Your pastor suddenly announces that he's retiring. A major industry in your community closes and your leadership moves away. Your congregation grows and you suddenly realize your current leaders are unable to keep up with the demands on their time.
These events are part of the natural flow of life. But it still leaves churches with a constant challenge—where do you find qualified leaders to replace ...
At least monthly, someone tells me they once had a singles ministry in their church, but it died. When I hear that, I wonder who killed it. Here are some reasons I've found:
Fad-born. If a singles ministry was started to "jump on the bandwagon" of singles ministry, the chances are great that it will fizzle out when some other ministry appears more attractive. A ministry must be founded on need and vision in order to succeed.
DEVOTIONS Before You Start This step-by-step checklist provides a foundation for a single-adults ministry. Bill Flanagan
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Some of the following may prove helpful to those who are somewhat overwhelmed with building a single-adults ministry:
Understand the numbers game. Single adults are mobile. They move from church to church, trying on for size a variety of organizations, clubs, and classes. In every single-adults program, there is incredible turnover. One quickly becomes aware that a program must grow at a fantastic ...
Sermons, announcements, even the way Sunday school classes and small groups are structured can communicate that singles are not part of the program. The good news is that the most significant ways to change this don't require a program or a budget. But they may require a change in perspective. Here are some ways to cultivate sensitivity to the singles' point of view:
When David McCasland started a singles ministry in a family-oriented church, he realized that integrating singles into the life of the whole church was vital to his ministry's success. Here are the lessons he learned about blending marrieds and singles:
Integrate on the basis of equality. Marrieds should be involved in a ministry with single adults, not a ministry to and for them. Singles, just like marrieds in the church, need guidance and leadership. But they need guidance in how to accomplish their goals, and they need at least some leadership developed from their own ranks and entrusted with their ministry.
When loneliness lasts too long, many singles begin to suppress their God-given desire to marry. They bury themselves in their job or church work to stave off loneliness and to prove how productive they can be without a partner. Busy schedules crowd out opportunities to socialize and to find love.
Some singles worry about obsessing over marriage, so they neglect to prepare themselves for the possibility. ...
DEVOTIONS What to Say About Sex Ignoring sexuality robs churches of an important opportunity to minister to singles. Harold Ivan Smith
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If we do not talk about sex, the silence forces single adults to look elsewhere for answers and support. As Jenell Williams Paris wrote in Christianity Today (November 2001), "When Christians are silent and TV is loud, it's obvious which message will be heard." Here's where churches can begin:
Encourage healthy relationships with members of both sexes. Jesus was very comfortable relating to the opposite ...
My husband has served three churches during his 13 years in pastoral ministry. We've had the opportunity to interact with many search committees, which is an exasperating experience at times.
As a pastor's family, we will never be on a pastoral search committee or be able to directly influence the process. This letter, then, is my attempt to make candidating more humane.
Already an international publishing sensation, The Da Vinci Code now is a feature film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks. The compelling story written by Dan Brown blurs the line between fact and fiction, so moviegoers have joined readers wondering about the origins and legitimacy of orthodox Christianity. This guide offers brief answers to five important questions.
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