Engaged Encounter is an investment in the future - a weekend experience in which an atmosphere is created that enables each couple to concentrate exclusively on one another while free of the pressures and interruptions of daily life. However, this weekend is not a recreational retreat. It is a program designed to give each couple an opportunity to discuss honestly with each other, in a face-to-face manner, their strengths and weaknesses, desires, ambitions, goals, their attitudes about money, sex, family, their role in the church and in society.

Weekends are generally given at retreat centers in the area although occasionally we use hotels when the centers are unavailable. Currently we use Presentation Retreat Center in Los Gatos, St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista, and Vallombrosa Center in Menlo Park.

It takes many people to make a weekend happen. There are EE couples who work behind the scenes to handle business and logistics. The EE registration couple takes care of registration for the weekend. The financial couple handles budget.

The local coordinators oversee everyone and helps schedule the teams on the weekends. The priest scheduling couple schedules the priests and the facilities couple schedules the dates, the presenting teams, and acts as liaison with the facility managers. (And, of course, the webmaster maintains this page!)

On the weekend EE hosting couples greet and check the engaged couples at the facility. Finally, a priest and two presenting couples deliver the weekend's talks and facilitate the activities.

First and foremost you will become part of a community of couples who share a deep commitment to their marriages, their families, and their faith on a day-to-day basis.

Second you have the opportunity to increase your spirituality through optional community activities.

Finally, as a presenting couple you will be reaffirmed as the two of you share significant experiences from your marriage with the engaged couples.

Hosting Couple - Helps the Friday night checkin and occassionally for Sunday afternoon cleanup

Presenting Couple - Presents the weekends

Do you have other talents (artistic for banner making, or a nack for finances?)? Do you own a business that would be helpful to us (for example, copy shop...we make lots of copies!)?

If you are ready to learn more, contact Buzz and Anita Bickham, our couples Recruiting Coordinators by email or call them at 408-224-5941.

Any couple who wants to serve can become a hosting couple. The host couple must be available on Friday evening on the weekend that they are scheduled to host.If you are interested email our Hosting Coordinators.

Presenting couples are practicing Catholics who were married in the Church, and have been married at least one year.

Because of family and time commitments, it varies from couple to couple. Most couples average three weekends a year.

Presenting couples as well as all team couples are encouraged to attend a regular business meeting, usually held bimonthly on the second Wednesday of the month. In addition, many of the presenting couples take other responsibilities for the running of the organization: finances, web page, facilities, priest scheduling, team scheduling and much more.

Children of any age are welcome at the business meetings. However, for weekends, babysitting arrangements need to be made. Arrangements can be made with other teams or, if necessary, babysitting costs will be reimbursed by the community.

Neither are we. That's why we have our talks written out.

All talks are written from outlines which develop basic ideas and values. Presenting couples and priests add their own experiences to illustrate the concepts set forth in the outlines. You will be assigned an experienced EE "workshop" couple to help you develop your experiences and put them down on paper.

The time it takes to write your talks depends on you and your "workshop" couple. You will work out a schedule that fits into your schedule. Some couples have written their talks practically overnight, others have taken a year or more. One talk each month is a good average.

There are no financial obligations for the volunteers. The cost of room and board of a weekend is paid for by the community.

Currently we have seven presenting teams. Each weekend requires two couples (in addition to a priest).

For most positions you can try it as you like. For the presenting team this is a strictly a try-before-you-buy plan. We'll invite you to be our guest on a weekend. You'll experience the weekend from the perspective of the engaged couple and you'll have the opportunity to imagine yourselves as a presenting couple.

If you like the weekend and can see yourself in the picture we'll invite you to write three talks. You'll write your talks under the guidance of an experienced presenting team. When you are ready, you'll be given the opportunity to present those talks on an actual weekend.

Only after you've had the chance to actually experience being a presenting couple, will you will decide whether to make the commitment to finish writing the talks and become a presenting couple.