Christian Marriage Retreat near San Diego

You’re not alone

This may be an unfamiliar territory, but we’re here to guide you.

We’ve all experienced it; miscommunication, conflict, incompatibility, anger, separation, and ultimately divorce in marriages.

Why not check-up on your marriage? We go to the doctor and the dentist for regular check-ups, but for some reason we don’t check-up on our marriage, sometimes until its too late to make changes!

We want to offer a way to break the cycle by offering a retreat center, a place of refuge for couples to come and be renewed in their marriage.

Man and woman talking by an outdoor fireplace at The Marriage Refuge

How it works?

Step 01

Coaching

Schedule a facetime or zoom free coaching session – we want to hear from both of you

Step 02

Guide

We will guide you based on what we hear.

Step 03

Check-up

Take the online Marriage Check-Up - a detailed analysis of your current situation.

Step 04

Schedule

Schedule a weekend at the Marriage Refuge (typically Friday night through Sunday at 11am) to work on your Check-up report.

Step 05

Cost

The Marriage Refuge is Free. Costs are covered by donations and we ask that you prayerfully consider supporting the ministry as you participate. Consider paying it forward for another future couple.

Step 06

Let's Talk

Book a Free Zoom Call

Step 07

The Refuge

Join other Couples in a Relaxed Resort Setting

Fire pit and turquoise seating on the patio at The Marriage Refuge

Retreat house pool and spa at The Marriage Refuge in Vista, CA

Guest bedroom at The Marriage Refuge retreat house

Couples gathered around a fire pit at night at The Marriage Refuge

Coach reading the Bible with a woman in the garden at The Marriage Refuge

In 2 days at the retreat, walk away with...

Apply for Next Weekend Couples Check-up See Weekend Dates

Rachel and Ross may not have struggled had they attended our couples’ weekend.

Practical & Simple Marriage Tools

During our time together, we will provide you with practical exercises and tools to guide both of you into a thriving marriage.
A Healthy Plan

You will leave with a practical guide to visualize and implement what a healthy marriage looks like. You will start living it out!
Check ins & Accountability

We want to guide you with accountability check-ins, to see how you are doing and provide adjustments as needed. See upcoming weekend dates →

Rachel and Ross may not have struggled had they attended our couples’ weekend.>

Premarital Coaching
Start Naked

Start your marriage strong. Walk through the Start Naked workbook together, chapter by chapter, with Mark & Karen coaching you along the way. You’ll learn how to talk openly, handle conflict, and build a lasting foundation before you say “I do.” Click below to see how it works.

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Meet Your Team

Married 50 years while coaching 100’s couples

Mark and Karen Stevens have 4 adult children and 7 grandkids. They served in the local church as leaders of various ministries for over 40 years. Karen was the pastor of the women’s ministry at the Rock Church – teaching and coaching thousands of women over the past 18 years.

Mark was the Executive Pastor of Rock Church and has an MBA in business management from Pepperdine University and has also run various private and public companies.

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Hear directly from couples we’ve worked with

We came to Karen and Mark because we had been dating for a long time and wanted biblical guidance for what a Godly marriage should look like. We had both been married previously (unsuccessfully) and we needed Christian examples to guide us. Their down to earth “real talk” method of sharing and genuine in people, creates a comfort and ease to be able to grow close to them and to each other.

Mark and Karen have been guiding and directing us for years. We started in a premarital class with them and they modeled for us on how to have a Godly marriage. The class was great and helped us open up tremendously and we learned to communicate and to better understand each other. We’ve enjoyed years of marriage guidance from Mark and Karen.

Mark and Karen’s love for the Lord and for each other has been impactful in our relationship. We are thankful for their wisdom and encouragement. Their insight and advice will be something that we will treasure the rest of our lives.

Begin your journey to happy & healthy marriage!

Whether that’s to ask any questions, schedule a call, or book a spot at the refuge.

Go from Surviving to Thriving!