Putting the pieces together for today's households Spring 2002 Evangelism Community Life Pastoral Care The Pastor Personal Life The Pastor Preaching Preaching/Worship

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Jennifer knocks nervously on the pastor's door. She wonders if she can find the courage to explain her story of a painful marriage, physical abuse, and divorce. When she enters the office, the pastor sees the pain in her eyes. "Jennifer, I think I know why you are here. You and Dave are divorcing."

After an hour of talking, Jennifer feels neither comfort nor support from her pastor. But they do pray together. As she leaves his office, Jennifer wipes back tears and looks for her car. She has no idea how she is going to support her three children. She has been a stay-at-home mom for eight years. She feels alone, confused, and afraid of the future. Praying with the pastor was good, but Jennifer is losing hope. Her pantry is nearly empty, and she doesn't have the courage to tell anyone how desperate she is.

When Jennifer arrives home, her kids ask, "Mommy, what's for dinner? We're hungry!"

There are countless Jennifers in our churches today: single parents who have to accomplish nearly everything alone, like working full-time, keeping house, maintaining the car, paying the bills, and ferrying the kids to school, church, Little League, and piano lessons.

While many churches are helping single parents with practical and financial needs, the churches that most effectively assist single parents also listen to the needs of the heart.

Alan and Linda Kibble of Faith Community Church in The Woodlands, Texas, first became aware of these needs when their daughters befriended children from single-parent homes.

Realizing these single moms needed encouragement, they presented the need for single-parent ministry to their church's governing board and offered to help meet it. The result is a ministry called the Oasis.

The ...

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