Seven video sessions filmed at First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa Jan. 19-22 are set to be part of a new program for ministry to single mothers.
The seven-week Bible study, titled “Entrusted Lessons for the Journey,” discusses the different facets a single mother may face and how to handle them biblically, according to writer O’Shea Lowery. Its release is scheduled for this summer.
Lowery suddenly became a single mother when her husband, Jeff, left for work one morning and didn’t return. He was electrocuted at work and she went from being a stay-at-home mom with two children, ages 2 and 3, to a 24-year-old single mom with no college education.
A Call to Ministry to Single Mothers
God used Lowery’s difficult transition to lead her to earn a doctorate in family ministries, using her doctoral project as a model for outreach to single mothers.
The purpose of her strong and courageous ministries, taken from Joshua 1:9, is to equip, encourage and empower churches to embrace single mothers and their children, Lowery said. She described Strong and Courageous as “not another program, not another idea, but a true discipleship ministry for single mothers.”
The intention is for it to be orchestrated by the local church, Lowery said, to achieve the greatest impact. Single mothers need to be surrounded by a healthy church family, she said.
“People have to contribute to their lives and those of their children. »
Entrusted Ministries of Hope
Strong and courageous ministries fall under the umbrella of entrusted ministries of hope.
“I want to spend the rest of my life entrusting others with what God has entrusted to me,” Lowery said. “One of those things is that he allowed me to live the life of a single mother ministry.
“I want them to know that their journey is not on their own shoulders trying to figure it out. God sees them, is in their path, will help them, lead them, provide for them and protect them.
The study and related videos are intended to help not only single mothers, but anyone facing fear, Lowery noted. Seven crucial “callings” for the Christian walk and spiritual growth are discussed, including spiritual discipline, Bible study, group discipleship with mentorship, and teaching practical life skills.
Shooting
FBC Tuscaloosa women’s minister Beth Yates coordinated the filming of the video series, which was “open to the public, and all were welcome to attend,” she said. “Two of my neighbors came who are not active in church.”
It drew people from Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, including Maria Hernandez and Nicole Pineda, members of Lowery’s Strong and Courageous Sunday School class at First Baptist Church in Dallas. Hernandez described Lowery as “honest and real” and Pineda said she appreciated the commonality shared by other single moms in the class.
Jennifer Cox, a single mother and member of FBC Tuscaloosa, said she appreciated the study’s reminder that God is “sovereign, good, and ever faithful.”
Friends and family in Lowery’s hometown of Red Bay, Alabama also offered their support, among which was his daughter, Mandy Morrow. She doesn’t remember the day her father died, but she remembers her mother’s strength throughout her childhood.
“I’m very proud and very blessed,” Morrow said. “She is incredibly passionate, driven and has a heart for people.”
Sarah and Kenny Nichols from the Red Bay area also attended the filming. Prior to getting married, the two had lost their wives around the same time Lowery’s husband died. Sarah had two children at the time, forcing her to play the role of a single mother.
Single mothers are one of the biggest mission fields in the United States. With nearly 15 million single parents serving them is a growing need in churches.
To learn more about Lowery and Entrusted Hope, visit www.entrustedhopeministries.org.
