Updated Friday, Jan. 11, 2008

Reaching the largest people group

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor

What is North Carolina's largest unreached people group?

The 2000 census shows the foreign-born population in our state increased dramatically, to 430,000 (5.3 percent). The estimated Latino population was 378,963 (4.7 percent). It counted 99,551 Native Americans, 1.7 million blacks and 113,689 Asians.

North Carolina Baptist churches have many specific ministries to these groups and Convention staff whose primary responsibility is among them. Yet the largest identifiable people group by far has no specific Convention staff assignment, nor is it in the purview of anyone at Southern Baptist Convention level, although Assemblies of God takes it very seriously.

Lifeway Christian Resources has no department designated for materials for this group, although David C. Cook Publishing does. Few North Carolina Baptist churches have a staff minister focused on coordinating ministry with, among or to this group.

What is this people group that now accounts for 50.6 percent of all adults in North Carolina, slightly higher than the national average? Who comprises this colorful, creative, hard to reach, independent, struggling, successful, lonely, partying, professional, underemployed people group?

Unmarried adults.

Today more than one-half the adult population is unmarried. Single adults and single parents are the fastest-growing household types in America.

Business Week magazine says single adults in the U.S. "make up 42 percent of the workforce, 40 percent of home buyers, 35 percent of voters, and one of the most potent - if pluralistic - consumer groups on record."

Dennis Franck, national director of single adult ministry for Assemblies of God, says, "Many of these individuals find it difficult to connect with others, find community, and fit in churches which are, many times, marriage-and-family-focused."

The "Leave it to Beaver" family model of breadwinner dads and stay-at-home moms now accounts for just one-tenth of all households. Married couples with kids - which made up nearly every residence a century ago - now totals just 25 percent, and is dropping. By 2010 according to the Census Bureau, nearly 30 percent of homes will be inhabited by someone who lives alone.

"There's this pervasive idea in America that puts marriage and family at the center of everyone's lives," Bella M. DePaulo, visiting professor of psychology at the University of California at Santa Barbara, told Business Week, "when in fact it's becoming less and less so."

Yet, our churches focus on this shrinking portion of the population and when the Biblical Recorder tried to find prime examples of excellent ministry among single adults, results were sparse. Nationally, only 13 percent of all churches report offering single adult specific activities. According to researcher James Tanner, only 2.6 percent of churches that offer some form of singles activity (that is 2.6 percent of the 13 percent) are viewed to have single adult ministries that are growing and attracting new single adults to the church.

Using the 374,000 church number for which American Church Lists has information, that would mean there are only about 1,300 effective single adult ministries in the United States.

Rich Hurst, director of singles ministry resources with David C. Cook Publishing, said when he was pastor at McLean Bible Church, a group of over-30, never-married professionals told him, "We are the most ignored group in this church."

There is no "easy button" to establish a ministry among single adults. In fact, most probably resent being pigeon holed by their marital status. That implies an identity based on something they are not: which is married.

"Singles" are not monolithic. They are never married, divorced, separated, and widowed. And they come in all ages, from very young adults just out of high school to senior adults who have lost a spouse after 50 years together. Although about half of single adults have never been married church ministry to singles has predominantly focused on the divorced.

This is likely one reason why churches, which tend to stratify ministries to as many "groups" as they can identify, find it so difficult to undertake such ministry.

Hurst says single adults have unique needs. Those under age 30 are concerned primarily with intimacy and careers. Their intimacy needs are heavily wrapped up in who they will marry. Over age 30, their needs are transitional, he says. Some have gone through a relationship that has ended, and some are coming to terms with the fact they may never marry.

Unfortunately, most churches don't quite know what to make of unmarried adults and are clumsy in their approach.

Every church is called to minister to single adults, just as they are called to minister to, with and among all persons. Many unmarrieds do not want to be "singled" out, but prefer to simply be treated as an adult church member, active in ministry among other members. Other singles are looking for a community in which marital status is a common denominator.

If you want to reach out to a significant people group in your community, try establishing specific ministry to single adults.

Hurst says such ministry needs six things: (1) A program designed specifically for single adults that provides relationship building. (2) Good leadership. (3) A strong teacher who can help them apply God's truth to their lives. (4) Activities that provide a chance to interact with each other. (5) Bonding experiences, through small groups or retreats. (6) A positive identity for singles in the church.

This is the largest "people group" in our state. How many times do you find an identifiable "people group" that comprises one half the adult population?

In those rare instances when the sociograms are sliced and diced and you come up with a large block like this, it merits special attention. I encourage the Convention and churches to take a good hard look finding ways to incorporate singles in both ministry and mission.