1. Demographics demonstrate the Need 44% U. S adults - single/single – again Never married64.5 M 27.5% Divorced25.0 M 10.6% Widowed14.3 M 6.0% M 44.1% Separated 5.5 M 2.4% U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Social & Economic Supplement

 Married households 2010  56 million……………………51.0 percent  1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th marriages  Unmarried households  55 million ……………..…… percent  14 million single women  5 million single men  million single, “non family”- friends of same/opposite sex Reported in 10/15/06 Yahoo News, Maxim Kniazkov U.S. CENSUS BUREAU – 2010 American Community Survey CENSUS BUREAU

Divorce/ Divorce/Remarriage 43 % of first marriages divorce 1 60 % of remarriages with children divorce 1 65 % of remarriages with children from a prior marriage divorce 1 65 % of simple stepfamilies (1 partner with a child) divorce 2 70 % of complex stepfamilies (both partners have children) divorce 2 1 January 9, 2006, Newsweek, “The ‘Familymoon’” 2 In her book For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered, Dr. Hetherington specifies the divorce rate for step-couples to be “50 percent higher in remarriages with stepchildren” Specifically, then, the divorce rate is 65-70%. (p. 178).

2. People’s lives motivate the need  Many needs/issues of young adults/single adults not addressed from biblical & unmarried perspective.  Where are they getting their information?

 Rearing kids alone  Shared parenting  Relating to my former spouse  Sexuality and singleness  Money management  Peer Friendships  Learning to forgive my ex  Accepting Singleness  Dating/dating again  Divorce Recovery  Living with mom/dad  Understanding emotions  Grief recovery  Dealing with changes  Learning to trust again  Loneliness  Humility  Building an identity  Singleness in a marriage & family-oriented church  Career choice  Pre-Marital education  Re-Marital education  Blending families  Relating to married adults  Adjusting to Widowhood

3. Their ministry potential validates the need  Talents and creativity of single adults  No need to check with a spouse to tithe or serve  I Cor. 7: 8, – Singleness affords opportunity for ministry

4. Jesus’ life authenticates the need  33 yr. old never –married adult  Greatest, most influential single adult  Pattern your life after Him!

OUR FAITH IS BASED UPON:  A Jewish single adult from Galilee  Whose ministry was preceded by a single adult named John the Baptist  Whose mission thrust was modeled by a single adult named Paul