CFC SINGLES FOR CHRIST

Countless professional single men and women are burdened by the demands of society to be successful in their respective fields. CFC Singles for Christ (SFC) is part of the family ministries of Couples for Christ (CFC), a Catholic Family Renewal Ministry which started in 1983 in the Philippines. The need to nurture to not just married couples came about not long after the birth of CFC and 10 years later, on June 18, 1993, the CFC elders met at the CFC Leader`s Conference at Xavier School in San Juan, Metro Manila to launch the family ministries. These are CFC Kids for Christ (KFC), CFC Youth for Christ (YFC), CFC Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD), CFC Servants of the Lord (SOLD) and CFC Singles for Christ (SFC).

CFC Singles for Christ intended for the benefit of these same individuals (ages 21 to 40) so they`d have a channel through which they could respond to God`s call and acknowledge that only He can lessen that burden and make them live peaceful and fulfilling lives. In this community, members are guided accordingly by both elders and peers in their decisions and actions (and have fun too!). In time, through perseverance and prayer, a person can achieve financial, emotional and spiritual success. It is also worth noting that quite a number of members have found their lifetime partners (a.k.a. God`s Gift or GG for short) in SFC, while some others invite their "loves" to join, thereby forging a stronger, God-Centered relationship.

MISSION STATEMENT

The single men and women today live in a difficult age. In a new world rapid change and unprecedented evil, they need to chart the course of their own lives. The face an uncertain future, without much to hold on to since traditional support structures are starting to break up around them. Being on their own now, they experience tremendous pressure to succeed, or perhaps for most, simply to survive.

Life after school is a time for excitement and challenge. But, many single men and women soon realize that real life is very different from what they have learned in school. Many lose their idealism as the are confronted with the reality of evil in the marketplace. And so they start to compromise their values. Earning money gives them a new freedom to make choices and a new sense of power to buy and to own. But the lack of values and a sense of responsibility to go with this new freedom can lead many of them in a path away from God. The chart career paths that do not consider God as a priority and, worse, develop new activities and habits, including vices, that make them turn away from God. This will only lead them to a life of loneliness, frustrations, and despair.

We believe that God has a plan for us to live a meaningful, happy and productive lives at this stage of our human existence. Given the formidable obstacles that we face, we need a renewed relationship with God and the power of the Holy Spirit to live a new life. We need a support environment where God`s plan is revealed to us and where we can draw strength from other single men and women who are committed to love and support us. We need a group where our energy and talents can be developed and put to good use to serve God and His people. We need a place where we can be formed to prepare us for the next stage of our lives, to marry or to live a single life in total dedication to the Lord.

WHO CAN BECOME MEMBERS OF SFC?

Any single person can become a member of Singles for Christ. SFC is mainly a Catholic organization, but is open to membership to all Christians of other denominations. The participants need not have any specific religious and/or spiritual background to become a member. Singles for Christ draws its membership from all sectors of society - young and old, rich and poor, etc. SFC is transcends all cultural, economic, educational, social and other distinctions. SFC is equally adaptable to all local and foreign settings.

Those who want to become members of Singles for Christ go through a seminar which is called a Christian Life Program (CLP). The CLP commences with an Orientation session, then goes through 12 talks. The talks are usually held in the afternoons or evenings and usually last about two and a half hours per session.

PHILOSOPHY

The following embodies the beliefs and ideals of the CFC SINGLES FOR CHRIST as a ministry, from which flow the Christian attitudes, values and behavior, as well as its programs, teachings and approaches to Christian renewal.

We BELIEVE that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we safeguard its sanctity by being pure in thoughts, in words and in deeds.

We BELIEVE that God gave us gifts and talents with which we can serve and glorify Him and allow us to live fruitful lives. We believe in the proper stewardship of these gifts by striving to succeed in our chosen work or profession without sacrificing our Christian values and ethics.

We BELIEVE in the indissolubility of Christian marriage and the importance of family life in the plan of God, in the sanctity of human life and the right of the unborn child.

We BELIEVE that we are called to live out our faith fully and share actively in the life and mission in our church - through prayers, evangelization and service to others.

We BELIEVE in living productive lives as citizens of our country, obeying its laws and respecting its institutions. We believe that we have a duty to the future generations in protecting our natural environment and in combating the proliferation of evil in our social environment.

We BELIEVE that individual and corporate renewal can best be achieved by having a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by calling upon the power of the Holy Spirit in our day-to-day life and by making full use of all charismatic gifts at our disposal.