Ministry to Married and Unmarried Peoples

MARRIAGE: "TO BE OR NOT TO BE"

• PAST VIEW: MANDATED PATH TO ADULTHOOD
• PRESENT VIEW: LIFESTYLE CHOICE

"Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches." (1 Cor. 7:17)

Marriage in Retreat?

SINGLE PARENTHOOD

• 6 IN 10 Mothers have live-in boyfriends - temporary
• Teenager in the U.S. has a smaller likelihood than a teenager in any other country to live with both parents

NONMARITAL BIRTHS

• In 2010, 40% of all births in the U.S.
• U.S. = Outlier among nations in combination of high nonmarital birthrates, divorce and high turnover cohabiting relationships

COHABITING RELATIONSHIPS

• Short duration cohabiting unions
• 50% remain until child's 5th birthday

HIGH DIVORCE RATES

• "GRAY DIVORCE"
• MOST DIVORCES INITIATED BY WOMEN

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

• Marriage embraced by gays and lesbians
• "Opposition to gay marriage is dying" ABC's This Week in 2012

WHAT'S A FAMILY?

• FAMILY FORMS HAVE CHANGED
• 9:10 View Single/Child
• 6:10 View Same-Sex/Child

THE FUTURE...

• "Marriage as we have known it is not coming back" (I.S. Brookings Institution)

But GOD...

MARK 10:6-9

• But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and join to his wife; And they two shall be one flesh: so then they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

SINGLES

• To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am. But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire (1Cor. 7:7-9)

COUPLES

• It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of immoralities, each man should have relations with his own wife and each woman with her own husband.
• (1 COR 7:1-3)

Ministry Insights

• Young couples are in continuous need of mentoring before/during marriage (Prevention)
• Opportunity to provide an environment for families to minister to one another (orphan society)
• Women designed to nurture family(educate)
• Marriages in Christ to remain united(model)
• Many times older couples are stable(continue to minister)

QUESTIONS

• How can the church assist in educating young couples about love and commitment?
• How does the church educate women in their role as nourisher of their children?
• How can the church minister to families or relatives of homosexual couples?