DIVORCE and Christianity rarely go hand in hand, but one Reigate church is blazing the trail to help divorcees start again.
The church has always upheld the sanctity of marriage, and while it continues to do so, it has also recognised times have changed, according to Kathryn Coleman, who runs the Restored Lives course at St Mary's Church, in Reigate.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show the divorce rate is rising, with 118,140 declared in 2012, an increase of 0.5 per cent from 2011.
Now the church has stepped in to offer support through separation.
Mrs Coleman, who runs the seven-week course with Tony Baptiste, described it as a "survival kit" for recent divorcees, or those who are still coming to terms with it after several years.
"Historically, of course, the church hasn't been welcoming to divorcees," she said. "It does uphold marriages, but it also recognises that, currently, divorce is one of the main causes of family breakdown and the church needs to be right there in the middle of it and make sense of it."
The course is not only for Christians, but for people of all or no faith. It is also open to those who have come out of a long term relationship. Mrs Coleman said: "Although it's run by the church, it's not exclusively for Christians or for people that have a faith.
"It has Christian family values as its backbone, but it's not anything to do with prayer or Bible reading.
"Fifty per cent of people attending are not churchgoers."
The course teaches communication, conflict resolution and encourages participants to "let go" of their marriages and deal with forgiveness. It also touches on legal issues associated with divorce.
Mrs Coleman added: "When people get divorced, they feel very alone. Getting together with people in the same boat can be a comforting thing."
She said while the course was not a "miracle cure", it gave people hope they could start again.
Last year, two people got married after meeting on the Reigate course.
Once the course is finished, if the participant still needs guidance, the church also runs a support group to help them through their issues.
The next course starts on September 8.
Call Viv Hawes in the parish office on 01737 221100 or e-mail viv.hawes@stmaryreigate.org.
Visit www.restoredlives.org.uk for information.
