As I spend the year researching and studying articles on parenting ministries to help enrich readers needing help, it occurs to me that I have thus far greatly overlooked a population which needs help perhaps most of all and that is the single parent families out there. But, while I have overlooked this, the Lord has not! He is faithful to all our needs. One ministry He has provided to help single parent families is InStep found online at www.instepministries.com
InStep ministers not only to the single parents, but also to the families who have divorced and remarried. This outreach is dedicated to providing practical Bible resources, support, and counsel to families and their churches.
While the ministry supports families who have gone through divorce, they clarify that they are not prodivorce and do not assist in obtaining divorce, but with growing with God in your life. The ministry’s vision is to equip singles, single parents and stepfamily members as they live out their faith and impact their culture for Christ. Their mission is to accomplish this vision by empowering individuals, families, and churches through training, mentoring, counseling and Biblical resources. Their goal is to connect the community of singles, single parents and stepfamilies to the local church.
One important tool for accomplishing these plans is through training. InStep equips, trains, and coaches staff and leaders by providing ongoing support and training for all resources. Their resources are their second tool. This includes training materials, needs assessments, curriculum, program design and evaluation and ministry development that fits the mission and core values of the local church or ministry they are support. The third tool is experience to understand the complexity of families and the challenges as well as opportunities they represent. This is demonstrated in their means of equipping through counseling, mentoring, and preparation for remarriages.
InStep is affiliated with the Association of Marriage and Family Ministries.
