News
Making an impact at Greenbelt Festival
We were blown away by the positive response we received from festival-goers towards our campaign. We were able to connect with many single people – some attended supportive churches and others were struggling and seeking advice. Many were willing to share their experiences of being single in church (whether past or present, positive or negative) in our photobooth. We heard lots of positive stories, and many heartbreaking ones. We look forward to sharing these with you soon in our upcoming online campaign #mysinglechurchstory. If you have a story to tell, please email us at (info@singlefriendlychurch.com).
One of the most encouraging things about the weekend was the number of conversations we had with church leaders. Many actively visited our stand to discuss how they could better support single people in their congregations, and we were able to share practical advice and offer our ongoing support. We also spoke to several leaders who were already doing great things for single people – one vicar shared that after she was widowed, she started adapting church socials to improve the experience for those coming alone. Ideas like randomly allocating people to tables at church meals and giving them games to play together, and adapting barn dances so that they centre around groups rather than couples, have made a huge difference in their community.
Throughout the weekend we ran several meet ups with Christian Connection and a panel on the ‘Future of Dating and Relationships’, which was a big success. Our communion meet up for those who were on their own was a great time of fellowship…despite the pouring rain!
Overall our team were very encouraged by the response the campaign received at Greenbelt Festival, and we pray that this is the start of many more churches becoming supportive and loving communities for single people.