For me and for many singles I've talked to, Sunday morning can be the loneliest time of the week. Why? Because we see church as a couples' and families' world. Sermons, announcements, even the way Sunday school classes and small groups are structured can communicate that we're not part of the program.

Yet singles make up 40 percent of the U.S. adult population. We are the fastest-growing population group.

How, then, can you be sure your church welcomes single adults? The good news is that the most significant ways don't require a program or a budget. But they may require a change in perspective.

Listen and ask questions

David Fisher, pastor of Colonial Church of Edina (Minnesota) began learning about the single life today when he was asked to preach a sermon called "Single and Happy." To prepare, he asked questions of singles he knew: "What does it feel like to be a single person in a world that's mostly married? How can I describe that to someone else?" ...