"Sure, we'd love to have a singles ministry. But we're a small congregation. We have neither the numbers nor the resources to get one going. It takes a big church to be successful with singles."

This pastor's lament might sound familiar. I've uttered it at times myself. Small churches, and even medium-sized ones, would love to develop specialized ministries, but it doesn't seem possible. The limited money, space, and leaders are already overworked in the other areas of church life.

The big churches, on the other hand, seem to have all the ingredients needed for instant success. The leaders of a large church in Southern California recently saw the need for a singles ministry. They asked one of their staff to begin a singles program, an assignment with which he was not very happy. He placed a simple note in the church's weekly newsletter, listing the time and location for a planning meeting. Then he took a book to read in case no one came.

He had a surprise waiting for him: the meeting was ...