Articles: Stats/News/Video You Can Use
Note: Some of these articles are secular but give great information regarding singles in America today.
I Am Only One: Saying Goodbye to One Ministry and Waiting on God for the Next by Joseph Northcut
(Pictured: Richard Ragland, Senior VP; Joseph Northcut, Director of Church Resources; Sam Hodges, President; Steve Grissom, Founder/Board Chair)
I AM ONLY ONE “I am only one. I cannot do everything. But I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do [through Jesus Christ who gives me strength].” Quote by Edward Everett Hale Growing up in a nurturing Christian family, I came to profess my faith in Christ as an 8-year-old. Later, at age 15, I surrendered my all to Him to serve as He would call me forth. My journey through high school, college, and career took many different turns as I would yield to go “wherever He leads.” I started as a High School band and choral director, then a Minister of Music, a College Campus minister, a Single Adult Pastor, to a denominational leader (Southern Baptist, LifeWay, Adult Discipleship), then a Minister of Education, to my last assignment serving with a Christian publishing ministry. And now, 20 years later, at this last work assignment, I have come to the end of all my work to a place called “retirement.” It’s not a word in my vocabulary but one that only describes my fourth quarter of life and the opportunities God may have for me for my remaining days on earth. Early in my career, one scripture that humbled my heart was 1 Timothy 1.12 . . . I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. (NIV) I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. (The Message) At every step of the way, God provided me with everything I needed to serve Him as He called me to each task. I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit that indwelled within me to teach, nudge, guide, rebuke, correct, protect, and use me. Through these past 20 years, I have had the privilege to serve on staff at The Church Initiative.org (creator of DivorceCare, GriefShare, DivorceCare for Kids, Single & Parenting, and several other excellent tools). Between 2003 and 2016, I served as the Director of Church Ministries, guiding group startup, training, and ongoing ministry support. Since 2017, I served as the Director of Church Resources responsible for Church Initiative’s outreach to pastors, church staff, and lay leaders to assist in creating local church-sponsored care and support groups. Have you ever felt that God was calling you to serve, but you just didn’t understand what that could be? Have you prayerfully considered how God may be calling towards leading GriefShare or DivorceCare as a ministry outreach tool for your community and your church? For more information, check out: GriefShare – https://www.griefshare.org/host-a-group DivorceCare – https://www.divorcecare.org/volunteers Church Initiative.org – https://www.churchinitiative.org/ Phone – 800-395-5755, International 1- 919-562-2112 Find out how we’ll support you every step of the way in starting a group. Remember, even though you may feel you are only one, you can do something as God calls you forth. Secular Article from the UK On How Marriage Proposals Have Changed
For almost 50 years Debrett’s has set the gold standard in old-fashioned British etiquette, advising the public on how to avoid social faux pas and maintain a “proper” demeanour in polite company.
But the publisher has broken with tradition in its latest Handbook, by informing male suitors that they are no longer duty-bound to seek permission for their partner’s hand in marriage before proposing. Read More 57% of Single Adults in the USA are not interested in Dating--Based on a Forbes Secular Survey
If you are single and feeling kind of alone before Valentine’s Day, this may make you go, “Oh, Pew.” Results from a Pew Research Center survey of 6,034 U.S. adults conducted from July 5 t0 17, 2022, show that you are definitely not alone. That survey found 30% of the U.S. adults surveyed to be single, which was defined as not being married, not living with a partner, and not being in a committed romantic relationship. This percentage was higher (47%) among adults under 30 years of age, lower (21%) among the 30- to 49-year-olds, and at 30% for those 50 years and older. Read More
Women are Skipping Marriage and Becoming a Force in the Workplace
Note: Secular article
The number of single, unmarried women in the workforce has grown three times faster than the overall pool of workers in the past decade. Read More Best/Worse States to Live as a Single AdultNote: This is a secular article.
UK Resource to Single Friendly Churches
Single friendly church offers resources including articles, stats, news, connections to singles groups throughout the UK. Check it out for more information.
US Pastors Identify Their Greatest Needs
by Aaron Earls, Lifeway Research, Charisma Magazine
Pastors face unique difficulties inherent in their careers but what are their greatest needs? Pastors themselves say they're most concerned about seeing their churchgoers grow spiritually and making connections with those outside of their churches.
After speaking directly with pastors to gather their perspectives on their ministries and personal challenges, Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 U.S. pastors for the 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study to discover what they see as their most pressing issues. Read More US Marriage Rates Hit New Recorded Low
Why 25% of Millennials Will Never Get Married (secular article by Time)
The number of Americans who have always been single and will never marry is at a historic high, says a new Pew Research report, partly because they don’t have jobs and partly because marriage is becoming less highly-regarded. Most people think it’s important for couples who intend to stay together to be married, but the number of single Americans who want to get married has dropped significantly even in the last four years. Read More
Guides on better quality video web conferences.
Single Stats in the US, 2016
Unmarried and Single Americans Week: Sept. 18-24, 2016
• 109 million: The number of unmarried people in America 18 and older in 2015. This group made up 45 percent of all U.S. residents 18 and older. • 53% :The percentage of unmarried U.S. residents 18 and older who were women in 2015; 47 percent were men. • 63% : The percentage of unmarried U.S. residents 18 and older in 2015 who had never been married. Another 24 percent were divorced and 13 percent were widowed. • 19 million:The number of unmarried U.S. residents 65 and older in 2015. These seniors made up 18 percent of all unmarried people 18 and older. • 88: The number of unmarried men 18 and older for every 100 unmarried women in the United States in 2015. • 59 million: The number of households maintained by unmarried men and women in 2015. These households comprised 47 percent of households nationwide. • 35 million: The number of people who lived alone in 2015. They comprised 28 percent of all households, up from 17 percent in 1970. Read More US Single Stats including race
4 Critical Reminders about Singles in Your Congregation by Sara Beth Fentress, Lifeway
When I placed the silver “True Love Waits” ring on my 15-year-old finger, I never dreamed I would still be single into my 40s. It honestly didn’t even cross my mind. Growing up in the south, expectations included getting married in your early 20s so you can begin adulting and start your own family. In retrospect, I didn’t even have a category for people like me. Today, most churches still don’t have a category for people like me.
For a variety of reasons, prolonged singleness is on the rise in modern societies. Please consider a few simple reminders and suggestions from a single woman living in a Christian culture that idolizes marriage and family. If you’re single, keep reading; I’ve included some truth in love for you, as well. 1. UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT SINGLENESS AND MARRIAGE. Read More Stats/News
Stats/PowerPoint on SinglesnessSingle Mom Stats
Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. Sheri Denham
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The Decline of Marriage Rates and the Evolution of Mate Selection in America Today
Earlier this year, the American Enterprise Institute and the Survey Center on American Life put out a new report on how men and women find and enter romantic relationships. This topic is critical for those who care about the health of family because romantic attraction serves as the genesis of family formation for most people.
Read More What Singleness Reveals about the World to Come
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