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Equipping people worldwide to learn, apply, and teach God's financial principles so they may know Christ more intimately, be free to serve Him, and help fund the Great Commission.
Today on MoneyLife
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Brenda Armstrong: Single Parent Ministries
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The experience led Larry to start a single-parent ministry within what was then Christian Financial concepts. That single parent ministry was headed up by Brenda Armstrong. Chuck then shares his experience growing up in a single-parent home due to divorce. He says we must have compassion for all those involved in single parent families.
Brenda shares how she began working with Larry on building a single-parent ministry in 1995. She talks about her passion for helping churches learn to minister to single-parent families. Most single-parents don’t attend church regularly. Many do not feel loved or connected to the church. Divorce often leaves people devastated and feeling abandoned. Single parents now head 13 million households, 11 million by women, 2 million by men. Benda says she's seeing growth of single-parent ministry at churches. Mercy Tree tries to help churches establish single parent ministries and wants to help them take the next step. The widows and orphans spoken of in the Bible include single parents and children of divorce. The average income for a single parent family is $18,000. Brenda shares a story about a thriving single parent ministry. Brenda cites James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" In the third segment, Brenda shares that 40% of babies are born to single moms. Single dads don’t ask for help as often as single moms; they struggle along, sometimes getting help from family. Churches can help single parents move from brokenness to healing through the Lord. The greatest needs of single parents are spiritual and emotional support. Every church should have a single-parent ministry, no matter the size of the church. The ministry can help single parents both within and outside the church. It doesn't have to be an expensive undertaking. All that is necessary is someone with a heart to get a single parent ministry started. The church’s job is not to meet all the single parent’s financial needs, but churches should seek to get to know single parent families. Michael Phelps was raised by a single mom, Debbie Phelps, and she's been an inspiration for millions of single parents. Brenda gives her web address, MercyTree.org and phone number, 770-831-9418, where listeners can get more information. Chuck shares his closing thoughts in the fourth segment:
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Divorce, Debt and CreditDivorce is the sad final result of 50 percent of all marriages in America today. In such cases, trusting God and in His provision is imperative. |
A Single Parent's Call to Outrageous FaithMany times I had prayed for God to strengthen my faith, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect this outrageous faith journey. |
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A Stewardship IssueThere is an invisible war in America that has taken husbands and fathers out of the home, and women and children have become widows and orphans. |
Feeling BankruptGod knows what its like to feel misunderstood and abandoned. Therefore, trials of the single parent are no surprise to God. |
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MoneyLife host Chuck Bentley opens the program by telling listeners that Crown Financial Ministries' late Co-Founder Larry Burkett had a daughter who was a single mom.
In the second segment, Chuck welcomes Brenda Armstrong to the program. After leaving Crown in 2003, Brenda went on to start
