A recent survey of single Christians in the UK revealed that they are satisfied with how their churches responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Single Friendly Church asked more than 500 single Christians about their experience during lockdown. Half of the respondents said their churches were helpful or very helpful overall. They commended how the church faced the health crisis and how they introduced various ways to keep Christians connected to the church. Meantime, one in five people rated their churches as unhelpful, reports Premier Christian News.
The poll found that 63% of the respondents looked abroad for spiritual resources such as prayers, sermons and social groups. As for improvements they wished to tell church leaders, single Christians wanted more regular and sustained contact, with a spirit of caring especially to those who live alone.
Many single people found a degree of support from their churches through online services and prayer groups. —Jackie Elton, founder of Single Friendly Church
Some respondents revealed that they feel their churches prioritize families with children when organizing activities and conducting services. They wanted church leaders to also include ideas on how to worship as a single Christian.
Since single people comprise 30% of the church population and 40% in the UK, respondents hoped that the church will be more inclusive in their activities.
Many single Christians rely on their church for socialization through volunteer work and other church activities, but these opportunities were cut off when the world went into lockdown in March last year. During lockdown, people wanted connection, even if it only means online. The creation of online church groups was a hit with singletons since they can share stories and life experiences.
“Many single people found a degree of support from their churches through online services and prayer groups, but others felt they were staring into a void for which they were entirely unprepared,” said Jackie Elton, founder of Christian Connection and Single Friendly Church.
Christian Connection, a dating website, provides online social events to help and support thousands of single Christians throughout the pandemic. Members organize virtual activities such as online karaoke, quizzes, game nights and poetry readings. These events were highly successful, with 1,500 participants to date, reports Keep the Faith.
“We have discovered the power of online events for single Christians, and they won’t be stopping anytime soon. We are ready for what is coming,” assured Elton.
