Florida Christian Marriage Retreats

No matter how deep your marital challenges are, our Florida Christian retreats offer a path to healing and unity.

Upcoming Florida Christian Marriage Retreats

Upcoming events

January 31-February 2

Tampa, FL

Financial Assistance Available

Explore Florida's Serene Retreat Venues

Experience Timeless Luxury and Historic Charm at the Tampa Bay Resort and Spa

So much more than a standard hotel or resort, Safety Harbor Resort & Spa is quite simply, spectacular! Classic and charming, pampering and luxurious, it offers guests timeless elegance and personalized service. The breathtaking resort and spa features all the amenities you would expect from an Old-World resort overlooking the glistening waterfront of Tampa Bay. The rich history, affordable luxury and endearing character combine to provide a setting that is positively paradise.

Enjoy the views of the waterfront outside the secluded meeting room.

Intensive Christian Retreat for Marital Healing

program begins friday at 7:00 pm and concludes on Sunday at 4:00 pm

An Introduction to the Retreat

When you attend our Florida retreats, you are never asked to share details of your marriage with other couples. This confidential setting allows you to share only with your spouse and one of the marriage counselors or coaches.

Our emphasis on Biblical truth allows you to seek and grow closer to God over the weekend. Through the teaching, many couples realize that they have left God out of their marriage. We specifically address how to bring Jesus Christ into the marriage.

Couples are able to work through issues that have been blocking their relationship and heal past hurts. They learn how to appropriately convey their emotional upsets to their spouse. They also learn how to listen to their spouse’s hurt feelings and show understanding and empathy in a productive manner.

florida-couple

First Day - Laying the Foundations of Faith and Commitment

We begin every day of our Florida marriage retreat with worship and prayer, focusing on our Creator, God. We believe in laying a solid Biblical foundation for a healthy marriage. On Day One, we look at God’s plan for marriage and what went wrong. We examine the stages of marital decline and the root causes.

Second Day - Improving Communication and Deepening Connections

Saturday begins with an exploration of our emotional needs and their importance in our relationship. We then explore emotions and how to appropriately share our upset feelings with our spouse. The next session focuses on empathy—listening, validating, understanding, and empathizing with our spouse’s upsets and hurts.

Furthermore, we will model and demonstrate what true Biblical forgiveness entails and how to achieve it, especially for the most significant hurts. Saturday evening will be dedicated to a major restoration project, during which most couples experience a profound level of healing.

During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to meet privately with one of our trained marital coaches or counselors. They will spend approximately 75 minutes with you to ensure success with the project.

Third Day - Crafting a Shared Vision for Your Journey Ahead

On Day Three of our Florida Christian marriage retreat, we assist you in developing a personalized plan for making attitude and behavioral life changes. We equip you with the necessary tools to take those crucial next steps toward a healthier, happier, and more godly marriage moving forward. During this day, we will closely examine the attitudes that need to change and focus on creating a plan for progress in specific areas, outlining how to accomplish these changes.

One of the key activities at our Florida intensive marriage retreat involves writing a heartfelt letter to your spouse, expressing appreciation and acknowledging their significance in your life. We will also explore what is required for success in your marriage and how to cultivate love and intimacy.

After completing our weekend marriage retreat in Florida, many couples share that they have experienced significant emotional reconnection. They have genuinely listened to their partner’s pain and understood them, often for the first time. Couples have been able to leave behind old grievances and are now prepared to move forward together, united in purpose. They have gained valuable tools for communicating on a deep and intimate level. Most importantly, many couples report feeling a renewed connection with God and a recommitment to their life and marriage in Christ.

What Sets us Apart

cultivating fulfillment

You’ll gain practical tools and relationship skills that help you improve communication, understand each other’s needs, and find practical ways to meet them. This will minimize frustration and enable you to experience greater fulfillment in your relationship.

enhancing connection

You’ll gain practical tools and relationship skills that help you improve communication, understand each other’s needs, and find practical ways to meet them. This will minimize frustration and enable you to experience greater fulfillment in your relationship.

embracing new insights

As our Florida Christian Marriage Counseling Retreats progress, you’ll gain insights and understanding to accept each other’s differences and learn how to leverage those differences to create more harmony and closeness in your relationship. 

Gain insights from marriage facilitators, coaches, and counselors who are not only serious and focused on problem-solving but also real, engaging, transparent, and fun. They share personal examples that you can relate to and provide tools that you can readily apply. Gain invaluable insights into the attitudes and actions that restore love and rejuvenate your marriage.

Find Florida Retreats

Our Florida Retreat Philosophy

Personalized Faith-Based Marital Assessment

Prior to coming, every person completes the Marriage Inventory Questionnaire, which is analyzed and reviewed by the team leading the weekend. This sets the stage for the particular group attending the weekend.

