Articles for tag: Single Mothers

May 22, 2017

Christian Standard

When Modern Ministry Gets Messy

By Jessie Clemence “Messy” is the only choice for a ministry that opens the door for God”s power to change lives. Here”s a frank look at our situation today, with a challenge to demonstrate attitudes and actions worthy of Christ. What would you do if you walked into church on Sunday and found a new couple sitting in your usual pew, holding hands and envisioning how lovely their wedding ceremony would look in the room? What if they were both men, or both women? How would you feel if a transgender person handed you the Communion tray or a bulletin?

December 2, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: MY SAFE HARBOR

By Jennifer Johnson Families gather in kitchens: for cereal and coffee and a last check of homework before school, for dinner together in the evening, for a snack and a conversation before bed. The kitchen is the center of every home, so when Becky Ahlberg created My Safe Harbor, she knew its building had to include one. My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit organization originally launched by Anaheim (California) First Christian Church, offers a variety of programs to support, educate, and empower the women of Anaheim. Although the church is only miles from the tourism and wealth of Disneyland, its neighborhood

November 21, 2016

Christian Standard

Studying the City: Hope International University

By Jennifer Johnson Several of the colleges and universities affiliated with our movement understand the need to reach their own cities while preparing students for an urban future. Here”s what one of them is doing. ________ HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Fullerton, California The U.S. Census Bureau defines an urban area as “comprising one or more central places, and the adjacent densely-settled surrounding territory, that together have a minimum of 50,000 people.” So while cities like New York and Chicago certainly qualify as urban, so do urban sprawl areas like Anaheim, California. “Anaheim is home to 350,000 people,” says Kip Lines, professor

July 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Shefki Selmani

By David Faust Shefki Selmani grew up in a Muslim family in the European republic of Kosovo. As a boy in the late 1990s, he heard bombs falling from NATO military action against the Serbs. During those stormy times he enjoyed lighter moments by playing soccer with British troops, and hanging around them taught him some not-so-proper English words. American missionaries introduced Shefki to the gospel and baptized him into Christ when he was a teenager. He says, “Jesus called me and that meant for me to leave everything if I wanted to follow him.” As a result of encountering

September 27, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Reaching Out to Single Moms

By Michael C. Mack Studies show more than a quarter of American adults are divorced or raising children alone. Yet surveys indicate only 5 percent of single parents attend church regularly. What can the church do to reach single moms? One congregation has thrown baby showers for single moms-to-be. The goal is to show love to someone struggling and unsure of God”s love in a difficult time. Women from the church cook, plan games, and act as hosts at the event. The Single Moms Ministry at McCook (Nebraska) Christian Church started a new Bible study group and handed out fliers

March 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Aid to Stick

By Jennifer Johnson Why do we always want to Band-Aid the solution? Never mind. I know why. Whether it”s homelessness or abortion or violence in schools, it”s easier to organize a sock giveaway, stand on a picket line, or bicker about gun control than to address the systemic social issues that first led to the problem. I relearned this a few months ago when interviewing my friend Becky Ahlberg about My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit she (and Anaheim First Christian Church) launched in 2008 to serve a city ravaged by gang violence, crime, and poverty. It might have been easier

October 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Becoming the “˜Go-To” Church

By Jennifer Johnson “We were doing missional before it was cool,” says Becky Ahlberg with a smile. In 2005, Anaheim (California) First Christian Church decided to stay in its rapidly changing neighborhood, connect with its residents, and work strategically to be part of the solution. Since then the church has elevated its community profile and even founded My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit ministry that empowers low-income single moms with relationships, life skills training, and personal development. Through its own relationship building, the church also has strong partnerships with a variety of community agencies, the school district, city government, and the

October 3, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Becky Ahlberg

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month, in our ongoing series of interviews with CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors, we speak with one who is leading a dynamic urban ministry. Interview by Jennifer Johnson  A lot has happened since the last time we talked about your ministry. Fill me in on the latest. Anaheim [California] First Christian Church started My Safe Harbor in 2008. We discovered that 70 percent of kids who join gangs, drop out of high school, commit suicide, run away, and get pregnant are from single-mother homes, so our goal is to make a difference now and in future generations by

