One of the most extraordinary experiences of my life was serving as a singles pastor at two large churches in the Phoenix area. From 1980 to 1982, I pastored at Grace Community Church in Tempe, Arizona, where we served more than 550 single people in our Sunday school classes. From 1982 to 1987, I pastored at Northwest Community Church in Phoenix, Arizona, where we started with six people and soon grew to more than 250 singles in our Sunday school classes.
At Grace Community Church, one area I served was the 30- to 45-year-old singles class. Most attendees in this group were “single again” and in a crisis of some kind. Many were women, newly divorced with children, facing financial, legal, emotional, familial and relational giants they had never encountered before. There were also men (let’s call them Phils) in the class in the same situation, only in reverse.
When they joined our meetings, they had that “deer in the headlights” look. They were “trust impaired.” Our singles ministry was designed to support them as they journeyed from calamity toward peace. For most, recovery would take several years…