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About
Closer Marriage Weekend is more than a marriage conference—it's a transformative experience for Christian couples ready to build a stronger, more intentional connection. Led by licensed marriage therapist and pastor Tim Gross and his wife, Heather, this immersive two-day workshop blends Scripture with proven clinical insight to help couples move beyond surface-level conflict and uncover what's truly shaping their relationship.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, couples gain deep clarity about themselves, their spouse, and the patterns between them, while learning practical, faith-rooted tools to communicate more vulnerably, repair conflict faster, and reconnect more fully. Couples don't just leave encouraged; they leave equipped with a renewed way of relating that strengthens their marriage for the long haul.
Check out this recap video from a recent Closer Marriage Weekend
Meet Tim
& Heather
As pastors for more than 30 years, Tim and Heather Gross found great joy in helping couples and families grow closer to God and to each other. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Tim brings together biblical wisdom and clinical insight in private practice to help couples experience more joyful and lasting marriages.
Closer Marriage Weekend is a ministry of Kaleo Counseling, where Tim serves as Executive Director. Kaleo Counseling Ministries is a non-profit providing affordable or no-cost marriage counseling intensives to missionaries and ministry leaders in crisis around the world, offering “on-field care for on mission couples.”
What To Expect
Large Group
Sessions that
Speak to You
Tim and Heather bring honest, Scripture-grounded teaching that goes beyond theory to address the real challenges couples face every day. Blending biblical truth with clinical insight, these sessions offer real talk, not clichés, giving you a fresh perspective and practical tools you can carry home. You'll laugh, you'll reflect, and you may just see your own story on the stage.
Relationship Tools You'll Actually Use
This is where teaching turns into practice. You'll learn how to share more vulnerably, tune in to what your spouse is really feeling, and repair quickly when there is conflict; skills that build real emotional closeness, not just better communication. These are tools you can start using the moment you get home.
Real Conversations
Around the Table
At your table, you'll process what you're learning alongside other couples navigating many of the same joys and struggles as you. There's no pressure to share more than you're comfortable with, just honest conversation that reminds you you're not alone. It's often in these unscripted moments, not the spotlight, where real breakthroughs happen.
Guided Time to Encounter God
Woven throughout the weekend are guided moments to slow down and invite the Holy Spirit into your marriage, not as a formality, but as the foundation for everything else you're learning. These times create space for prayer, reflection, and healing that no technique or tool can fully replace. Many couples describe this as the most transformative part of their weekend.
FRIDAY
6:00 PM
Dinner (Optional)
7:00 PM
Opening Session
8:00 PM
Session
SATURDAY
8:30 AM
Breakfast (optional)
9:00 AM
Morning Session
10:00 AM
Session
11:00 AM
Session
12:00 PM
Closing Session
What the Weekend
Looks Like
Good news, pastors and church leaders: Closer Marriage Weekend is completely turn-key. Tim and Heather bring all the teaching, discussion questions and guided experiences—so all you have to do is open your doors and invite your couples in.
That said, many host churches add their own personal touches to make the weekend extra special. It's common to offer an opening dinner Friday evening and a light breakfast Saturday morning before sessions begin, because nothing builds community quite like food. Between sessions, there will also be 10–15 minute breaks, which many churches use for fun giveaways, games, snacks, or even a photo booth so couples can capture the moment and share their experience on social media.
Get In Touch
Contact Us
Have questions about Closer Marriage Weekend, or ready to bring this experience to your church or organization? We'd love to hear from you.
Whether you're looking for more information, want to explore scheduling a weekend for your congregation, or simply want to talk through whether this is the right fit for the couples you are leading, Tim and Heather are here to help.
Reach out today, and take the first step toward helping marriages grow stronger, closer, and more Christ-centered.