Welcome to the Single Adult Ministries (SAM) web site. It is designed to provide you with resources to assist in reaching single adults for Christ.
Who are single adults? Single adults are people without spouses. This includes the divorced, never-married, widow, and widower. Remember there will be divorced, never-married, widows, and widowers who are also single parents. While it is easy to think of never-married people as young adults or widows and widowers as older adults, you’ll find single adults in every age group.
Why a specific ministry for single adults? Single adults face most of the life challenges that married adults experience. However, single adults often face these challenges alone; they are responsible for every aspect of their lives. While information applicable to all adults applies to single adults, specific life applications can differ greatly.
How many single adults are there? Statistics vary greatly. While the most reliable sources are government census, some of these are difficult to interpret since they often include people younger than 24 years of age. It is also difficult to obtain current worldwide stats. In the United States single adults comprise over 40% of the adult population. Over 50% of the Canadian population is reported to be single adults. One researcher states that over 50% of the unchurched population is single adults.
During the Sunday School and Discipleship International (SDMI) Convention in June 2009, I talked with some international delegates. Based on these conversations and comments in workshops, the issues faced by single adults are similar worldwide.
Should every local church have a Single Adult Ministries (SAM)? It may not be possible for every church, due to size, to have SAM. However, every church ministers to single adults. Death is a reality of life that turns a married couple in a single adult. Divorce happens, leaving former spouses as single adults and often as single parents. Population statistics affirm that it is impossible for every person to be married. Whether or not your church has an organized ministry, it will minister to single adults, and that ministry can be enhanced by Single Adult Ministries.
Please visit the other sections of the SAM web site for tools and resources as you minister to the single adults in your church and community. New resources will be posted as they are developed.
If you have specific questions about SAM, please email them to
singleadultministries@nazarene.org.
Linda G. Hardin, D.Min.
General Coordinator