Private Counseling for Christian Couples

Every couple has the opportunity to meet privately with our trained marriage counselors or coaches while working through the major restoration project. The counselor or coach spends about 75 minutes helping and guiding the couple as they address and heal hurts in their relationship.

Discovering Retreats Beyond Florida

Restore Your Marriage and Make It Loving Again

VIEW RETREATS

Real Stories from Real Floridian Couples

We were in a really bad place in our marriage, and seriously considering separation and possibly divorce. This weekend, we were able to heal hurts, reconnect, fix issues and form a bond closer than we have ever had. I truly believe that we now have the tools to keep our marriage strong and sustained
Jessica
Married 7 years
Our marriage was at the breaking point. After this weekend, we were able to reconnect our love for each other, and learn how to work to keep getting better in our marriage. I prayed and surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Justin
Married 7 years
This weekend was so beneficial for my marriage. We have pushed so many things (death of our son, communication, parenting issues) under the rug, that resentment, anger, and a very tall wall was built up. I was almost seeking separation. When we went to our room and let everything out; talked, cried, and hugged, it was the breakthrough we needed.
Laura
Married 16 years

What to Prepare Before Your Marriage Retreat

To enhance the quality of your experience at our Christian marriage retreats in Florida and ensure your readiness for the weekend, there are several important steps you can take to maximize your success:

  • Take care of any loose ends now that could potentially distract you from fully engaging in the weekend. Complete any pending projects, delegate tasks, and communicate with friends and family to inform them of the dates you will be unavailable.
  • Keep your focus – We recommend a “media fast” for the weekend. Please refrain from bringing your laptop or iPod and limit the use of your cell phone. If you must stay in contact with loved ones, kindly request that they only call in case of emergencies.
  • Avoid Conflict – Avoid sensitive discussions about marital issues. Give each other some space.
  • Prioritize rest and get to bed early this week to ensure you are more resourceful during the weekend. The Marriage Renewal Weekend is an intensive marriage restoration experience, with each day filled with instructional sessions and private interactive projects and exercises.
  • Dedicate time for prayer and seek God’s guidance in your life and marriage as you embark on this journey.
  • Approach the weekend with an open mind, a teachable spirit, and a willingness to actively participate and learn.
  • Reduce stress by planning your travel time to the retreat. Leave early and arrive ahead of time to minimize stress and ensure a smooth transition.

Meet Your Retreat Leaders

Cornerstone was founded by Roy & Sue Milam in 1995. They have been married for 35 years. They share a passion for restoring marriages and helping couples build strong marriages and family relationships. Roy Milam has a Master’s degree in counseling, is a Marriage and Family Pastoral Counselor and an Ordained Minister. He authored “The Truth About Divorce”.

Sue Milam is also an Ordained Minister with a BS degree in Organizational Communications. She is trained in Counseling and Transformation Prayer Ministry. They have 3 grown children together and 2 from Roy’s previous marriage, as well as a granddaughter. Through their Christian Marriage Retreats, they have taught hundreds of weekends and have taught thousands of couples how to heal the hurts in their relationship, resolve conflicts and live together in oneness and unity. They live in Conroe, Texas. 

Four speaker couples work with Roy and Sue:​

Andy and Donella Cecrle reside in Santa Ana California. Andy is a licensed professional counselor in the State of Texas and is an Ordained Minister. Donella has a Masters in Social Work and has served as CEO of a non profit organization. Both are passionate about helping couples restore and heal their relationships. They have helped hundreds of couples find renewal in their marriage. They have 2 adult children.

Dave and Sue Nofziger reside in Defiance, Ohio. Dave has a Masters in Counseling  and Theology and is an Ordained Minister and licensed Social Worker and has been a Pastoral Counselor for over 35 years. Dave is the director of Hope Alive Counseling Services and is the author of “Brain Washed, Transforming your Self Image through the Amazing Love of God”. They have 2 grown daughters and 3 grandchildren.

Andy & Megan Batcheller have been married for 20 years and have a powerful story of how God transformed their life and their marriage. Andy is an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist, Megan has a 2 year certificate in Spiritual direction from Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction. After spending 25 years as a business owner Andy returned to school to fulfill his life’s purpose of helping couples find fulfillment in their lives and families. Megan feels called to help people as they seek God’s presence in their life. find They have one daughter in college and one in high school.

Philip and Elizabeth Varjas have served together in Cornerstone Ministries since 2003. They have taught numerous marriage classes, retreats and seminars. Philip and Elizabeth have been counseling couples from their church for over 20 years. They live in Houston, Texas and have 2 adult daughters and a son still at home.

The leaders of the weekends do not practice as therapists or diagnose mental health diseases or disorders. If you are suffering from addiction it is best to get into treatment before attending our programs.

