Developing A Singles’ Ministry

Presented By:
Elder Linda Hillman
Singles Pastor
Victory In Praise Church - Stockton
Single

 Not Married
 (Divorced, Widowed, Never Been Married)

 Someone Who Is Celibate

 Young Unmarried Adult
Singleness

 The quality of state of being single

Some Statistics

 46%-50% of the population is single

adult.
(Currently, over 82 million unmarried adults live in the
United States, constituting the highest percentage of
single adults than at any other time in history.)
Why the Recent Explosion in
the Number of Singles?
Young people are postponing marriage as
social values change.
 There is a small increase in the number of
individuals in our society who have chosen to
remain single permanently.
 The number of divorces in America continues
to rise.
Power of Singleness

 SINGLE ADULTS represent more

than $600 billion in purchasing power,
although little is written about this
large group of purchasers.
Power of Singleness
Single adults Single adults are less
display more price-conscious than
impulsive purchase the married.
behavior than the Single adults are
married. more innovative
than the married.
Single adults view
Single adults are
television more more brand-
often than the conscious than the
married. married.
Power of Singleness
Single adults are more
convenience-seeking
than the married.
Single adults are more
variety-seeking than the
married.
Single adults are less
averse to risk than the
married.
The Truth of the Matter Is…
Singles never-married are the
largest group. They have the most
money and have the most flexible
use of time but are the least used
in the body and the least reached.

Single-parent families have the

least money and have the least
flexible time but typically have the
most needs.
Single Ministries Will Fail If:
The church are not Single adult
called to have ministries have to
singles’ ministries continually be
(Note: Every church is
called to minister to poured into as they
singles). change. Discipleship
They imitate other is critical. It’s better
church programs to pour yourself into
that are not a few people who
necessarily workable will duplicate
at your church. themselves rather
Leaders get Note:
than So, what
trying to if
dothe
it ideas
overworked and and plans you have do
yourself.
overcommitted, not get done? Whose
trying to do it all in 6 ministry is this?
Reasons Not to Start
To give singles a
social club.
Because other
churches have one.
Because of the need
or want to help our
singles get married.
Because singles
have demanded the
leadership in the
church to have one.
Reasons To Start
To develop an effective
outreach in the growing
number of single adults
in your church and
community
To enhance church
growth
To help fulfill the Great
Commission
To help renew the vision
and purpose of your
congregation.
To meet the needs of
single adults who want
Before You Begin
Ask yourself…
 Is God leading ME to start a Singles’ Ministry?
 Why do I want to start a Singles’ Ministry?
 Does our church have a need for a Singles’
Ministry?
 Will the pastor support the ministry?
 Will the people support the ministry?
 Singles
 Married couples

 Is ??? Church called to have a Singles’ Ministry?

Developing a Singles’ Ministry

Prayer/fasting Important note:

Speak with your  Singles have more
pastor time and money than
Choose leadership any other group in the
team church.
Develop a vision
 Single parents have
less time and money
statement
than a single with no
Develop a mission kids but still can be an
statement effective tool in the
Plan! Plan! Plan! ministry.
Prayer & Fasting
Men should always pray and faint not (Luke
18:1-2)
You will pray alone then recruit church
leadership
 Pray for direction/guidance
 Pray for vision
 Pray for help
Fasting
 Removes flesh
 Clears up vision
Prayer & Fasting
Gather Data
(needs, interest, demographics and other ministries)

Call other churches with a similar church

size and demographics. You could start a
support group where ideas and obstacles can
be discussed and this will become a support
to you in addition to the leadership team of
your church.
Speak To The Pastor
Need to have pastor’s support
Need to have pastoral staff support
Singles’ needs addressed
Guidance/instructions
Be open to his/her suggestions
Get his/her heart and pulse
 Align vision with church vision
Develop Leadership Team
What kind of leader are you?
 True Colors Exercise
 Gold
 Orange
 Blue
 Green

What are your weakness/strengths

Develop Leadership Team
Know who you are working with
 Working Styles Exercise
 Analytics
 Thoroughness
 Drivers
 Action
 Amiables
 Process
 Expressives
 Vision
Develop Leadership Team
L.E.A.D. Training
 Listen to what God is saying about your
abilities
 Empower/equip yourself for success
 Attain an attitude of passion for your
purpose
 Develop disciplined behavior to reach your
destiny
Characteristics of a Good Leader
Content/secure in their singleness
Faithful
Dependable
Timely
Trustworthy
Integrity
Be real/honest
Confidentiality
Request From Your Leaders
One year commitment
Support in all events/activities
Availability/vulnerability
Prayer/fasting
Confidentiality
Integrity
Wisdom/discernment
Friendship
Be vocal
Give Your Leaders
Respect – share all information
Support in all events/activities
Availability/vulnerability
Prayer/fasting
Confidentiality
Integrity
Wisdom/discernment
Friendship
Be vocal
Be on time always
Develop A Vision Statement
Is a vivid idealized description of a
desired outcome that inspires, energizes
and helps you create an enticing mental
picture of your target.

 What would the Ministry look like without

any hang-ups, problems, or failures.
Develop A Vision Statement
Summarize your statement in powerful
phrases
Take as much space as you need
Should describe the best possible
outcome
Use Present Tense
Develop A Vision Statement
Use Emotion
Add Sensory Details
Review Your Vision
 Every 26 days or once a month
Update Your Vision
 at least once a year
 But no more than quarterly
Extra Advice on Guidelines
Develop Governing guidelines
 Governing values are the current
guidelines that direct your ministry
behavior and actions.
 Developing governing values for your
ministry can help identify the values that
are most important to your ministry.
 Governing values will help your ministry
be accountable for its conduct.
Extra Advice on Guidelines
 List things that your ministry values (group)
 Then choose the top three to four (individual)
 Compare with other leaders
 If they have different ones as a group choose top three
to four
 Write down two sentences why these are
important
 Write down one way your ministry is living
up to each value.
 Then write how these values will assist in
achieving your ministry’s desired outcome.
Extra Advice on Guidelines
 Think about your vision and write down at least six
specific ways your ministry plans to live up to each
value. This is called an Action Plan!

