as the gifts of faith and grace. Animated by a true apostolic spirit, this
assistance from family to family will constitute one of the simplest, most effective and most accessible
means for transmitting from one to another those Christian values which are both the starting point and
goal of all pastoral care. Thus, young families will not limit themselves merely to receiving but in their
turn, having beenhelped in this way, will become a source of enrichment for other longer established
families, through their witness of life and practical contribution.

As members of the Catholic Church, Couples for Christ aims to prepare married couples to
become pastors of their young children, training them to uphold moral values and Catholic culture,
making Christ the center of their way of life.
It is in this light that the Young Couples Program was developed.

OBJECTIVES

The CFC Young Couples Program aims to:

a) Assist and form young couples throughout their adjustment period as husband and wife and as
parents by creating an environment where they can be easily supported and receive formation
b) Effectively transition SFCs who get married to mainstream CFC
c) Prepare the next generation of CFCs, gearing them towards continuing the mission together
with their families;
d) Tap the potentials of young couples to become committed leaders of CFC
e) Preserve CFC culture and Christian values in young families to make them inspiring examples to
other families


GUIDELINES IN IMPLEMENTING THE YOUNG CFC PROGRAM

The CFC Young Couples Program aims to assist chapter heads, who are the decision makers in
their area, in handling and pastoring young couples. The following serve as guidelines in implementing
the program:
1. The Young Couples Program was established to promote appropriate focus and provide
assistance to young married couples in and through CFC community life.
2. The Young Couples Program is intended for couples who have been married for 15 years or less
regardless of biological age.
3. The Young Couples Program is not limited to existing Couples for Christ members, but also open
to engaged CFC Singles for Christ member/s and even to non-Couples for Christ community
members.
4. The program is designed to support the CFC areas life and mission by helping them identify,
revive, and/or activate their young couple members.
5. A young couple members participation in the program is temporary. The goal of the program is
to lead each member towards full transition and immersion into the CFC structure.
6. Young couples who are participating in the program are to be part of a CFC Chapter as members
of a regular household, preferably with other young couples until they are already ready to be
integrated into other groupings of the chapter. They are to participate in the mandated
activities of CFC, i.e., Chapter Assemblies, Prayer Meetings, Conferences etc.
7. Young couples in the chapter are to be placed under a household head with the gift and
willingness to relate with and minister to young couples, and who can be a good mentor in
building a healthy Christian family life.
8. Engaged SFC couples are to be integrated into a CFC chapter after they are married. They need
not undergo the entire CLP, except for Talks 7 and 11, unless they have finished the Singles
Engagement Retreat. Talks 7 and 11 may be given by the CFC chapter head to the couple.
Engaged couples where either one is not an SFC member will need to go through the CLP.
9. The Young Couples Program aims to achieve both long-term and short-term goals through
relevant activities that will generate interest among young couples in the area and address
issues that will help them build strong Christian marriages and families. These may include
assemblies/teachings for young couples and the Singles Engagement Retreat to be conducted by
the sector/province.
 10. The Program intends to propose a transition scheme that local CFC areas can use to smoothen
the integration of young couples in their area.

ACTION PLANS

The following are the initial short-term goals to jumpstart the program and promote appreciation for it
by the different CFC areas:
a) Design supplementary formation materials that are relevant to young couples, to be passed on
to the CFC areas. These will be given in the form of assemblies/teachings.
b) Provide a Young Couples Program Appreciation Module that can be conducted in the
sectors/province.

At the same time, the Young CFC program aims to follow through with the long-term goal of
designing and developing further pastoral formation materials that will enable the empowerment of
young couples to be of support to other young couples as well. The Young Couples Program envisions to
create the following manuals:
a) The Young Couples Program Manual
This will contain the fundamental principles of the program, and the implementing
guidelines in grouping, structure, and handling to guide every leader of CFC in taking care of
young couples.
b) Young Couples Household Head Guide
This aims to enable household heads in pastoring young couples in a household or as
individuals. Household heads are instrumental in the spiritual journey of young couples.
c) Young Couples Assembly Manual
This will contain topics that can be used to conduct a periodic assembly for young
couples for both CFC and non-CFC members. This may be used as an evangelization tool that can
encourage young couples who are not with CFC to attend and help them realize that one of the
best ways to sustain their marital, spiritual, and family journey is through CFC.
d) HH Topics Manual
This manual will contain topics for household use that are highly relevant to the life and
marital stage of young couples . This is important in sustaining and strengthening the
relationship of a young couple.