Events planned for National Marriage Week, ending with Valentine’s Day

The Marriage Initiative will kick off its annual week celebrating the institution of marriage on Feb. 7 with a week of in-person and live-streamed events slated to finish on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. Events and discussions will center around the theme of pursuing a lasting love and focus on the core desire to be loved. National Marriage Week will livestream expert discussions for eight nights at 7 p.m. CST. Participants are asked to register in advance for viewing links. Churches and organizations in states across the country also plan dinners, workshops, and events for nearby residents to take part in.

How will the theme of “pursuing a lasting love” be featured? The program will host an expert panel every night to discuss marriage through the lens of topics like parenting, intimacy, individuality, crisis management, and staying young at heart. Panels will include a number of recognized speakers, many of whom are professing Christians. Some of the names include:

• Vice President of the Focus on the Family Marriage Institute Bob Paul

• Future Marriage University co-founders Michael and Julie Johnson

• Awesome Marriage Podcast host Dr. Kim Kimberling

• How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk author John Van Epp

• Visionary Family Ministry founder Dr. Rob Rienow, known for hosting the podcast Family Vision.

• Catholic radio psychologist Dr. Ray Guarendi, known for his insight on common sense parenting while hosting The Doctor Is In.

• Catholic counselors Greg and Lisa Popcak, known for hosting the Sirius/XM program More2Life.

• Grace Marriage Ministry founder Brad Rhoads

• Marriage psychologist Willard F. Harley Jr., author of His Needs, Her Needs.

• Relationship specialists Bill and Pam Farrel are known for their bestselling book Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti.

• Christian marriage author Jim Burns known for works like Finding Joy in the Empty Nest, and Have Serious Fun: And 12 Other Principles to Make Each Day Count.

• Sexual purity speakers Jonathan Daugherty and Juli Slattery

• Christian counselors Chris and Jamie Bailey, hosts of the Expedition Marriage podcast

• Marriage Alive International nonprofit founders David and Claudia Arp, known for authoring the 10 Great Dates series

• Co-founders of the Married for a Purpose program Greg and Julie Gorman