A Message to the Married

“Let me challenge you....to consider that this conversation DOES apply to you after all.”

Cornerstone is offering an evening conference called “Redeeming Singleness.” It’s at this point that most married folks will usually stop reading, thinking, “Whew, I’m off the hook for this one, this doesn’t apply to me!” Let me challenge you to think again, to consider that this conversation DOES apply to you after all.
Here are 4 reasons why you should tag along with the singles to this one:                                                

1. Do it for your single friends and family. You know single people. Lots of them, probably. And your views on their lives as singles (how you support, encourage, question, and challenge them) can either help or hurt them in this season. Rather than repeating things you’ve heard from pop culture, church tradition, and your own upbringing, wouldn’t it be great to look at what the Bible has to say about it and hear from a panel of Christians who have different experiences with singleness, so you can be equipped to demonstrate love for and give truly godly counsel to your single friends?                                                                                                          
2. Do it for the kids. Many married people raise children. If not, you have nieces, nephews, godkids, friend’s kids, children at church, and other little lives you influence. And since our first, and often longest-lasting, views of marriage and singleness come from the adults in our young lives before we even realize our perspectives are being formed, it would be great for every adult to take a second look at singleness to make sure we are raising up children in the truth that comes from God’s Word rather than our own preconceived notions.                            
3. Do it for yourself. The hard truth is that many currently married people will find themselves in a state of singleness once again. Marriage is not a permanent state. Whether by death, divorce, or separation, many married individuals will experience a period of second-singleness. My mother was married to my father for 33 years before he died, and has since been single for 14 years. She didn’t plan her life that way, it just was. Thus, the topic of this conference will indeed apply directly to many of you at some point in your lives.                          
4. Do it for the fun of it. Single people are awesome. Why wouldn’t you want to spend 2 hours hanging out with a bunch of us?!?!?! We hope this will be the starting point for many conversations between everyone in the church, single or married, no matter what life stage you are in. I suggest couples invite a single friend or three to go out for coffee with them in the days following the conference so you can further discuss this complex and interesting subject together.