Engaging Singles during the Holidays - LINK NOW WORKING

When I was a child, my parents went to great lengths to ensure we had beautiful Christmas memories and fun family traditions. One tradition was that Christmas Eve was always an open invitation to people who had nowhere else to go. My mother would cook a Tex-Mex feast and invite others to join us, including the single professors from the university nearby, the elderly woman who lived alone, and the Muslim man who sold cell phones in the mall. Most of the time, only one or two would come, but this tradition instilled in me a reminder to always look for those who have nowhere to go for the holidays.

As I reminisce on this tradition, I am now a single woman. I live hundreds of miles from my parents and brother. Usually, I go home for the holidays or my family comes to visit me. As I’ve talked with other singles, though, I recognize that my ability to be with family is a blessing that not everyone has.

We must welcome a messy, open celebration of the family we have through Christ and extend an open invitation to those who are still caught in sin’s curse.

Some singles can’t afford to go home. Others have no family left or are estranged from their families. Whatever the reason, they find themselves alone during the holidays. This reality gives the church a unique opportunity to build relationships with singles outside of the church and love the singles in their church during the holiday season. However, to do so, we have to be willing to change our mindset from the perfect American family-only holiday that we so often envision. Instead, we must welcome a messy, open celebration of the family we have through Christ and extend an open invitation to those who are still caught in sin’s curse.

The single population around us is increasing as more and more people choose to wait to get married or not get married at all. The church must engage this demographic. So, what are some ways to engage singles during the holidays? Read More