Single Friendly Church Week
27th September – 4th October 2026
Why Single Friendly Church Week?
Right now, many single people are leaving church feeling unseen, isolated, and unwelcome. Not because their faith has wavered - but because the communities that should embrace them have overlooked them. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that around 8.6 million people across the UK now live alone, and that number is growing in every age group. Research from over 3,000 single Christians tells us that far too many feel their church culture is not invitational to their experiences.
Single Friendly Church Week is our moment to change this. For one week, churches, leaders, and individuals across the UK are coming together to say clearly: single people at every stage of life are welcomed, valued, and included here. Whether you've never married, dating, divorced, widowed, a single parent, or single in church, you belong at the heart of Christian communities, and not on their edges.
Together, we can inspire a culture shift that helps every person in your congregation truly flourish.
Your church is invited!
This is your invitation to be part of the movement. Taking action during Single Friendly Church Week doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to be intentional. You might run a conversation in your small group, review the language on your website, lead a reflection during a Sunday service, or simply open your doors in a new way. Small changes make a big difference.
Together, we can inspire a culture shift that helps every person in your congregation truly flourish. Join us this Single Friendly Church Week, download our free resources, and help us build a church where everyone belongs.
How to Join in
Single Friendly Church Week 27th September – 4th October is a week for churches to celebrate their single friendliness. We want to make sure you have all of the resources you need to take part in whichever way suits your church community, so have created a variety of things to help you.
Explore ways to join Single Friendly Church Week with our free Resource Pack. You can also book a Zoom call with our Church Engagement Manager Liz to discuss how your church can get involved.
You are warmly invited to our inaugural ‘Belonging Conference: Every single person: loved, welcomed and valued’.
This event during Single Friendly Church Week will be a thought-provoking and engaging day, exploring the theology of singleness, single ministry as mission, the nuances of relationship status, single people's stories, and much more via keynote speakers, panel discussions and workshops.
This is event is to explore how we can change the culture around singleness in churches across denominations, and so all interested in this are welcome to attend - from clergy and leadership teams to singles, not single and the curious!
Where: St Ethelburga’s Centre, London
When: 26th September 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm
Tickets: We have two different ticket prices depending on your circumstances. By buying a ticket you are helping us to raise money for Single Friendly Church Network.
Programme of the Belonging Conference
26th September
10:00am - 10:30am
Doors open, registration, tea & coffee available
10:30am - 10:40am
Opening Prayer and welcome
10:40am - 11:00am
Keynote Speaker - Executive Director Single Friendly Church Network
11:00am - 11:30am
More Than a Season: A Panel Discussion on Singleness and Community
11:30am - 11:45am
Keynote Speaker - Biblical Reflection & Singleness
11:45am - 12:30pm
Workshop Sessions - 3 options
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Lunch - Bring your own or buy locally
1:30pm - 2:00pm
Keynote Speaker - the Journey of Single Friendly Church Network with our Founder
2:00pm - 2:30pm
Keynote Speaker - Belonging: Single Friendly as part of church mission
2:30pm - 3:00pm
Workshop Sessions - 3 options
3:00pm - 3:15pm
Comfort Break/Networking time, tea & coffee available
3:15pm - 3:45pm
Panel Discussion - Dreaming the future where all single people are welcomed in churches
3:45pm - 4:00pm
Final plenary, round up of event and thank yous
4:00pm - 4:30pm
Opportunity to network/make connections, tea & coffee available
Provisional programme - more information on speakers and panellists will be available soon
Curious about Single Friendly Church Week?
Not sure where to start? Have questions? Get the ball rolling by joining our informal zoom gatherings with our Church Engagement Manager for a Q&A - click below:
Quick Links:
Download Resources Guide:
