Churches often stress the value of ministry to the whole family, with a priority placed on children and youth. This is vital and appropriate, but congregations must not neglect meaningful ministry to singles.
In “Single, But Not Alone…and Then!,” author and editor Mary Strebeck Morton gives the reader a rich mosaic of the importance of ministry to single adults in the church and community. Morton and her husband, Bobby, lead Morton Christian Ministries based in Mobile. Mary Morton has a master’s degree in counseling and has led effective singles ministries for many years.
In this slim volume, recently updated from an earlier version, she collects the insights of 10 single (or formerly single) Christians, along with her own story, to show the powerful impact that ministry to singles can have.
Single adults in our communities and congregations are very diverse. Some are younger and others much older. Some have experienced divorce, while others may have lost a spouse through death. Some have children; others do not. As this book makes clear, ministry to single adults involves facing the reality of these diverse circumstances with understanding and compassion.
Realistic portrayal
The “case studies” that make up the bulk of the book include a realistic portrayal of those who expected to get married but never did, those who found themselves going through a painful divorce and those who made peace with singleness only to be surprised by marriage later on.
As Morton indicates in her new introduction, there have been significant changes in our culture since some of these testimonies were first written. “Today’s outlook for singleness is different in some ways from when I was there.” One area that could be more thoroughly addressed is that of sexual immorality and temptation among Christian singles.
A common thread throughout the book is how God uses the love and fellowship of the singles ministry and the whole church to bring hope and encouragement to those who are single, whether they are single for a season or for a lifetime. (Wyatt House Publishing, 2022)
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