We can hardly get past Christmas before stores put out Valentine’s Day cards and decorations. As women, it seems like we’re put in one of two categories: you either have a Valentine or you don’t. For those of us who are single, it can be a challenging time of year! In churches, we often offer a couple’s dinner or a daddy daughter dance, but single women aren’t always acknowledged. It’s more than just women who haven’t ever been married, but also those who are single again, widowed, or those who feel single because they have an absentee spouse.
Here are a few ways that you can minister to the single women in your life this year around Valentine’s Day:
- Make time to spend with single women in your life. You don’t have to make a big deal, but let them know you care.
- Speak truth into her life. Always put truth ahead of your opinion.
- Don’t forget what it was like to be single.
- Know when to just listen. Sometimes, we’re not looking for an answer, but just for someone to listen.
- Remember that singleness looks different for each woman.
And for the single ladies, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- It’s just one day. Celebrate with your friends, and keep the big picture in mind.
- Root yourself in Christ. Know what scripture says about who you are in Christ and claim it! (Ephesians 2:10)
- Take your worries, fears, pain, heartache, joys, excitement, and everything else to the Lord. He knows your heart better than anyone and he cares about you and how you feel.
- Find a place to serve. Don’t feel like you have to be married to make an impact on the kingdom! Ask God to show you where he wants to use you.
As ministry leaders, lead out in the area of ministering to all types of women within your reach. It’s easy to cater to the women who are in a life stage similar to yours and forget the needs of other women. I have to keep that in mind as a single woman trying to plan events for women who are married and may or may not have children. The times that work best for me may not work best for a mom of preschoolers. One of the best things we can do is offer encouragement to one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 is a great reminder – “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
Resources:
The Sacred Search – Gary Thomas
Lies Women Believe – Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Every Single Woman’s Battle – Shannon Ethridge
Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy – Kelly Minter
He Speaks to Me – Priscilla Shirer
The Pursuit of Holiness – Jerry Bridges
Galentines – No matter where you are this year on Valentine’s Day, you can join us for Galentines this Thursday night! Join Mandisa, Kelly Minter, Jaime Jamgochian, Mandy Hale and others as we join together as single women across the world! Check out the website for more information.
Mary Margaret is an Event Project Coordinator on the Church Education Ministry team at Lifeway. She works alongside Chris Adams and coordinates training events for women’s ministry leaders like YOU Lead and the Women’s Ministry Forum. Mary Margaret has served several churches in the area of Girls Ministry and she recently completed a Master of Arts in Christian Education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In her spare time, she writes for Story of My Life – her personal blog.