Think of church attendance and what comes to mind? Dad, Mom and two children, lining a Sunday pew?

While one local church is happy to have families worship together each week, it is also making an effort to reach people who do not fit into the nuclear family category: LaGrange Freewill Baptist Church has begun a singles ministry. The first meeting was Aug. 19.

Organizer and church member Marie Jenkins said the purpose of the ministry is to serve the spiritual needs of a segment of the population that may have been previously given less attention or perhaps even overlooked entirely by some churches: never married people and divorces, either with or without children.

"I've been divorced eight years myself and I thought this was something that was needed," Jenkins said.

"A lot of churches don't deal with singles' issues. We want to get across that single people are welcome in our church."

LaGrange pastor, the Rev. Chad Pemberton, agreed. "We're concerned about sharing Christ," Pemberton said. "We want singles to know God loves everyone. God loves them and there are people out there who love them."

The singles ministry is 7 p.m. the first and third Thursday of every month at the church.