Arusi Network, Inc.  

Design for Growing a Parish-based Marriage Ministry

Phase Two

Sponsor an enrichment experience for married couples.  This experience will be the foundation for the next phase.  The program should be informative, affirming, encouraging and spiritual.  Another important character of the program is that it should be designed from within the African American culture.  Because there are many interfaith marriages in the African American Catholic community, the program should be done ecumenically.  My organization, Lyke To Lyke Consultants, offers two formats:

ARUSI (AH-ROO-SEE) Retreat: Arusi means marriage celebration in the African language, Kiswahili.  This is a weekend format program where married couples retreat from the day in ‑‑ day out routine to focus on their marriage.  The couples explore ways to keep their relationships fresh and gain tangible tools that help them to make their marriage a reflection of God's love.

USHUDA (OO-SHOO-DAH) Workshops: Ushuda is Kiswahili for witness.  This a shorter program that can be done in two four-hour sessions or one eight-hour program.  Couples experience the powerful effect of like‑to‑like ministering through a facilitated, disciplined sharing group.

In both the Arusi Retreat and the Ushuda Workshops, couples learn techniques that help to clear the channel of communication between them.  An emphasis is placed on recognizing God as the center of the relationship.  Couples emerge from these programs more empowered to lead their families to the revitalization African American families so desperately need.