{"id":141285,"date":"2025-11-19T08:48:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=141285"},"modified":"2025-11-20T06:35:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T11:35:27","slug":"ct-church-attendance-drops-among-single-moms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=141285","title":{"rendered":"(CT) Church Attendance Drops Among Single Moms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recent Barna research<\/a> reveals that only one in four single moms attends church weekly, the steepest drop among women in recent years. The finding raises an uncomfortable question: Are churches truly heeding the biblical command to care for the vulnerable in their midst?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Joie Van Holstyn became a single mom of two boys through foster care and adoption in 2019, her church attendance quickly spiraled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was really hard at first,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had pretty rough attendance the first two years\u2014it was so much work to get out of the house. And I just felt out of place as a single mom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For women like Van Holstyn, the barriers start with logistics\u2014juggling work hours, transportation, and the chaos of getting kids ready alone. But the emotional weight can be heavier still. Many feel judged, pitied, or simply invisible in congregations that assume families include a husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friend eventually confronted Van Holstyn about her sporadic attendance. Convicted, she committed to going every week, even when her children squirmed through the small rural church\u2019s service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>

'\u201cIt was really hard at first,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had pretty rough attendance the first two years\u2014it was so much work to get out of the house. And I just felt out of place as a single mom.\u201d

For women like Van Holstyn, the barriers start with logistics\u2014juggling work hours,\u2026<\/p>— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) November 19, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>