SINGLEHOOD
Being single can be great. You're free to do what you want, make major course directions in life with little drama, go wherever God sends you on a moment's notice, and be free of some of the responsibilities married people have.
Some people are single by choice. Others are single by the choice of others. Still others are single by no one's choice, especially their own.
Some are single after 25 great years of marriage. Some are single after 6 crappy marriages. Some can't wait to get married, some can't wait to get married again, and some have sworn never to get married or married again.
Some love their singleness. Others agree with Three Dog Night that, "One is the loneliest number you can ever do".
Bottom line: Singles come in all shapes, sizes, packages and purposes. One thing for sure though, their numbers are growing. More and more people are delaying marriage. The divorce rate continues to climb. And many people have discounted marriage as an archaic institution whose viability is no longer useful or necessary.
All this to say, that as their numbers continue to grow and single adults become an ever-growing portion of our population, much of the church has failed to respond. In many churches, they are welcomed, but there is a "we're not really sure what to do with you" mentality. The church has not so much failed to respond, as it has been clueless as to what it's response ought to be or if it even needs to respond at all.
At Crosspoint, I think we would admit we fall into that category somewhat. We're not really sure what the wisest and best strategy is regarding single adults. But, we have determined that God loves them, Jesus died for them and we must reach them for Christ. We may do everything wrong in our attempt to reach single adults for Christ. But, our desire is that, even if we fail, we will fail forward. We will learn and adjust and get better and show God's love and reach some for Jesus.
Who knows. It might be fun!
Some people are single by choice. Others are single by the choice of others. Still others are single by no one's choice, especially their own.
Some are single after 25 great years of marriage. Some are single after 6 crappy marriages. Some can't wait to get married, some can't wait to get married again, and some have sworn never to get married or married again.
Some love their singleness. Others agree with Three Dog Night that, "One is the loneliest number you can ever do".
Bottom line: Singles come in all shapes, sizes, packages and purposes. One thing for sure though, their numbers are growing. More and more people are delaying marriage. The divorce rate continues to climb. And many people have discounted marriage as an archaic institution whose viability is no longer useful or necessary.
All this to say, that as their numbers continue to grow and single adults become an ever-growing portion of our population, much of the church has failed to respond. In many churches, they are welcomed, but there is a "we're not really sure what to do with you" mentality. The church has not so much failed to respond, as it has been clueless as to what it's response ought to be or if it even needs to respond at all.
At Crosspoint, I think we would admit we fall into that category somewhat. We're not really sure what the wisest and best strategy is regarding single adults. But, we have determined that God loves them, Jesus died for them and we must reach them for Christ. We may do everything wrong in our attempt to reach single adults for Christ. But, our desire is that, even if we fail, we will fail forward. We will learn and adjust and get better and show God's love and reach some for Jesus.
Who knows. It might be fun!
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