Solutions April 2018 | Page 22

we were at full capacity within one week of launching, with more than fifty attending. Two astounding facts about this response: 1) This new ministry had not yet been mentioned from the pulpit, and 2) 30 percent of the attendees had never been to our church. The news of a solo-parent faith community spread quickly and resonated deeply. Simply acknowledging the need and providing a place to belong was like opening a floodgate in the desert. The results have been transformational for those parents as well as the life of our church. people” that are everywhere around us all. RATE THIS ARTICLE The hearts of solo parents are fertile soil. Their brokenness offers the perfect opportunity for the church to respond in God’s grace, redemption, and compassion and bring forth something powerful. But this movement begins with new eyes to see His “forgotten Robert Beeson Music executive Robert Beeson founded Essential Records and was a senior executive at Provident Music Group. He has worked with Jars of Clay, Third Day, Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith and others. Beeson is the founder of iShine Records, a faith-based music/ multimedia company geared to tweens. He is the author of Going Solo: Hope and Healing for the Single Mom or Dad. After seven years as a single parent, Beeson remarried. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife, Barbara, and his three daughters and three stepsons. Robert also launched Solo Parent Society, a community for solo parents to thrive, not just survive. 22 • Solutions