The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7

In the Beginning

It has been said that children are a blessing from God. Along with this blessing comes much work and even greater responsibility. Although parenting under any circumstances is a tremendous responsibility, parenting as an individual provides special and unique challenges.

The Single Parent Family Ministry (SPFM) was born to provide for these needs at the Rock. Although currently in its infancy, this ministry seeks to expand to home fellowships, benevolence, mentoring, serving others in the church and much more. SPFM's leader, Tina Riley, offers insight into how this ministry operates and its purpose.

"The Single Parenting Ministry is a place where moms or dads who are single parents come together for fellowship and support," Riley said. "This ministry serves as an opportunity for children of single parents to bond together as well. We bond through bible study, prayer, food and games-the perfect recipe!"

From the looks of things, it seems as though this ministry offers a whirlwind of activities for members and their children.

Rocking the House

The SPFM is always doing fun things together

At Solid Rock, the indoor rock climbing center on Hancock Street, more than 20 parents and over 35 children converged for fun, fellowship, and a "fear not" attitude. What an awesome blessing it was to have members of the church's Rock Climbing Ministry on hand to fellowship with SPFM and provide support, guidance and encouragement for first time climbers.

The kids were even treated to a cave rock climbing demonstration from the Rock Climbing Ministry's "Caveman".

"Wow, he's so cool" whispered one nine-year-old in awe.

Although the kids did most of the adventuring, there were a few brave moms and dads scaling the rocks right beside their children. In the end, pizza, soda and energy drinks were enjoyed by all; but especially by those whose energy levels were depleted through stretching their muscles and their faith in the "Rock Zone."

Common Threads

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

According to Tina, this scripture is part of the backbone of the ministry and the goals of this group are simple:

"First and foremost, our goal is to support and embrace other parents who share a common ground," Riley explained. "Encouraging parents to meet others who share their experiences and concerns provides the groundwork for our group's fellowship."

One parent commented on her initial hesitance before joining this ministry.

"I thought I would be the only parent here with three kids, I was afraid to come. Now I see how many others out there are just like me," said Margaret Spight. "Satan tries to lie to you and convince you that you are no good and that there is no one else out there like you. Your enemy tries to separate you from other believers and keep you from having fellowship."

Ring of Fellowship

Just knowing that others in the Rock understand your situation is a huge support

Let us not forsake the gathering of ourselves...as some have grown accustomed to doing. Hebrews 10:25

There have many opportunities for parents to fellowship, both with children and without. Recently, parents and kids joined in for fellowship at Standley Park in University City. Besides rolling around in the grass, water fights and romping around the jungle gyms, the "Fear Factor" games served as one of the biggest attractions. Parents and kids spent hours eating, playing and generally enjoying each other's company.

Fellowship has not only been reserved for group events, but many parents have developed more personal relationships through trips to the movies, coffee shops, and even GO-Karts, without the little ones!

Julie Marklein recently shared how the SPFM ministry has improved her fellowship and her walk with God:

"I have been praying that God would bring Christian friends into my life to encourage me and keep me accountable," she said. "Through SPFM, I have met other parents, and my son, Tyler, has also been blessed with new fellowship and great Christian friends to be with. The Lord also brought my accountability partner into my life through SPFM."

Apparently, accountability partnerships have been a big part of this ministry: Learning to rely on other single parents can make these relationships very powerful. Through honesty, prayer and biblical references, parents can grow closer to God and to each other.

Ease Please

It's easy to get involved in SPFM's Ring of Fellowship.

This group meets on Monday nights at the church and childcare is provided. If you are a single mom or dad who is parenting alone and looking for support, SPFM would love to hear from you!

To find out more information, contact the ministry at singleparentfamily@therocksandiego.org or check out our ministry page.