There is one group of women with its own particular concerns. That is- single women. They are the widowed, divorced, those raising children alone, single professionals, college women and teens.

We often think that a women's non-profit peace organization such as Women's Federation for World Peace is made up of women who are supported by a husband and therefore have free time to volunteer in charitable contributions to our society. However, although we often gear our activities toward such women, in reality, there are many WFWP members and participants in our activities who are single.

When the Family Federation for World Peace was inaugurated and WFWP began making plans to invite the families of our participants to join us in Family Federation for World Peace activities, the Blessing Festivals, or both, we realized the need to address the concerns of our single women. From around the country WFWP leaders were asking for support groups for single mothers, widows, divorced women and teenage girls. As we began talking about the blessings, inspirations started popping up from various quarters to start a computer matching service, singles club, etc.

Realizing that there are people everywhere - both women and men - who long for the wholeness and fulfillment of a family, we began brainstorming about how we could help them find partners with the same values. Just a cruise through the internet showed us there were both women and men who were sincerely looking for a good family life and wanted to make long-term commitments. The question: how does one find a good partner who loves God, who wants to promise commitment in marriage and is willing to pledge fidelity?

As we looked at the True Family Values Ministry materials, we saw that it was focused only on married couples. We naturally wondered if there was a way we could gather single people who could unite with these same goals and help them find each other, learn the same material and make the same pledges to each other and be offered the Blessing.

Thus, Family 2000 Club was born. Sponsored by Women's Federation for World Peace, the club is an outreach to single women and men. Set up as a club rather than simply a matching service, it is an opportunity for people to gather, learn, share, find support and ultimately find a partner for the Blessing either through their local group, or through a national exchange of personal data forms which the club would provide. This means they would be connected to Family 2000 clubs throughout the nation who would provide a pool of members with whom to connect.

As a beginning, WFWP has printed a fold-over card (business card size) which reads:

We are a group of men and women who want: A God-centered marriage, A lifetime commitment, Fidelity in marriage. Join us to meet others with the same goals and to share concerns and interests.

This is the way the club works:

1. Local WFWP chapters may find a couple or single person to "parent" or sponsor the club. It can start weekly or even monthly in the living room of the sponsor with only a few people who share ideas, learn True Family Values content and socialize. Or, a public place can be worked out for the meetings. Because the parameters of the club should attract only people of the same high standards, we will avoid many of the problems which might otherwise ensue.

2. We may invite our own single church members and their contacts as well as WFWP contacts and single ministers who have attended TFV Ministry lectures. Many of our "over-40" church members are themselves at a loss to find partners. As they meet potential partners (for themselves or others) it will be simple to bring them to the club where they can get to know each other.

3. After the club is established locally with good-standard members through our own members and contacts, we can begin advertising both on the internet and through local ads and fliers.

4. The focus is the club, rather than a matching service. It is a support group and a source of inspiration and education and socialization. It provides the care and service once provided by churches, but with a broader base.

5. A personal data sheet will be offered to each member to complete for our local data file. This data will be initially kept on the local level. However, as clubs develop nationally, a club member may choose to pay a one-time fee to enter their data sheet in our national matching service. We will then provide them with names, addresses and personal data from other clubs, enabling them to contact each other. Because the club has already defined parameters, the necessity for large amounts of data is eliminated. There are many possible ways to set up the data exchange including telephone, fax-on-demand, e-mail, a web-site, but we have not yet made any final decisions on how to accomplish this.

6. We are suggesting a $5 to $10 fee for each meeting to cover costs of space, refreshments, educational materials, and staff investment. An additional fee for the national matching service will cover the expenses of computerizing and managing this service.

7. Short sections from TFV or other relevant discussion topics may be presented. As local clubs are developed, presenters may be invited as speakers and club members may also be invited to lead discussions or present materials. This would be supervised by the club sponsor or "parent".

As local clubs find or develop some of their own discussion topics, these will be shared with national clubs to provide a manual of materials to draw from for weekly meetings.

We are ready to start local clubs. People interested in "parenting" a club should contact their regional WFWP chairwomen. As we find interested sponsors, we would like to provide an opportunity to train sponsors. However, starting a club is not dependent on this.

Fold-over cards and data forms are available from WFWP headquarters. The cards cost: $10 for every 100. They are printed in green ink on cream card stock, have space for local info and are nice to carry for distribution to interested potential members.

We believe that God will bring great "Blessings" to the American ministry through this club.

A start-up kit is available from WFWP National Headquarters. This will include 100 cards, 20 data forms, instructions on how to begin, and materials for the first 10 discussion topics. The cost is $20.

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