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Encouraging single leaders in Nottingham
Honoured began last summer when its founder Lora wanted to do something for single Christians in her local area. I met with her in Nottingham shortly after they had run their first events, and it has been so encouraging to see how their ministry has grown in just a few months. Honoured are reaching single Christians in the Midlands and beyond with their regular social events and encouraging online blog. When they invited me to speak at their breakfast event for single leaders, I jumped at the opportunity to get more involved.
The breakfast took place in a quiet area of a coffee shop on Saturday morning, 12th May. It was a very encouraging time where we could connect and share the joys and challenges of single leadership. Those attending included worship leaders, youth workers, small group leaders and several in senior church leadership.
I shared about the work of Single Friendly Church, the challenges that single people often face and what we can do as leaders to bring change. We also talked about how single leaders are role models for other singles in the congregation, and how being open about the joys and struggles of singleness can be a great encouragement to others. We then discussed together in small groups our own experience of being single in church, and shared any good things that our churches do for single people that others could learn from
There was also an insightful talk from Kat Register about fostering as a single person, which sparked some good conversation, and a time of prayer to finish. (For stories of other single people fostering and adoption, see our article here.)
Overall I thought it was a fantastic opportunity for single leaders to connect with each other, get support and share ideas. I'd love to see more UK churches and dioceses put on events like this for their single leaders. Honoured have certainly recognised a need and it is exciting to see their ministry grow from strength to strength – they are currently planning a Single Leaders Breakfast in London for the summer, and have begun running social events in Manchester.
If you’re a single leader and would like to see a breakfast event take place in your area, why not consider running one for your local churches? We’d be happy to come and speak on a variety of topics associated with singleness – get in touch with us at info@singlefriendlychurch.com. To find out more about Honoured, visit their website.
Beth Collingridge
Single friendly Church campaign manager