Single Friendly Church Week and Belonging Conference
- Single Friendly Church Week, running from 27th September to 4th October 2026 – a national campaign by Single Friendly Church Network (SFCN)
- Intends to inspire a national culture shift that helps every person in churches across different denominations truly flourish – whatever their relationship status or denomination.
- Belonging Conference: Every Single Person – Loved, Welcomed and Valued
- Single Friendly Church Week kicks off with SFCN’s inaugural conference on Saturday 26th September 2026, 10:00am–4:00pm, at St Ethelburga’s Centre, London
Why Single Friendly Church Week matters
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people living alone in the UK rose from 7.6 million in 2014 to 8.4 million in 2024. Almost 30% of all UK households now consist of a single person. Research and commentary consistently point to loneliness and social exclusion as growing public health concerns, particularly for those living alone, single parents, and people who have lost a partner.
SFCN’s own research into community and belonging — including surveys on friendship and single parenthood — has found that many single people feel their communities and social structures are built around couples and families, often leaving single people feeling like an afterthought.
Sorcha Connell, Executive Director of Single Friendly Church Network, says
Taking part in Single Friendly Church Week doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to be intentional. We encourage Christians to get involved in whatever way suits their own churches — that might mean leading a reflection during a Sunday service, hosting a conversation in a small group, or simply reviewing the language used on their website. We’ve found small changes make a real difference — how a group communicates, how events are planned, who gets asked how they’re doing. We’ve put together practical resources to help organisations make those changes easily, because inclusion should be intentional, not accidental.
THE BELONGING CONFERENCE – 26th September 2026
Opening Single Friendly Church Week, the Belonging Conference will bring together clergy, church leadership teams, single people, married, the coupled and the simply curious for a day of keynote talks, panel discussions and workshops at St Ethelburga’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre in London, EC2N 4AG.
The provisional programme includes:
- The lived experience of being single Christians in modern Britain
- The particular challenges faced by different people across diverse denominations – such as dating, single parents, and end of life worries
- Practical ways organisations and communities can become more inclusive of single people
- Exploring the theology of singleness and how ‘single friendly’ is part of mission
- Multiple denominations are being represented in both panels and speakers
- Opportunities for personal reflection
- Building a culture shift toward genuine social inclusion, regardless of relationship status
Tickets for the Belonging Conference are available now, with two pricing tiers depending on circumstances, and proceeds help fund SFCN’s ongoing work. See more here >>
ABOUT SINGLE FRIENDLY CHURCH NETWORK
Established in 2023, the charity is dedicated to helping churches welcome and value single people. It grew out of a major 2012 survey of more than 3,000 single Christians, which uncovered widespread feelings of exclusion, isolation and being overlooked within church communities – findings that highlighted a clear need for change. Today, SFCN equips local churches with resources, training and its 5 Step Guided Audit to help them become places where single people feel fully welcome, included and valued at every stage of life. The network also runs a podcast, publishes ongoing resources for singles and church leaders, and maintains a UK-wide map of single friendly churches.
Get involved:
