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Rob Green and single parent ministry

Written by Eric Reynolds

December 8, 2011

Terminal illness. National vision. Welcome to the life of Rob Green.

“I used to work for the world’s largest online car auction company and would bring people to buy expensive cars. Now I bring people to conferences and websites so that they can live a life with Christ.”

Rob Green has been on staff with FamilyLife for ten years and for the past few has been launching a ministry to single parents (who make up one third of Canada’s families).

“It all started when my wife and I went to a FamilyLife marriage conference and saw how they were meeting a felt need. But they didn’t have anything for single parent families.”

Although this Christmas Eve will be his twentieth wedding anniversary, Rob knows what life is like as a single parent.

“My wife has dealt with a chronic illness for over two decades. She is in the hospital for months at a time, so I’ve had to live a single parent lifestyle: soccer games, homework, bed time stories, etc.”

Rob is positive and wants to spread the same truth that has given him hope with others.

“Single parents are not broken people… they are whole people going through brokenness. Having a spouse doesn’t make you whole. Having fewer problems doesn’t make you whole. It’s Jesus Christ.”

Rob is in full-time ministry with a mission and a vision, but he’s not without opposition.

“We’re often ostracized, even from the church, for not fitting the stereotypical family format. It puts me in a heartbroken, single-guy category. Instead of self-pity, however, God has given us abundant life in Christ and a strong passion for passing it on to single parents. We consistently share our faith by helping in our own community, as well as opening our home up for foster children. We’ve also written a book, due to be released this summer. It’s called 100% Organic Single Parent Family Ministry. We feel it will be a pivotal resource to help individuals and churches start single parent ministries. There will be an online component too, with training aids on our website.”

The timing is crucial. Rob and his family are at a crossroads this very moment.

“Right now, we’re in a financial crisis. We believe that God is up to something; our ministry has been gaining momentum and is about to expand rapidly. Impressive as the ministry seems, if I leave now, the whole program will go to the wayside.”

Rob is asking you for help. Would you partner with him to reach Canada’s single parents with the hope of Jesus Christ?

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” James 1:27