As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“… in its attempts to reinvigorate marriage and family, the Church must be careful not to abandon singles to hopelessness and despair by misconstruing what Scripture actually teaches about singleness—namely, that it is good.” - Mere Orthodoxy
“Many commentators will blame these declines on the increased delay in marriage…. the situation is extreme at higher ages, too. As the figure below shows, ever-married shares today are at historic lows for 35-year-old and 45-year-old men and women.” - IFS
“In 2008, among men, about 20% have never been married. For 40-year-old men in 2022, 37% had never been married. That’s insane to consider — a 40-year-old man is nearly twice as likely to never be married in 2022 compared to 2008.” - GetReligion
“As the world (and the church) becomes more single, many ministry leaders and pastors are asking:…’Do we start a ministry that specifically targets singles, or do we intentionally integrate them into the everyday life of the church?’” - Lifeway
“An increase in the number of single adults, and particularly single adults over the age of 30, brings with it a need for increased intentionality toward single adults in churches. A study from Lifeway Research asked Protestant pastors how their churches specifically minister to single adults ages 30 and older.” - Lifeway
The tendency among young men and women to delay marriage (or even to abandon it entirely) in contemporary Western society has given birth to a curiously parallel increase of interest in Paul’s passing comment in 1 Corinthians 7:6–9 about his own marital state and implication that there is a “gift of singleness” to be had and even sought in the modern church. Note the full pericope in question:
“A new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 1 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (19%) say they typically travel to church alone. Most travel to church with their spouse (54%), while close to a third say their child or children ride with them (31%).” - F&T
“When it comes to young men without male role models, you’re speaking of young men who not only don’t know how to build a family, they don’t know how to build a career.” - David French
“While rightly shoring up marriage, the church tends to neglect the unmarried or segregate them in a classroom down the hall. Singles often miss out on dinner invitations and family gatherings, and when the ladies meet, husbands and parenting are the main topic of conversation.” Single-minded
Discussion