A Course for Christian Singles
Before
the Vow
The financial conversations every Christian couple must have before saying "I do."
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." — Matthew 19:5
Is This Course for You?
Built for the Christian single who is serious about getting marriage right
Not just the wedding. The marriage. This course is for you if any of these sound familiar.
You're engaged or seriously dating
You know the financial conversation matters, but you don't know how to have it without it turning into a fight.
You're a single parent entering remarriage
You love your new partner and you love your children. You need a plan that protects both — legally and practically.
You've never had a real money conversation
You've talked about values and faith. But the debt, the credit score, the assets — those conversations have never happened.
You want your finances to honor God
You believe money is a stewardship issue — and you want to enter marriage with a shared financial theology, not just a shared bank account.
The Questions That Keep You Up at Night
This course answers the fears most couples avoid
"If we merge everything and one of us dies — what happens to my kids?"
Without the right legal structures, your assets may pass entirely to your spouse. Your biological children could receive nothing. We fix this in Weeks 5 and 6.
"Does 'becoming one' mean we have to merge every account immediately?"
No. "Two becoming one" is a theological truth about covenant — not a banking instruction. Week 2 reframes everything. Week 4 builds the structure that actually works for your family.
"What if they find out about my debt and it changes how they see me?"
It's almost never the debt that destroys trust. It's the discovery that it was hidden. Week 3 gives you the framework for full disclosure — with grace, without shame.
"Is a prenuptial agreement unspiritual? Does it mean I don't trust them?"
A prenup is a financial conversation in writing — entered with full disclosure and mutual agreement. Week 6 reframes it as wisdom, not distrust.
"We fight about money every time we bring it up. Will that ever change?"
Money fights are almost never really about money. Week 7 names the five real roots of financial conflict and gives you the communication tools to resolve them.
"I don't know how to talk about my money history without it being a whole thing."
Week 1 starts with your own money story — before any couple conversations. By the time you sit down together, you'll know what you're bringing and why.
"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
— Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)
The Complete 8-Week Curriculum
Every week builds on the last.
Every lesson is scripture-grounded.
Week 1
God, Money & Me
Understanding your financial story through a faith lens
- What the Bible actually says about money
- Your money story: how childhood shaped your beliefs
- Identifying your money personality
- Surrendering your finances to God
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." — Romans 12:2
Week 2
The Theology of Two Becoming One
What Genesis and Matthew actually teach about financial unity
- Covenant vs. contract: why Christian marriage is different
- What "becoming one" means — and what it doesn't
- Stewardship as a couple: everything belongs to God
- The danger of financial secrets in a covenant relationship
"The two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh." — Matthew 19:6
Week 3
Facing Your Financial Reality
Full disclosure — income, debt, assets, and credit
- The full disclosure conversation — without shame
- Understanding each other's debt and what it costs
- Credit scores, history, and how to improve them together
- Your combined net worth statement
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." — Luke 16:10
Week 4
Designing Your Financial Structure
Accounts, budgets, roles, and decision-making as a team
- The three financial structure models — choosing what works
- Building your first budget together
- Who manages what? Roles and shared ownership
- The five-level decision framework that prevents most fights
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established." — Proverbs 24:3
Week 5
Protecting Your Children
Blended families, inheritance, and the conversations every parent must have
- Why blended family finances require deliberate planning
- The inheritance problem: how assets flow without documents
- Biological children vs. stepchildren: the honest conversation
- Child support, custody, and college savings
"A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children." — Proverbs 13:22
Week 6
Legal Wisdom for Loving Couples
Wills, trusts, beneficiaries, and prenuptial agreements
- The six documents every married couple needs
- Wills vs. trusts: and why beneficiaries override both
- Prenuptial agreements through a Christian lens
- How to find and work with an estate planning attorney
"Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it." — Ecclesiastes 7:12
Week 7
Money Fights & Money Peace
Navigating conflict, communication, and decision-making
- Why couples fight about money: what it's really about
- Five communication tools for financial conversations
- The Conflict Covenant: signed rules of engagement
- When to bring in a counselor, pastor, or advisor
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." — Proverbs 15:1
Week 8
Legacy, Generosity & Shared Vision
Your family's financial mission statement
- Writing your Family Financial Mission Statement
- Tithing and generosity as a spiritual discipline in marriage
- Retirement, generational wealth, and kingdom impact
- Your 30-day action plan: next steps after this course
"Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops." — Proverbs 3:9
Everything Included
Not just videos. A complete system.
32 Video Lessons
Four scripture-grounded lessons per week. Director-note scripts you can film yourself, or watch as-delivered. 10–15 minutes each.
