In it, Tim Adeney said this:
But perhaps his strongest response would be to the extreme loneliness many single people experience... I think he would see this epidemic of loneliness as a major moral failure of the church to be the church, and, perhaps, more particularly, a moral failure of families to treat those not in their family as family. The church is a family, and we are to treat those in the church as family - not by lowering the standard with which we treat our family, but by raising the standard with which we treat others.
He then goes on to outline how this would work in the structure of churches and families. For families he suggests, inviting people into their homes regularly, inviting people on holiday with them, and considering inviting people to live with them. I'm not sure about the later. But I hope that as Ellisa and I are married, we will be able to become open and hospitable to single and married people in our church.
He also offers ways for churches to be structured better for singles. Cross-generational ministry is a hard thing to do well... But that is for another blog post one day!
From: The Briefing Library: Making singleness better
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I bet you will be hospitable. Inviting people to live with you is difficult and sometimes ends ugly but it can also be an incredibly beautiful gesture. Living life with people, sharing and having things in common, is one of the best ways to rid ourselves of our tendency to consume - it helps us remember that what we have is from God and should be used for his glory.
ReplyDeleteOr, every church could just start a "Single Men for Life; or until we get married" group!
I have to say I am in that situation this year had been more differcult and its harder when you are away from family- like another country.
ReplyDeleteEaster , mother and fathers day can be differcult things to get through and trying to look after your self when sick as there is no help pick up the pieces