This year my wife, Marlene, and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. During the last four decades, we have lived and worked across this great country, had the privilege of raising our two boys, and welcomed two daughters-in-law and one grandchild into our family. While we have been blessed by the Lord in many ways, we also recognize there are different seasons of marriage. As a couple walks through life together, they will celebrate joyous moments, but they’ll also walk through challenges. Some couples struggle to navigate conflict in a healthy way, or they struggle to communicate well. Some are faced with grief and loss. And some are forced to deal with heartbreaking difficulties like addiction and infidelity.

At Focus on the Family Canada, we believe God designed marriage to endure through trials, sickness, financial crises and emotional stresses. As a member of the Focus on the Family Canada board of directors since 2003 and now as interim president, I have been honoured to see couples find the help and guidance they need to experience this kind of thriving, lifelong relationship. Marlene and I have also benefited from the many resources Focus offers to couples – no matter what stage of life they find themselves in, and no matter what challenges they may be facing. One of the newest resources made available for couples are our free online video series. These have been especially helpful during the last year as the pandemic has created new and unexpected challenges for couples, bringing up issues they’ve felt unprepared for. These series have provided a wealth of information for couples to work through some of these difficulties and strengthen their marriage.

When couples sign up, they get access to videos from marriage experts on a variety of topics. In addition to the video content, we have also curated resources and information to equip couples to dive deeper into the topics addressed and be equipped to make lasting, positive changes to their relationship with their spouse.

We currently have five video series for couples, but we’re always working to add more. You can find each individual video series by visiting the links provided, or you can click here to browse our full collection for both couples and parents.

Finding Hope for Your Hurting Marriage with Dr. Gary Chapman
Dr. Gary Chapman is best known for his book The Five Love Languages, but his decades of work as a marriage counsellor have also enabled him to provide hope to even the most hurting marriages. In this six-part video series, he speaks to those couples who feel hopeless. Watch as he addresses the necessity of living in reality, our emotional needs, depression, control, abuse and infidelity. In each video, he provides practical, godly advice for couples who feel all is lost.
Click here for this free video series.

Discovering God’s Freedom from Pornography with Nick and Michelle Stumbo
Pornography addiction is often not talked about in our church communities, but many Christian couples are suffering from its damaging effects in silence. Nick Stumbo knows this very well as he struggled with pornography addiction for 17 years – even as he worked in ministry. In this six-part video series, he and his wife, Michelle, courageously share their story, talking about how God guided Nick on a healing journey by bringing his addiction into the light and ultimately experiencing freedom and renewal.
Click here for this free video series.

Fight Your Way to a Better Marriage with Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley
Bestselling authors and marriage experts Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley have helped countless couples learn to navigate conflict well. Many mistakenly believe that conflict is unhealthy, but when done right, it can actually help your marriage! In this seven-part video series, they address topics such as opening a closed heart, how to stop having the same fights again and again, what lies couples need to stop believing about their relationship, how to work toward a solution together, and more.
Click here for this free video series.

From Anger to Affection with Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley
When it comes to marital conflict, there is a lot to learn, but you may not know that the moments immediately after conflict provide you with a precious opportunity to build trust and intimacy in your relationship with your spouse. In this five-part video series, the Smalleys provide real, practical help for you to move from feeling angry at your spouse to showing affection to them. Plus, you’ll also enjoy a free devotional download to strengthen your marriage.
Click here for this free video series.

Cherish Your Spouse with Gary Thomas
Not all couples are experiencing major heartache, but every couple can benefit from learning one new skill: cherishing. Bestselling marriage author Gary Thomas explains that many husbands and wives love each other, but they don’t always like or appreciate each other. In this five-part video series, he provides practical ideas to cherish your spouse: by paying attention to them, going to them first, supporting, encouraging rather than criticizing, and avoiding contempt. Even if we do it imperfectly, cherishing opens a doorway to a happier, more fulfilling marriage relationship.
Click here for this free video series.

We are only able to provide these video series for free because of the generous support of friends like you who believe God calls husbands and wives to love, honour and respect one another. As we seek to equip more couples with free resources like these, I would ask that you help us spread the word. And if you’re ever interested in joining our ever-growing group of supporters, you can click here.

Whatever you and your spouse may be facing in your marriage, I want you to know we’re here for you. If you and your spouse would like to be covered in prayer, you can call our team and we will pray with you over the phone, as well as remember you in our staff prayer time every weekday morning. If you would like to speak with a counsellor, we offer a free one-time phone consultation, and we can also refer you to a trusted counsellor in your area. If you’d like to dive deeper into one of the topics mentioned, you can also call our team for a resource recommendation. Please do not hesitate to reach out for help. We are just a click, an email or a phone call away. Email us with your questions or concerns, or call our team at 1.800.661.9800 to learn more about how we’re here to help.

I also want to tell you about our Hope Restored marriage intensive retreats. Designed specifically for couples in crisis, these three-, four- and five-day retreats provide proven, focused counselling from our marriage therapists who are trained to deal with issues such as infidelity, addiction and communication breakdown. You can learn more or call 1.833.999.hope (4673).

Thank you for sharing our heart for couples across the country to experience God’s hope and peace as they grow ever closer in their marriage. May God bless you and your family in the days ahead.