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

The Pearl Group: More than a Donation

By Nancy Karpenske The Pearl Group is a nonprofit that helps single parents in specialized ways. This group was launched by business owners from LifeBridge Christian Church who wanted to do more than just donate money. The Pearl Group can apply for grants, seek donors, and arrange partnerships with foundations and agencies that might not give to a church. The Pearl programs offer a wide array of services: “¢ A car clinic happens on Saturdays every other month. Two local garages open their doors for teams of volunteer mechanics. “¢ The Closet is a free clothing bank for moms and

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

How We Serve Single Moms

For nearly a decade LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, has been trying to figure out how to bless single moms. We”ve had some breakthroughs and some setbacks. Here is the one clear truth: God doesn”t measure success the same way we do.  By Nancy Karpenske I”ll call her Debbie. When she started attending our group, she sat hunched over, making no eye contact. I kept expecting her to storm out. Ever so slowly her protective layers of hostility began to melt, just a few degrees. She has three children, each with a special needs diagnosis. She typically works three

December 30, 2012

Christian Standard

Great Open Doors

By Brian Mavis Where do you think God is asking us to join him? What great doors of effective work has God opened in the United States? It”s a question based on a biblical concept. In John 5, Jesus said the Father is always at work, and he, Jesus, looks to see where God is working and joins him in that work. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul said he would stay longer at Ephesus because a great door of effective work had opened up (16:9). In Jesus” instructions to the church in Philadelphia, he said he had

March 22, 2012

Christian Standard

Johnson Honors Alums Featured on TV Show

By Jennifer Taylor In January, Johnson University (Knoxville, TN) surprised Daniel and Mandy Watson with full tuition scholarships for their three children and the establishment of a scholarship fund for children in The Restoration House program. The Watsons, 2001 graduates of Johnson University, now operate The Restoration House of East Tennessee, a nonprofit organization ministering to the needs of single mothers. The organization offers transitional housing, team mentoring, and connections to social services and local resources. Families participating in the program must meet weekly with a leader to set goals, pay 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities,

October 25, 2011

Christian Standard

You Must Read This . . . A Spiritual Retreat

By Becky Ahlberg Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense By N.T. Wright New York: HarperCollins, 2006 I found this gem during my search for help in writing the spiritual formation curriculum for an intensive yearlong program for low-income single mothers. As is often the case, when you teach, you learn the most. For this teacher, this book was like fresh water to a parched soul. In its simplicity and clarity it brought into bold relief how truly dry I was! Page after page the author brings to life the theology we often “know” and yet don”t understand in a personal way.

April 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Pondering the Demands on My Abundance

By Mark A. Taylor This March I accompanied a small group of ministers as they saw firsthand the work of Christian Missionary Fellowship in Kenya. When we walked through slums in the capital city, Nairobi, all of us experienced squalor and poverty that none of us will ever forget. But as I write this, after one week home from the visit, I”m still deciding what to do with what I discovered there. Accompanied by CMF-employed social workers, Doug Priest and I visited one of the slum homes. Jane, a single mother, lives there with her mother and her two children.

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

“˜You Made Me Feel Like I Matter”

  By Nancy Karpenske Margie came because a friend insisted she give us a try. She told me, “I always felt a total failure as a wife and a mother. When I came to the group, I found a whole room of women like me. I realized the very first night that there”s nothing wrong with me.” Lisa said, “I never knew what a normal marriage was supposed to look like until a small group from church started coming over to do repairs at my house. Watching the way the husbands and wives interacted with each other and with my kids

May 10, 2009

Christian Standard

We Had a Revolution!

By Becky Ahlberg “How did you get all these people to do this?” That was the question of the morning.  We had 165 workers set up all over the school”s campus doing everything from fiber arts and woodworking to a variety of sports, rocket launching, and gardening. It was a veritable beehive of activity with wide-eyed children going from activity to activity wondering what could be next. How did we get all those people? We invited them to a revolution. That”s what we called it”””Revolution!”””a new way to connect with kids. It was a Sunday morning. We met early for

January 4, 2009

Christian Standard

Small Groups that Give and Live Graciously

By Brian Mavis What would happen if a church gave back to her small groups half of what the groups tithed and asked them to invest the money in ministry? I had pondered this for a few years. I wondered whether the people in the small groups would be motivated to give more, and what they would choose to do with the money. When I joined the staff at LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, Colorado, I shared some of these thoughts and questions with the leaders and elders, and I was floored when they said, “Let”s find out.” Before I share

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