Take up the challenge to change the man issue!!!

[Beverley]

If you are a single, divorced, or widowed Christian lady who is despairing of the current trend in today's church, with too few men to go round, PLEASE take a few seconds to read this.

I am a single lady, having just turned 41 with no long term relationship in my past. Both my friend and I have been praying over the man issue for a number of months now and have felt led to respond to this quiet desperation among so many women. We believe that there is a need for the men who are in Church to be reaching out to those on the outside, but it is obvious there is no vision for this. How many leaders do we know who have acknowledged this is a problem? Having talked and prayed further, we discovered there were a number of other women around us who felt the same.

So, it was decided we would set aside the first Monday of each month to pray and fast and ask the Lord to provide, where at the moment there is no provision. We would like to make this an open invitation to all women up and down the UK who would like to join us. This can involve whatever you feel comfortable with from a full day fasting, to just one meal and using that time to pray.

Our vision is for an "army" of women to be behind what the Lord can do, getting the ball rolling so to speak and praying that He will strengthen what is weak or does not exist, and literally transform the Church as we know it. This is not only about available men for marriage, it is also about the impact of the Church in our communities and enabling Christian men to develop meaningful friendships amongst one another.

If this is striking a chord in your heart, please contact Katherine Gray at Friends First and she can pass your message onto me.

blessings

Beverley

[gingernut]

GIRLS ARMY

Over the years in every corner of town and city
single women have given their time, care, their hand
of experience.No thought of self, no pity
just constant prayer,praise and song all over the land.

Armies of women, all ages, married, widowed,single,forlorn.
Bake cakes, arrange flowers and dust the pews.
hoping that their life may one day be re-born
with a friend, a lover, or someone with like minded views.

'Thy will be done', We pray and cry!
so difficult to accept to bend and kneel.
'It's not much to ask, Lord', a chance of love , a chance to fly!
So open our hearts, give us vision, the strength to feel.

So, Come on Ladies, feel the need, see the vision, form a wall
of prayer to bring in those Christian men
to fill the void, for new life, Fellowship.So get that ball
Rolling, rolling, then we can all shout with one voice, Amen, Amen!!

[patricia]

I was delighted to read on your newsletter the article about 'Taking up the challenge to change the man issue' . As a divorcee in the church I have come up against many different views, not all of them easy to cope with and I certainly have felt alienated in the past. Changing Churches last year was a major decsion for me to try and be part of a living active congregation and I certainly now am involved, not judged on status and feel that the Lord led me, but guess what?? not one single man of my age any where to be seen, so I fully support the need for prayer to ask the Lord not only for available men for marriage but the need that Christian men have for fellowship and to be an example for all those teenage boys that we lose along the way. I know how difficult it is too be a single lady in a community of couples/young families and the retired. It is sad to see churches struggling in many towns with an ageing congregation and a few younger people trying to keep the flames alive, so Yes I am all for being part of an 'army' of women to pray for the Lord to strengthen and reform this area of need, keep me informed please.

[patricia]

I'm a 40's something Professional / Graduate (2 degrees) single (never married) Christian Male - hopefully great personality & looking(!) - have lots of friends, but I can't find a Special / Christian young lady in the North West of England! (lots down south!!) also all the men it seems apparently?? are (for any women around here (Northern England) are all around here competing for the very few young ladies based 'up north' ?!!
I'm in a couple of agencies (& tried couple of others) - but still no joy?!! so in answer to your question from Beverley - i'm here!!! :-) !!
so my question / Response is - I wonder why Midlands / Northern ladies do not advertise on the Christian Internet websites like all the thousands of ladies 'down south' do??!!
any thoughts?!! God bless, Alan!

[soundguy01]

To Beverley / all,

I'm the person who sent the above thoughts to Patricia! (following an advertising e-mail from FF) - and have just joined as visitor to this site! would be interested to know what happened re. your prayer army / hopefully some results for you now?!

(otherwise any suitable special Christian young ladies looking to meet a great NW guy!! (30's/40's) i'm here!!)

Soundguy01!

[goepfert_petra@hotmail.com]

I seem to have a very similar problem in Shropshire and the Midlands, no christian men around. I have been informed that Shropshire has 60% less population per square mile than the average of the UK, but we are not really so remoute. And Birmingham is only a few miles down the road. If there are any country folk around who belong to friendfirst, give us a shout.