Marriage Counseling

New Life Christian Center offers marital, pre-marital and step-family counseling at no cost for its members and regular attendees. Counseling is not available for those who do not attend New Life Christian Center.

All couples are highly encouraged to take advantage of the classes periodically taught at the Church. These include marriages classes, premarital classes, step family classes, and others.

Marriage Counseling

Counseling is offered by appointment Monday - Friday during the day. Late evening or after-work appointments are available on a very limited basis.

Premarital Counseling

Couples who desire to be married at NLCC or by one of NLCC's Pastors must participate in our premarital counseling program. If you are considering marriage, it is important that you schedule premarital counseling as early as possible in the engagement period. Premarital counseling generally consists of 8 sessions. For that reason, we recommend contacting us 6 months in advance of the wedding date or as soon as you know what the wedding date is; counseling sessions must be completed at least one month prior to the scheduled date of the wedding.

Premarital counseling sessions may be held in small groups consisting of the counselors and more than one premarital couple.

We will not provide premarital counseling or perform a marriage ceremony for couples who are living or sleeping together. To participate in premarital counseling, you will need to correct the situation by moving out, living separately, and stopping sexual relations. If you don't want to do that, we suggest you find alternate means of getting married such as seeing a Justice of the Peace.

Ministers Right to Refuse To Marry

The minister has the right to refuse to marry any couple for reasons including professional ethics, serious incompatibility of the couple, or failure of the couple to complete premarital counseling.

The officiating minister will refuse to marry a couple when there is suspicion of intoxication by way of alcohol and/or other drugs.

In a case where a conflict in schedules arises the minister will arrange for a substitute to conduct the wedding in his absence.

What to expect for marital and premarital counseling

Counseling sessions last 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Counseling sessions are typically held at the home of Rick & Rebekah Porterfield in Johnston, SC, but classes are periodically held at the Church.

You will have homework, and the homework is mandatory.

To schedule counseling, call 803-275-0663. Appointments are often two to three weeks out, but if a cancellation creates an opening, we may be able to get you in sooner.