It’s hard to believe that 20 years have gone by since I became a single mom. Twenty years!

I still have days when I struggle with the guilt and shame – divorce is a sin, right? I felt like a failure as a woman, as a wife, and as a mom. Every church group seemed like it was just for married couples where the mom stayed home and homeschooled the kids. I felt so alone. Where are the Bible studies and sermon series for the single mom? I couldn’t find one and I was too exhausted to start one.

So, I decided to start a group for single moms at New Covenant Bible Church in Cedar Rapids. I’m finally in a life stage where I don’t have to take care of kids or elderly parents, and I decided: it’s time.

We launched the single moms group in January 2021 using a DVD series called Emerge. Together we're learning that our value as a person doesn’t come from our ex, our kids, or our circumstances but instead from our identity in Christ. Our purpose is to encourage single moms by providing a safe, confidential, Christ-centered environment where we can share about our journeys. The 30-minute DVDs are biblically sound, culturally relevant, loaded with hope, and lead us toward emotional wholeness each week. 

I asked my fellow single moms what they thought of the group so far, and their answers speak volumes:

• "The sessions really speak to me. I’ve caught myself reading the workbook and learning the Bible verses to help me get to know more of God and the Bible.”
• “No one has all the right answers, but with God’s help, He will prepare us and equip us to be the ‘right’ mom for our children. This is a judgment-free group.”
• “God still loves me; God has good for me.”
• “We need to take care of ourselves first before we can take care of others.”
• “It’s nice to have other single moms share experiences from different stages of life and come alongside one another.” 

No matter how you became a single mother, you need encouragement and you are not alone. Every single mom I’ve met along my own motherhood journey has expressed a desire for the support of other women who “get it.”

Well, we "get it," and I hope you’ll join us.

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The Single Moms Group meets Wednesdays, 6:30-8:00 PM in Room A241 at New Covenant Bible Church in Cedar Rapids, IA. Child care and activities for older kids are available. For more information and to register your kids, please sign up at ncbc.church/SingleMoms.