The family—the first institution God created—is under growing pressure from fatherlessness, divorce, abuse, addiction, and isolation, leaving millions of children and parents without the stability and support needed to flourish.

Each year, more than one million children in the United States experience the divorce of their parents, while nearly half of U.S. adults report experiencing significant loneliness and disconnection—a trend the U.S. Surgeon General has identified as a public health epidemic. Together, these realities are weakening the relationships that families and communities depend on.

As families fracture, the consequences extend far beyond the home. Family instability contributes to poverty, mental health challenges, educational setbacks, addiction, and community breakdown, with effects that often ripple across generations. If we hope to solve many of the world’s greatest problems, we cannot simply respond to their symptoms—we must strengthen one of God’s first and most foundational institutions.

How is God calling His Church to strengthen families and build generations that flourish?

Sources:

• U.S. Census Bureau (2022) — ~1 in 4 (18.3M) U.S. children live without a father in the home
• The Heritage Foundation, citing CDC/NCHS data — over 1 million U.S. children experience parental divorce each year; ~half of children born to married parents will see that marriage end before age 18
• U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023) — ~half of U.S. adults report significant loneliness
• U.S. Census Bureau — children in father-absent homes are ~4x more likely to live in poverty

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