With the increase in single-parent families, the Church must prepare to better minister to them. This includes the children as well as the parents. Not all single-parent homes result from death or divorce. An increasing number of women are choosing medical technology to have a child before marriage. Other single-parent families result for adoption and births out of wedlock.

Many professionals see the grief process for the divorced or widowed single parent as similar. While these similarities exist, the relationships are quite different. Those single-again as a result of death experience a finality to the relationship that divorced people do not. Due to the children, divorced couples maintain contact as their parenting roles continue. An effective ministry recognizes and addresses the uniqueness of each situation.

According to Mervin E. Thompson in Starting Over Single the first stage is shock. It is almost impossible to feel or decide anything. Individuals are numb all over. Shock is a state of disbelief, an inability to accept what has happened to us.

Second is denial. This occurs when a dinner place is still set for the absent spouse, clothes remain in the closet, holding to dreams of reconciliation, not accepting the reality of death, or signing cards using both names. Denial is living a lie...

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