A Couple More Thoughts on Ministry

• Right now, over 50% of America is unmarried or from an unmarried house. That is a huge number of people in any community. The highest numbers are in the Northeast. So what? Why aren't we preaching/teaching/ministering to the needs of the majority? Why do churches often treat singles ministry as a sub-ministry or a dating scene? We need to rethink single ministry. I realize that "unmarried" also includes divorcees, cohabitation couples and homosexuals. For about 50% of that 50%, the last thing they need is another sermon on how to have a good marriage and kids. Their sexual sins and dating needs to be confronted. They don't even have kids or families!
• I had printed a new stat from the UN that close to 50% of the world will live in cities within the next 10 years. However, most of our churches seem to be rural or suburbia. They are great, but why aren't we planting more churches in the city? The crime rate is through the roof. The homeless problem is crazy. Broken homes abound. The Muslims are rushing in to the cities because Christians aren't. Again, why aren't we going to the place with the biggest need? Is it hard? Yes! Will we have 100 disciples added a week? Probably not. But...what does success in an urban ministry look like? Is it about numbers or changed lives?
• Looking at both of these things, it looks like a ministry to the unmarried in the cities might be a potential for a very interesting ministry. Mars Hill seems to have tapped in to this in Seattle. It seems the traditional model of church that aims to families and marrieds may not be the right way to go about starting a ministry in some environments. We are missing over 50% of the people!