Restoring Marriages: Christian Couples Retreats in Florida


Our Mission

We desire to see marriages that are strained and hurting brought back to a place of health, intimacy, love, and trust. We seek to help couples restore and strengthen their marriages and build their marriages and families according to the timeless truths of Jesus Christ and the Bible, as well as the latest research on marital relationships. We seek to make our services available to all who desire to restore and strengthen their marriages for each other and for future generations.

Our Vision

We envision husbands and wives and families all across our nation who were once hurting, broken-hearted, and discouraged being healed, restored and strengthened in their marriages. We perceive couples who are equipped to relate to each other more happily, lovingly and intimately in accordance with God’s plan for marriage. We see couples being transformed by God’s Spirit, love and truth, strengthened in their faith, growing closer to God and each other.

Our Strategy

Our strategy for healing hurting marriages includes hosting Christian couples retreats in Florida, and offering intensive weekend retreats, faith-based counseling, and online programs. They are focused on dealing with spiritual, interpersonal, and relational issues, with a four-session follow-up program.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Marriage Intensive Weekend is designed to help couples who are struggling in their marriage. It is a closely guided, step by step approach. Participants will reconnect emotionally, heal many old hurts and learn how to resolve conflicts. It is experiential, unlike a seminar where it is just knowledge; you actually do the work over the weekend to begin to repair your relationship.

This intensive Florida Christian retreat for married couples is a combination of relationship training and structured exercises and projects. We meet as a group but there is no sharing between couples. Your sharing is private between you and your spouse or with a marriage coach or counselor. The couple learns to develop healthier communication patterns. They gain the tools to repair damage and move forward in their relationship.

Because it is done in a concentrated block of time, one weekend is equal to about 6 months of weekly counseling.

God created us to connect on 3 levels: body, soul and spirit. When one of these dimensions is missing the relationship will not be whole and complete.

Cornerstone is a Christian ministry grounded in the principles of the Bible. Our teachings are firmly supported by scriptures, which are included in the manual provided as well as in the PowerPoint presentations. In preparation for the weekend, we distribute prayer requests to our extensive database of over 16,000 individuals. Many of these individuals have attended the weekend themselves and have made a commitment to pray for couples who are participating. The remarkable power of prayer is evident in the countless couples who recommit their marriages to God through this process.

We believe in the transformative power of Jesus Christ to strengthen and renew relationships. Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10:10). Through this and other Scriptures, we guide couples to understand and apply biblical principles to overcome their challenges and enhance their lives together.

Couples who:

  • Are unsatisfied with their relationship and would seek out marriage counseling due to difficult issues they are experiencing.
  • Feel distant or pulled apart by stress and pressures, and want a closer relationship.
  • Are not satisfied with their relationship due to conflict or communication difficulties.
  • Are recovering from a trauma, crisis or other major hurt such as an affair, unemployment, death in the family, separated, or trying to decide whether to stay together.
  • Simply want to enrich their relationship, communicate better and enhance their level of intimacy.

This is an non-denominational program and couples from all backgrounds are welcome.

Our Cancellation and Refund Policy for the couples intensive counseling retreat in California: Your registration fee is refundable, minus a $50 per person processing fee, provided it is canceled in writing at least 30 days prior to the Marriage Renewal Weekend you are registered for. Registrations made or canceled less than 30 days prior to the event are not refundable for any reason.

However, your registration will be transferred to another Marriage Renewal Retreat (costs for lodging and meals not included), within one year of the date of the retreat you were originally registered for. Please understand that while our mission at Cornerstone Marriage & Family Ministries is a Christian one, we are obligated to operate in accordance with business practices just as businesses are. In order to serve our clients, we make advance commitments to secure adequate meeting and lodging space, support personnel, counselors, program materials, and resources.

Please understand that this is not intended to be in any way uncaring or harsh. Still, it is a business reality that the ministry is obligated to, and one we ask you to accept when registering for an event. Thank you for understanding and agreeing to these terms.

Our Cancellation and Refund Policy: Your registration fee is refundable, minus a $50 per person processing fee provided it is cancelled in writing at least 30 days prior to the Marriage Renewal Weekend you are registered for. Registrations made or cancelled less than 30 days prior to the event are not refundable for any reason. However, your registration will be transferred to another Marriage Renewal Retreat (costs for lodging and meals not included), within one year of the date of the retreat you were originally registered for. Please understand that while our mission at Cornerstone Marriage & Family Ministries is a Christian one, we are obligated to operate in accordance with business practices just as businesses are. In order to serve our clients, we make advance commitments to secure adequate meeting and lodging space, support personnel, counselors, program materials and resources. Therefore, we simply cannot make exceptions to our cancellation policy, but must adhere to this policy without exception, including emergencies. Please understand that this is not intended to be in any way uncaring or harsh, but it is a business reality that the ministry is obligated to, and one we ask you to accept when registering for an event. Thank you for understanding and agreeing to these terms.