 Using your Values, write your mission statement.

 Your three to six-sentence Mission Statement should include
your Values and summarize how these Values fit with your
Vision for your future.

 Together, your Mission Statement and Action Plan

make up your Governing Values.
 Date
 Review three to six months
Develop A Mission Statement
A paragraph that captures the essence
of what your Ministry is about – the
core. It accurately explains what your
ministry does and what it hopes to
achieve in the future. It articulates the
essential nature, its values, and its
work.
Develop A Mission Statement
The Purpose Statement
 an infinitive that indicates a change in status, such
as to increase, to decrease, to prevent, to eliminate
 an identification of the problem or condition to be
changed.
What should be in your statement
 What is the purpose of the ministry
 What your ministry does
 The values of your ministry
Develop A Mission Statement
Your Ministry Mission Statement
Should:
 Express your ministry purpose in a way
that inspires support and ongoing
commitment
 Motivate those who are connected to the
ministry
 Be articulated in a way that is convincing
and easy to grasp
Develop A Mission Statement
 Use proactive verbs to describe what your
ministry does
 Be free from jargon or slang
 Be short enough so that anyone connected
to the ministry can readily repeat it.
Difference Between Vision
and Mission Statements
Vision statements describe your ministry’s
unique vision of what an ideal experience in
each of your ministry areas would be like.

They tend to focus on the distant future

looking forward five to ten years. They
represent an ideal outcome.

Vision statements are passive, focusing mostly

what your ministry wants to experience.
Difference Between Vision
and Mission Statements
Mission statements are based on your
ministry’s current situation and what your
ministry needs to focus on in the next one to
three years to move closer to the long-term
vision.

Mission statements are active focusing on

your actions, behaviors, habits and character.
Difference Between Vision
and Mission Statements
Mission and vision statements are
complementary to each other.
 Vision statements show you an idealized
description of your ultimate destination,
 while mission statements represent your
chosen path to get you there.
Plan! Plan! Plan!
One year in advance
 When presenting the ministry to the church have a
calendar that will catch the attention of those you
are trying to reach.
Know your church
 If you can get stats on the singles in your church.
 How many never been married, single parents, divorced,
engaged, dating/courting, widowed etc…
 You may also want to know about those in school, what
careers etc…
Plan! Plan! Plan!
Know your community
 Same as the church but you will want to
add what the community does for fun.
 This will help you attach them to your events.
In-reach (Church)
 Minister to the needs of the house.
 Singles Retreats
 Conferences
 Small groups, etc…
Plan! Plan! Plan!
Out-reach (Community)
 Opportunity
 Unity
 Training
 Research
 Extend
 Activities
 Community
 Help
Plan! Plan! Plan!

Determine your Facility needs

 Where you will have meetings,
fellowships, and etc…
 Is Childcare needed?
 Who
 How
 How Much
 Where
Plan! Plan! Plan!
Determine your Budget
 What is available
 Is Church funding?
 Will it be self-funded?
 How much is needed
 Can Church supply
 Fund-raisers
 Major Donors
 Contributions (such as dues, offering, gifts)
What’s Next…
Start small, build a core group
Start with a Singles Sunday
School/Small Group/Bible Study
 Address the REAL issues…
 Certainty of Salvation
 Divorce/Death of spouse/Desire to be Married
 Single parenting/
 Dating/Courting/Lust/Love
 Boundaries/Relationships
 Loneliness/Contentment
What’s Next…
Have A Luncheon
 Open house
 Monthly fellowship
 This is IN-reach with a goal of OUT-reach.

Have an OUT-reach once a month

Go on a Retreat, Conference or
recreational event
 sponsored by your church or join other local
churches.
Resources
VIP Singles Ministry
 www.myspace.com/vipsi
nglesministry
The Singles’ Network
 www.thesinglesnetwork.o
rg
Crosswalk.com
 www.crosswalk.com/sing
les
Today’s Single Christian
 www.christianitytoday.co
m/singles
Single Parenting
 www.christianitytoday.com/
parenting/features/single.ht
ml
Christian Single
Resources
 christianity.about.com/od/si
nglesresources/Christian_Sin
gles_Resources.htm
Christian Singles Blog
 single-christian.blogspot.com
Purposefully Single
 www.singleness.org
Resources
Passion for Purity Cook Publishing
 www.passionforpurity.org  www.davidccook.org

Passion for Dating CCN Online

 www.robeagar.com/page  www.ccn.tv/index.php
s/page.asp?page_id=2704 Family Life Today
Living Single Again  www.familylife.com
 www.livingsingleagain.co Focus On The Family
m  www.focusonthefamily.com/
Center For Single
Parenting
 www.spfm.org
Resources
“Common Mistakes Singles
Make” (Paperback) by Mary S.
Whelchel
“I Kissed Dating Goodbye”
(Paperback) By Joshua Harris
“Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to
Courtship” (Paperback) by Joshua
Harris
“When God Writes Your Love
Story: The Ultimate Approach
to Guy/Girl Relationships”
(Paperback) by Eric Ludy and
Leslie Ludy
“No More Sheets: The
Truth About Sex”
(Paperback) by Juanita Bynum
“The Truth About Sex:
What the World Won’t Tell
You and God Wants You to
Know” (Paperback) By Kay
Arthur
“My Life as A Chrsitian
Single: How I Survived”
(Paperback) by Prophetess
Rochell Lee