Single, continued from previous page


to others is by leading with a friend a study called “Te Ultimate Journey.” I help others break free of their past wounds and cur- rent bondage and live in the freedom of Christ.


What more could a church do to help a single mom? A wom-


an from our church watched my son when he was one year old. She said that she views a single mom just like a widow. I think that is a good way of looking at the situation for a single mom. I will be real for a minute that sometimes I have been jealous of widows in the church. It has crossed my mind to wonder why I didn’t get help for a while with meals. Getting timely meals on the table is one of the hardest things for me. When my husband leſt us, I would have loved to have had people coming by regu- larly to support me and my son. It is like a death when you lose that spouse, whether it was a good or bad relationship. Tere is a process of grieving that must happen and an eventual journey into a new normal.


Another thing the church can keep in mind is that single moms need to be reminded that we can rest and be provided


with time to do that. We need to be comforted in that the weight doesn’t rest solely on our shoulders but that there is a church family to help with the load.


How has being a single mother become an advantage for


me? I wanted to end by answering this question because being a single mom has become my greatest giſt. Tis verse really sums it up: “Blessed be the God … who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in ANY affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 nasb emphasis added).


I’m not broken or defective; I’m a blessing, and I can meet


people where they are because I have been there. Also, I know what it is to not understand who God is and how to have a relationship with him. Now, I foster in my son what it is to have a living and loving relationship with God.


Mica Devon is a Quotes Manager as well as a single mom ex- traordinaire. She is passionate about writing and helping people understand their feedom in Christ.


Defining a New Vision As we have communicated over the past couple of years, we are looking at the next vision statement for our Fellowship. Te


Directors and staff of the FEBC have been sharpening the focus we feel God is calling us to at this time. We are drawn to a vision that involves strengthening our member churches by providing improved services, and making sure our church leaders are aware of what services are available.


Recently, we conducted an online survey of our church leaders, with over half of our member churches responding. Following are


some thoughts about the services and resources we provide based on our own research and the results of the survey: When our services have been provided, they have generally been helpful and fairly timely. However: • Overall knowledge about the specific services we can offer is lacking. • Some of our services need to be updated to meet current needs. • Some of our services need to be “formalized” with a well-defined process and/or resource package. • Tere are several services we might add that are not yet available. As we consider developing better services and how this might impact our next vision statement, the following question was asked


on the survey: Do you agree that creating healthier churches through developing and delivering helpful services is a good direction for the FEBC


at this time?


• 85% of respondents selected “Strongly Agree” or “Agree.” • 15% selected “Neutral,” while none selected “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree.” We will continue to work with the leaders of your church to develop and define the future vision of our Fellowship. It is possible that a new vision statement could be presented for consideration before our annual meeting.


8 Fellowship Focus, May/June 2020 FellowshipForward.org


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