EDMOND—Hundreds of Philadelphia Church of God local and online singles from 15 countries attended a Bible study and online social on March 29 in Armstrong Auditorium. It was the third such event since June 2013.

In the Bible study, Local Church Elder Mark Hyde encouraged singles to base their entire lives around building the God Family. He said that God places singles in His Family because it pleases Him, so singles should embrace their role.

“Mr. Hyde really stressed how being single puts us in a unique position to serve in a way married couples cannot, which was a very positive way of looking at it,” Herbert W. Armstrong College senior Ariel Buckler said. “I see more where I fit into God’s Family, and I can use the practical steps Mr. Hyde gave to help strengthen it.”

“One of the things that most stood out to me was that family must encompass, embrace, engulf, and encircle our entire, energetic, existing being,” hwac freshman James Lowry said.

Mr. Hyde pointed out that God risked being alone forever, and the Word gave up His divine power, for the chance to have a family. “I love how he brought out the point that Jesus Christ and God sacrificed so much for there to even be a family, and then he asked what we are doing now to build the family,” hwac sophomore Victoria Lancaster said.

“Mr. Hyde did a wonderful job bringing the single life into the context of the Passover focus when he asked what we’re willing to sacrifice for the Family of God,” local member Elise Moffett commented.

Mr. Hyde gave five God Family-building areas to consider: education and work, dating, serving in the local congregation, strengthening the temple of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual development. He said singles should compare themselves to Christ in each category.

“I felt moved to speak about this because I think it is key to fighting discouragement as a single, or any of us for that matter,” Mr. Hyde said after the study. “I hoped to help the singles to see the need to focus on building God’s Family. This brings a different perspective, and it is a perspective that I believe God can bless, maybe even with a family. I also thought it gave the singles an opportunity for self-examination prior to Passover, considering all that the Father and Son have done to build the God Family.”

Many singles stayed after the study for about an hour to chat online with their peers. Information Technology staff member Benjamin Tauer reported 188 unique logins for the study and chat, many of which comprised large groups of singles from areas such as Africa and Malaysia.

“God has given us incredible technology that allows us to keep in touch around the globe!” California member Abby Estebat said. “Recently, I’ve been able to communicate and make new friendships in other continents. It helps me better appreciate and embrace being a single, because in God’s Church … we’re really not alone.”

Assistant singles coordinator Sarah Patten said the next singles Bible study and chat social is tentatively planned for June.

Click here to log in and watch the study online.