Being single does not mean that something is wrong. Singleness is not a problem that needs to be fixed. And yet, for so long, it has been treated that way. In the past, many churches have felt that the only way to include a single person into the fold of the church is to just get them married. This has often left single Christians feeling as if they don't belong, as if they can only find validation from a congregation if they find a spouse. Singleness is not an illness to cure, nor is it a brokenness that needs repair.
In just about every church, one can find multiple adults who are not married. Whether a personal decision or not, the reality is that many of these adults have sensed the tension of struggling to connect with the church and vice versa. Doug Hankins offers practical wisdom, theological guidance, and hopeful encouragement to both sides of this tension. Doug does not offer a path toward marriage, but instead, he points to the purpose of singleness while highlighting figures in Scripture who walked in singleness with obedience to the Lord. Though treated seriously, Hankins brings levity to the discussion with pop culture references and humorous stories that allow singleness to be addressed with an open hand. This book is not meant to correct singleness but rather to correct how we care for those single adults. Still Single, Still Called is a book that sees singles for who they are: children of God in need of a Savior, not a spouse.
Doug Hankins (Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is a pastor, professor, and friend to countless single adults he's walked alongside for more than 20 years. He serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Winter Park, Florida, and teaches as an Associate Professor at the Baptist University of Florida. Over the years, Doug has listened to the hopes, frustrations, and quiet courage of people navigating life outside of marriage-and he's learned that singleness isn't something to fix, but something to understand more deeply. With the heart of a pastor, the curiosity of a storyteller, and the training of a scholar, he brings a rare blend of empathy and insight to a topic too often misunderstood. In this book, Doug offers a fresh vision of singleness-not as what's missing, but as what's meaningful.
