7 - Diocesan Structure for Establishing and Sustaining the Sponsor Couple ® program.

                                                                                                  [updated 8-17-2024]

1 – Couples are recruited and trained for Sponsor Couple ® ministry by the local parish.

1. The pastor is responsible for recruiting, training and assigning sponsor couples.  These responsibilities can be delegated to members of his staff.  See “The Pastor’s Handbook” https://marriagepreparation.com/page/?pg=158 .
    
2.  Sponsor Couples ® Training can be done by:

• For Better & For Ever ®:  We now provide Training by Zoom...for more info > Training by Zoom
   
• The Sponsor Couple ® Committee[1] of the diocese (if one exists)  

2 – Appropriate diocesan oversight will include the following:

1. The Sponsor Couple ® Committee of the diocese will maintain & regularly update a list of active sponsor couples.  So this includes a process of periodically removing the emails of those couples who are no longer functioning as sponsors. The list will include only the name of the sponsor couple, their email address and the parish they are currently ministering in.  Each parish will have its own list that includes more information about each couple, such as whether both are Roman Catholic, how long they have been married, what languages they may be fluent in, etc.
    
2. The Sponsor Couple ® Committee of the diocese will provide a yearly report of the status of the sponsor couple program in the diocese.  This report will be given to the appropriate person/office of the leadership of the diocese.  The diocese may want to have this report published in the diocesan newspaper.
    
3. Couples on the diocesan list receive an email with a link to the For Better & For Ever ® Newsletter (they can always opt-out).  The Newsletter informs Sponsor Couple ® ministry teams about what is happening with For Better & For Ever ® and encourages them to look into resources for ongoing formation as spouses, parents and sponsors.