I am--at the moment I'm writing this--the ONLY single at 'a church I go to' (I'm not officially a "member" of it, but their attendance doesn't often break 'the dozens'). A friend at the church I AM a 'member'-of invited me to a 'District Singles' get-together, and the (soon-to-be married) leader there announced that "we need more singles participating in the program" and asked us to 'spread the word' ... but why? I've never seen any reason for a Singles' Ministry except 'to help singles meet other singles to become couples.' (The reason I'm STILL single? something like 'I'm not the proper "part of a couple, waiting for its completion"*). But I'm seeing that a Singles' Ministry might exist for reasons beyond 'to get them singles married-up'---to help singles to live "right" although God himself says "it is NOT RIGHT for the man to be alone." (And yes, I know that this is not a faith-forum; but I'm just trying to a) find the point of having a singles' ministry in a church 'built on marriage' & b) trying to get some singles- & singles' ministers-over toLog In.) So a) what is a good "purpose" for a singles' ministry (other than 'to get them married-up') & b) how can we GET more singles to go to GraceChurch (it IS right next toLog In ... but then so isLog In, which is of course where most-if-not-all of those singles go and -is where I AM a 'member'). * Of course, I know it's just that I'm a non-standard 'part of a couple, waiting for it's completion'--I want to be something like a house-husband (one possible meaning of my middle-name)--but (as much as they want to be 'equal with men' in the workplace) women can't see that I'm waiting for one of them to 'take the responsibilities of a working-wife.'
This is what I have experienced. For a long time I felt like God wanted me to be single for a reason. Left and right people were telling me that it's okay to be married it's what God wants. For some reason God was telling me something different. There would be times I would be crying on my hands and knees asking him can I have a husband? When will I get married? Will I be alone forever? The first time he answered me was just like this. I grab my Bible and I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me as I turn the pages and that I wanted him to turn the pages and not me turn them. I forgot what chapter in the book it was and I don't know but I know Paul was speaking. He was describing to me how it was better to be without them to be with. He describe to me how when you're single and with the Lord you are whole. As soon as you get married you divide yourself from the Lord. After he told me that right away just like that I was very shocked. I mean he turned me right to that verse can you believe it? To top it off I had asked him many more times after that. Just to make sure. Until one day I question Jesus and I say, you didn't say to not be without. So I randomly open my Bible and pointing my finger Jesus begins to speak. He's telling the Pharisees how it's better to be single than to be married. That it's a gift to be able to accept that saying. I hope this helped you. Because it sure is the truth.
There is an active singles ministry at my church. My church is huge. It has about 8000 to 10,000 members. An active singles ministry helps make the church seem not so big. It can be hard to get to know people during services and ministries help build connections and friendships. We have many ministries that do charitable work, but the singles ministry does too. We have game night, movie and a dinner night, salsa dancing, etc. There are many older singles too who were never married, divorced or by the death of a spouse. These type of activities attract people to a church. Without new membership a church will eventually die.
I know lots of married people who are close to the Lord. How they do it---they love the Lord FIRST, and THEN their spouses. If both spouses can't do that, the marriage isn't worth going through. What were Jesus' exact words? ... The closest thing I found was this in Luke 14:So to me that's saying 'Don't let "getting married" throw you off the righteous path.' Eh? So the goal is 'new members'
