Here are ideas to get you started reaching out to single
parents.
- *Ask single parents what their needs are (time away from the
kids, finances) and help meet those needs.
- *Form a committee with key single parents. Empower single
parents to make the ministry what they need it to be-let them "own"
the ministry.
- *Pray for single parents -- ask God to give them strength and
encouragement.
- *Encourage families and couples to welcome single parents into
their homes.
- *Start a support group.
- *Don't overburden singles. They often get too involved without
getting their needs met.
- *Have a parents night out. (Singles, like married people, need
time for themselves.)
- *Offer an active singles life separate from the Sunday school
class. And when planning social events, don't place the emphasis on
couples.
- *Provide baby-sitting because finances are tough for most
single parents.
- *Set up a fund where single parents (and other church members)
can get a loan. Help with financial hardships.
- *Consider organizing an old-fashioned co-op where single
parents (and other church members) can exchange services without
money. People with expertise in sewing, bookkeeping, mechanical
work, and so on can participate.
- *Develop a "para-parenting" ministry -- a big brother/big
sister program for single parents' children.
- *Have a single parent tell his or her story during the worship
service to help raise awareness.
- *Remember single parents at holidays and birthdays -- these
days can be killers for single parents.
- *Ask, "How does our church communicate what a family is?"
Sometimes the message communicated is very subtle -- "This is how a
family should be." This alienates single parents and gives them a
burden of guilt.
- *Be aware of how family finances and visitation schedules
impact single parent families' involvement in your church. Help
them find ways to stay connected.
-- Janice Thatcher
AN OUTSTANDING OUTREACH
Ray and Lynn Roberts started "Heart Healers" at Emmanuel Faith
Community Church, in Escondido, California, to minister to single
parents and their children. Heart Healers is a 12-week course for
single parents that deals with issues such as fear, shame, guilt,
and blame.
In addition, their church has a worship service every Wednesday
night specifically for single parents and their children. The
pastor delivers a topical message on issues single parent families
deal with.
Extra getaways for parents and children help families arrive at
forgiveness and healing. Ray plans outdoor trips-white-water
rafting, hiking, snow skiing, and campouts.
"If you get parents and kids into that kind of environment,
their problems fade away for a short time," Ray says.
An annual trip to Ensenada, Mexico, gives single-parent families
a chance to experience another culture and visit an orphanage. The
group goes down with a twofold purpose: to help out at the
orphanage and to love the kids they're taking.
Ray says when children of divorce see the kids at the orphanage,
they realize some kids don't have anything. It makes them
appreciate what they have and helps create a bond with other people
who are going through hard times as well. It helps them realize
that "I'm not the only one hurting."
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and
prices are subject to change.
