Watermark Community Church began premarital counseling for couples when the church started in 2000. The ministry started as two-on-two mentoring, moved to a small group model, and then became a class with teaching, small groups, and homework in 2006. The ministry officially adopted the name Merge in 2011. While the size and format of the ministry have changed, the focus of the ministry has remained the same—helping seriously dating and engaged couples find the clarity and confidence needed to take the best next step in their relationship.

Genesis 2:24 provides us with the first picture and description of marriage when it says that the man and woman become one flesh with each other. The two individuals merge their lives together into one flesh. Just as two roads often merge into one road, in the same way, two lives merge into one in marriage. In Merge, we want to help couples evaluate their readiness for engagement and marriage.

The answer to this question depends on what you think of when you consider the word "counseling." While you will not be paired with a licensed marriage counselor in Merge, you will receive biblical, Christ-centered premarital counsel from trained, trustworthy married mentors

While the curriculum remains the same from one church to another, the format of Merge varies from church to church based on the size and ministry model of churches. Some churches offer Merge in an 8-week class model with teaching, small groups, and homework, while some churches offer Merge in a weekend format which allows for those who live in different towns to take a class together. Other churches offer Merge in an 8-week small group that meets in a home, and some churches offer Merge in a two-on-two mentoring format.