Art of Marriage Published July 27, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Mariah Tolbert 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Call to A.R.M.S. is hosting an "Art of Marriage" seminar at the First Assembly of God church in Goldsboro, August 5-6. Call to A.R.M.S. is a community-based Christian ministry that works with the Seymour Johnson AFB chapel and other partners to help Acknowledge, Respond, Mentor, and Support military relationships. Its mission is to acknowledge the unique life circumstances brought upon by serving in the military, respond by offering help and confidential services, mentor spouses and military members and support military families in the Goldsboro community. "It's about loving our military community," said Robin Moran, a co-director of Call to A.R.M.S. "We don't want our couples to just survive; we want them to thrive in their marriage." Call of A.R.M.S., along with Intentionally Yours Marriage Ministry at Whitley Church and the chapel here have put together a marriage seminar that is open to military members for a small fee of $20 per couple or $10 for an individual. The seminar consists of sessions that focus on every aspect of a marriage from communication to roles. The seminar comes with a manual that consists of activities to make couples work together, and even write love letters to each other. The idea of this program is to reconnect with your significant other and to make the relationship thrive. Call to A.R.M.S. has been in practice since February 2010 and holds bi-monthly dinners for military families with a focus on military spouses dealing with deployment. The group also offers help with hard-to-do chores such as lawn mowing, edging and small household repairs. Prayer groups are also available. "The more truth and the more tools we give to couples, the better chance they have to thrive during deployments and TDYs," Moran said. "Deployment tempo and not having a strong foundation in the relationship are the issues I see with military marriages," said Chaplain (Capt.) John Von Almen from the base chapel. "When you don't build that foundation, then it's easy to forget that the person you are married too, when times get tough, is your friend and your lover rather than your enemy." The dinners offered by Call to A.R.M.S allow couples and families to come together and talk about anything having to do with military life. It also allows spouses of military members to connect with other military members who are going through the same thing. It helps build a better connection between significant others and allows for better communication throughout the relationship. "Date nights are scarce for a couple, the free children's program provided at these meetings allow for the couple to spend some time together without worrying about having to pay for a sitter," said Sherry Jennings, a co-director of Intentionally Yours Marriage Ministry at Whitley Church. "It's relationship readiness training," Von Almen said. "One of the key things that help people deal with hopelessness and stress, especially after a deployment, is a strong relationship. The programs that we are offering and putting together provide tools to help our Airmen build those strong relationships, so they can have a healthy way to deal with the stressors and trauma of military life." For more information about programs being offered, call the chapel at (919) 722-0315 or e-mail Call to A.R.M.S. at CallToARMS@WhitleyChurch.com.