What Encouragement Is There for Single Parents Who Feel Overwhelmed?

Raising children can be overwhelming at times. Today, Ken Jones illustrates how being deeply rooted in the local church can help single parents lean on the body of Christ for support and guidance.

Nathan W. Bingham: This week on the Ask Ligonier podcast, we’re recording live from Ligonier’s 2023 National Conference, and we’re joined by Reverend Ken Jones. He is the pastor of Glendale Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Florida. Reverend Jones, what encouragement do you have for single parents who are feeling overwhelmed?

Rev. Ken Jones: Well, first off, if we’re talking about a single parent within the church, here’s one thing that we always have to hold in mind: the fact that you are in Christ means you are never alone. So being available—that’s the dual benefit of church membership at a local level, accessibility and accountability. And so, we need to be seen and we also need to see.

So, I think that the best encouragement that I have is if you are a single parent and you are in a local church, plug in, and there may be individuals around you that you can learn from, that you can receive help in different areas, different capacities. But the whole idea is, just being connected might allow you to be seen by someone who will step in and help in a given area, whether it’s counsel, whether it’s resources, whether it’s refreshment, instruction, role model—anything of that nature.

I think once we are grounded in the body, that enables us and probably better equips us to make use of our neighbors in general, whether they are believers or unbelievers. But first and foremost, being grounded, I think, at the level of the local church gives us an opportunity to plug in to the gifts of others and make ourselves available to others.