Seminar offers tools to meet a modern need

By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

"Never in our country's history has there been a greater number of single parents," says Brenda Armstrong, director of the single parent ministry at Christian Financial Concepts, and coauthor of "Making Ends Meet."

As a result of this growing trend, an increasing number of churches are seeking ways to address the unique needs of single parents, both moms and dads, within their congregations.

Saturday, Sept. 30, Armstrong will conduct a seminar at Fayetteville First Baptist Church for area church members who want to effectively minister to their single-parent families.

In single parent ministry training, participants will be taught how to recognize the unique needs of single-parent families, to understand biblical precepts relating to money and caring for the needs of others, what other ministries are already doing successfully, to explore the financial struggles facing single parents and finally, steps toward building a vital parent ministry.

Armstrong knows of what she speaks. She became a single parent with two young children in 1982 through divorce, and for years faced the same struggles she now lectures about.

After a trying period of low-paying jobs, layoffs and welfare, Armstrong returned to school and started her career in Christian broadcasting in Ohio. Her success in radio and her development of single parenting ministries, led to her eventual association with Christian Financial Concepts, founded in 1976 by Larry Burkett. She now lives in Buford, Ga.

One of the first things Armstrong emphasizes in her seminar is that "God owns everything," making it necessary for individuals to learn to manage what God has given them. This ultimately leads to an innate trust in God and his ways, she explained.

According to Armstrong, there are currently 10 million single parent moms, and three million single parent dads raising children in this country. "There's often not enough money to meet basic needs," she said. This can lead to guilt on the part of the parent and his or her rhetorically asking, "Why am I failing? Why am I not succeeding?

"Our ministry was developed to help single parents with both the emotional and practical aspects of raising their kids by themselves," she added.
To register for the seminar, phone Melanie Dobson with Christian Financial Concepts at (970) 626-2500. Information about CFC can be found on their web site cfc ministry.org.

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