ABSTRACT
It is 6 p.m. on a Sunday evening in the fall when we drive up and park on a tree-lined street in a suburb of Washington, D.C. We have been invited to attend a quarterly gathering of a couples group that has been meeting with a changing cast of couples for nearly 25 years. The group's first iteration was as a class for couples who attended a mainline Protestant church and were interested in discussing the marriage bond. The group now meets outside of the church's purview and continues to explore marital and family relationships. A number of the couples in the group, including the couple hosting this meeting, have been members since the group's inception. The group is structured so that different couples take turns hosting the potluck dinners. After dinner, the host couple suggests the theme and format for the evening. For example, couples may be given a specific topic, asked to spend some time alone, and then return to the group to share their thoughts on the topic. Children are often present during the dinner and then find space to do their homework while the adults meet. This church has a number of such groups meeting in different formats throughout their community.
