Parenting can be one of the hardest things to do, but doing it alone where one parent is occupying the space of two makes it even harder – and can be hard to carry alone. And with the stigmatisms that come with being a single mother, it can be a lot.
But, a new ministry in Winona is working to ensure that single mothers know that they are loved by God and are connected by a community of believers.
And because they know this, they can embrace a new life and give themselves Grace.
Embrace Life, a ministry at Moore Memorial United Methodist Church, is creating a ministry specifically for single parents to find solace in God and each other. The single mother ministry at Moore Memorial United Methodist Church extends their first ministry, Embrace Grace.
Kellye James and Lexie Flowers began Embrace Grace to help young women in the community. In an earlier story, Flowers said she wanted to bring the program back to Winona after attending a conference and seeing a booth for Embrace Grace.
According to the website, "Embrace Grace, Inc. officially launched to equip churches on how to love and support the single and pregnant young women in their communities in 2012. Confirmation from heaven came when a stranger wrote a check to cover the start-up fees. We have 700+ active support groups through our two discipleship programs, and 6,000+ women have been empowered to learn how to have hope again. We are excited about our new launch of Embrace Legacy, a program for young single fathers."
Amy Ford and Salina Duffy founded the non-profit organization in 2008. "There was no such thing as the single and pregnant curriculum to use for the group, so the Lord led them to the book: Embrace Grace by Liz Curtis Higgs, which has nothing to do with walking through an unexpected pregnancy but everything to do with God's Grace.”
The goal was to love and encourage the three sweet, expecting moms who attended that very first Embrace Grace group and end the semester with a baby shower for the mom's-to-be where church members would help cover the cost of the gifts.
As more and more churches started to hear about this support group, they started asking how their church could do it, too."
Kellye James said Embrace Life is a branch of their first ministry, Embrace Grace, aimed at helping unwed young mothers learn that just because she has a child doesn't mean that she's not loved or graced by God and that she should, as the name says, embrace the Grace given.
She said Embrace Life teaches women that yes, there was a circumstance – no matter the situation – that led you to become a single mom, but a moment in your life doesn't dictate your entire life.
As the website words it: "Single moms have realized they can have their babies and their dreams, too."
"The goal of Embrace Life is to help single moms go deeper in their walk with God and to feel encouraged to dream big dreams again. We do this within the community of a group using a well-planned curriculum, fellowship, and fun," James said.
She said she has a heart toward single moms and moms who have unplanned pregnancies.
"At two different points in my life, I was a single mom," James said. "They're heroes. People have no idea how hard it is. That's the heart of Embrace Grace to people know that they don't have to look somewhere else for help. They can turn to the church."
She often said that single moms could hear a lot of the negative.
But she wants them to walk away from this ministry empowered to know they are connected, and a group wants to see them persevere.
"We want them to be encouraged. Being a parent is hard, but it's hard stuff to do it by yourself," James said. She said the program is structured and teaches how to find and live in their purpose despite their circumstances.
James said the program is a 22-week program broken down into two semesters.
She said it teaches single mothers how to navigate this season of life, what Jesus says about them, what He believes about them versus what the world thinks about them.
She said the program would be held on Sundays, and this season they've partnered with Junior Auxiliary. James said that the Junior Auxiliary and the Crown Club would provide childcare services for parents.
James said with Embrace Life, there's no registration like Embrace Grace, it's just a simple invite, but there will be special treats for the women throughout the semester.
She said similar to Embrace Grace; participants have to attend 70 percent of the classes to go on a special outing.
She also said the program is still doing Embrace Grace is there's a young mother out there that needs help, they can contact her and contact her about more information on Embrace Life at 662-310-3454 or kellye@moorememorialumc.com
