Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Family Flourishing
Key Metric
Percentage of Two Parent Homes
66.5%
Flourishing cities are built on flourishing families. One of the most powerful ways the church can transform our city is through the strengthening of families.
Throughout the Scriptures, God’s heart for strong and healthy families is clear. Across a multitude of measures, two parent homes create the strongest foundation for a healthy family, and offer children a better chance at flourishing in adulthood. This is not to say that a single parent is unable to raise a flourishing child, but often there are more challenges to overcome. Being raised in a single parent household leads to higher rates of incarceration, lower high school graduation rates and even a negative impact on their mental health. Living in poverty can exacerbate these effects. However, strong communities and strong extended family ties can help mitigate some of the challenges. In Mecklenburg County over ⅓ of families are one parent homes. This provides an amazing opportunity for the church to support the many needs associated with single-parent households.
By The Numbers
Helpful insight into some of the factors that affect the key metric and have an impact on this reality. Select an area on the map to view neighborhood-level stats.
Educational Attainment by Family Structure
Family Poverty by Marital Status
Marital Status by Race
White
Hispanic
Black
Native
Asian
Pacific
Other
Multi
Trend of total single parent and two parent homes
Single Parent
Two Parent
Scripture Reflection
Scriptures we’ve collected to help you consider this reality through the lens of Christianity.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children.
Prayer Topics
Suggestions to help you connect this reality to your prayers.
Pray for families, and especially parents who are struggling.
Pray for families, and especially parents who are struggling. Pray that they would come together united for their sake and the sake of their children
Reflect and pray for ways you can get involved
Reflect and pray for ways you can get involved. If you have a strong marriage, pray about connecting with and mentoring a young couple to help them succeed.
Pray for marriages to be strong
Pray for marriages to be strong and that people would both value and commit to their marriages.
Ask a Question
Asking questions is an important part of learning. As questions come in, we collect them and post updates periodically. Sign in to be notified when the answer to your question is posted.
Here are the answers to some of the questions that have been submitted.
Get Involved
Links to Books, Resources, Organizations and/or Opportunities that are engaging this topic well.
Moms Moving Forward is a 12-month program for single mothers and their children. This group is designed to provide a network of support for single moms to share milestones, successes and challenges of being a mom.
