A New Introduction to NFP

Written for Family Foundations magazine by Martha Haenni

We are excited to share with you a new program from CCL, to introduce couples to Natural Family Planning BEFORE they learn an NFP method. For 50 years, we have taught NFP to hundreds of thousand of couples. Couples come to us with these questions… “Why do I need to learn this method to get married? How is this going to help me? Does this actually work? Is NFP more effective than contraceptives? Why are contraceptives so bad? Are there other methods of NFP?” We answered these questions by creating the Natural Plan program.

What makes Natural Plan different?

We brought together doctors, scientists, fertility coaches, NFP teachers, couples who practice NFP and newlyweds – to share their experiences throughout the different video modules. The video series includes:

  • Doctors speaking about fertility and how the different methods of NFP work.
  • Fertility Coaches and NFP Teaching Couples sharing their real life experiences practicing NFP.
  • Clergy speaking about theology of the body and responsible parenthood.
  • Scientists and medical professionals speaking about the effectiveness of NFP vs contraceptives
    and their impact on marriage.

Flexible Course Content

Natural Plan is an introductory course provided in 10 video modules. Used as a stand-alone, it provides a comprehensive introduction to NFP in 90 minutes. It can also be adapted to meet local needs with 30, 45, and 60 minute module groupings.

Natural Plan is available online for couples to watch directly but it was primarily made with parishes and dioceses in mind.

The subscription model allows parishes to purchase an annual subscription and use the course to teach as many couples as needed. A great option for marriage prep or adult faith formation.

Here is an excerpt from the Men’s Roundtable module:

There have been times where NFP has been really challenging for us and it’s required some sacrifice. There have been times where it’s been easy and just felt like a normal part of life. I think that the hardest part is you learn this brand new system, you want to use it well because the stakes are high. There is a learning curve involved. It’s just become a part of who we are. It’s become a part of how we do life. Right now, our focus on NFP is not how much work it is, but it’s just how it’s brought us together, how it’s helped us communicate, how it’s helped us to invite God into the big decisions in our life because we have to make intentional decisions. People always ask me about NFP, and I feel like it’s really hard in just a short little snippet to tell them how it’s impacted our marriage because it hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been good.

John from the Men’s Roundtable, NATURAL PLAN MODULE 5

Check out www.naturalplan.org to find out more.