"Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
I wish that all men were as I am (single). But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."
(1 Cor 7:1-2,7-9, NIV)
Everywhere we look we see a couples world, and there is pressure to keep it that way. At the same time, our society is changing, and at times there is a contradiction of values.
On one hand, we highly regard individualism, being unique in thoughts and actions, and being competitive. On the other hand, we promote community, conformity, and group consensus. For some, marriage is instrumental in fulfilling the socialization process, drawing us closer to the norm or community.
As marriage is viewed as a positive, "right" choice, singleness becomes a negative, "wrong" choice, or a failure to achieve a state that is normal. Many singles feel pressure from society, parents, and themselves to fin in with society. This begins the eternal search to find "the magic one-and-only."
"Waiting on God for the perfect person" and the attitude that "marriage is God's perfect will" is often proclaimed from the pulpits today, laying on tremendous guilt while impacting the self-esteem of thousands of single Christian men and women.
Compounding the problem is the perpetuation of myths and stereotypes of singleness. Stereotypes such as; "all singles are lonely," "all singles want to get married," "singles are sexually frustrated" or "Overall, single men are irresponsible" are some of the misgivings that place undue pressure on singles to "conform" to society's expectation
In order for the church to minister to singles and be a viable church in the twenty-first century it must redefine its mission and ministry. We need to rethink our biblical and theological roots and develop a new perspective on singleness. The church also needs to expand its term "family," moving from a traditional family definition to one that includes singles, widows, single-parent families, extended families, expanded families, step families, and blended families.
 And, in order to minister to today's singles, the church must also think in new patterns of ministry. Specialized ministries, time slots and church buildings, glamour programs, multi-staffs, and family ministry programs must be reevaluated in the decades to come.
Most of all, myths and sterotypes must be erased throughout each of the segments of the church in order to become a community, a place where one can find help, strength, healing, and wholeness.
The Good Shepherd Restoration Ministries recognize the need for an effective Singles ministry to organize now, particularly for the African American community in North Tampa. We know that a progressive Singles ministry will facilitate the emergence of "healthy," spiritual relationships between young men and women who are comfortable with their singleness and even thoses who desire a mate for the all the "right" reasons.
But we know that the key to this ministry is helping people assess their relationship with God. The key to any successful personal relationship begins with a genuine "self-examination," one that can only be accomplished first through an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the primary focus of our Singles ministry.
Our singles ministry is in existence to provide a place and a message where modern-day single adults, with or without children, may be attracted to the claims of Christ, both personal and corporate, in a nonjudgemental, nonthreatening, loving, problem-sharing and -solving atmosphere that helps them deal authentically with their needs. The goal is that they will choose to make Jesus Christ ont only their Savior, but also their Lord.
Pastor Sanders has started with a pilot "Cell group" that agreed to meet and learn more about the philosophy of Singles ministry and the Biblical principles relevant to its success. It is with this initiative, we have planted the seeds for an effective, urban Singles ministry.
As a single person, do you oftentimes feel out of place at many of your church functions? Or has your church growned to the point that everyone seem to be strangers, or even worse, have you out-growned the traditional church? Perhaps, the Holy Spirit is leading you to take a more leading role in discipleship or evangelism, but you're not sure about how or where to start. Hosting and facilitating a cell group may be just perfect for your situation.
Why don't you become apart of a new kind of ministry...one that places emphasis on true spiritual fellowship. Our Pastor really wants to hear from you, because you're needed in the work of the ministry! For more information, please contact us. You'll be glad you did! (It's no coincidence you ended up at the website, you know.
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