8 Complete Student Workbooks
Downloadable PDFs for every week — reflection questions, fill-in worksheets, and write-in exercises designed to be completed together.
Pre-Built Financial Tools
Net worth statement, joint budget blueprint, debt tracker, beneficiary audit, and giving plan — ready to fill in, not build from scratch.
Legal Document Guides
Estate planning checklists, attorney interview questions, prenuptial agreement worksheets — everything you need to walk into a legal conversation prepared.
The Conflict Covenant
A signed, dated behavioral agreement governing how you will handle financial disagreements — a living document for your marriage.
Family Financial Mission Statement
A guided builder and final draft template — your family's one-page declaration of values, giving commitments, goals, and legacy vision.
Your Instructor
Marc Kitsko
Commander, U.S. Navy · Pastor · Financial Coach
I'm Marc Kitsko — a Pastor, Financial Coach, and active-duty U.S. Navy Commander with over 30 years of pastoral experience and 8 years teaching personal finance at the college level. I've spent my career walking with people through the most vulnerable conversations of their lives — debt disclosure, inheritance planning, blended family finances, and financial conflict.
That combination — pastoral depth, academic rigor, and the discipline of military service — is what shaped Before the Vow. I kept seeing the same thing: couples who were spiritually ready for marriage but financially unprepared for it. Not because they were irresponsible. Because no one had ever given them a framework for these conversations.
This course is that framework. Eight weeks. Thirty-two lessons. Every financial conversation you need to have before you say "I do" — grounded in Scripture, built on real financial principles, and designed to produce the kind of covenant partnership that holds when life gets hard.
I'm glad you're here. Let's build something that lasts.
What Couples Are Saying
From couples who did the work
"We had been together for two years and never once talked about actual numbers. Week 3 was the most uncomfortable and most important evening of our relationship. We are so grateful we did it before the wedding."
Marcus & Denise T.
Engaged, married six months later
"As a single mom entering my second marriage, Week 5 alone was worth ten times the cost of this course. I had no idea my children's inheritance was at risk. We had the legal conversations within 30 days."
Sandra W.
Single mother of two, remarried
"I expected a financial planning course. What I got was a relationship course that happened to involve finances. The Conflict Covenant from Week 7 is hanging on our wall. We refer to it when things get hard."
James & Carolyn M.
Married 14 months
30-Day Peace of Mind Guarantee
If you complete the first four weeks and feel this course isn't for you, reach out within 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked. The work you do in Week 1 alone will be worth your time — guaranteed.
Simple, Transparent Pricing
Invest in the foundation
before you build on it
Individual
$197
One-time payment · Lifetime access
- All 32 video lessons
- 8 student workbooks (PDF)
- All financial worksheets and tools
- Legal document guides
- Conflict Covenant template
- Mission Statement builder
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Couple
$297
Both partners · One-time · Lifetime access
- Everything in Individual
- Access for both partners
- Couples discussion prompts for every lesson
- Partner comparison exercises
- Shared worksheet downloads
- Priority email support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Questions? Email [email protected] — we respond within 24 hours.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do we need to be engaged to take this course?
No. The course is designed for Christian singles who are seriously dating, engaged, or even recently married and want to do the financial work they never did before the wedding. The earlier you start, the more valuable it is.
What if we don't have children from prior relationships?
Weeks 1–4 and 7–8 are fully applicable to all couples. Week 5 is written specifically for blended families but is worth reading even if you don't have children — you almost certainly know someone who does, and understanding these dynamics makes you a better friend and community member.
How long does each week take?
Each week contains four lessons of 10–15 minutes each, plus student notes with reflection questions and worksheets. Most couples complete each week in one dedicated evening of 2–3 hours. The course is self-paced — you move at whatever speed works for your relationship.
Can we take this alongside pre-marital counseling?
Absolutely — and we recommend it. This course covers financial material in much more depth than most pre-marital counseling programs. It works beautifully alongside a counselor who can hold space for the conversations the course opens up.
We have very different financial situations. Will this course still work for us?
Yes — and honestly, significant financial differences make this course more important, not less. Weeks 3, 4, and 6 specifically address how to navigate asset gaps, debt differences, and the legal structures that protect both partners fairly.
Is this course theologically tied to a specific denomination?
No. The course is grounded in Scripture — primarily Proverbs, Matthew, Luke, Ephesians, and Colossians — and reflects broadly evangelical Christian convictions about covenant marriage, stewardship, and generosity. It is not tied to any specific denomination or tradition.
The conversations that happen
before the wedding shape the marriage.
Most couples spend their first five years building the foundation you are about to build in eight weeks.
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