Single SETX Christians- Escape the Holiday Blues!

Southeast Texas Christian Lifestyle Guide

A little planning now will help singles avoid the holiday blues.

The holidays are considered the most lonely time of the year for singles.

Single Southeast Texas Christians aren’t immune from this loneliness.

There are a number of things SETX singles can do to beat the holiday blues.

1. Let it be known you’re open to holiday invites. Chances are excellent that you have a friend, neighbor, or family member who would be more than happy to include you in their holiday gathering. They have to know you are open to the invite. Put yourself out there and you may end up with more invites than you can handle. Sharing a friend or neighbor’s gathering can be a great buffer from the loneliness of the holidays- and who knows you might meet some great new people.

2. Plan – or help plan- a fun event for other singles. If you like planning and hosting, consider putting together a pre-Thanksgiving or Christmas feast at your home. Invite others you know who are single. Not only are you avoiding loneliness for yourself, but you can help several others at the same time. If your schedule doesn’t allow for a lot of prep work, make it a pot luck. People can cook their signature dish or swing by Jack’s Pack It for some of their great to go items. If you aren’t comfortable opening up your home, invite other singles to Kampus Korner or your favorite restaurant to watch the Thanksgiving Day or bowl games. Encourage other singles coming to bring their friends. This is a great time to meet people and make new friendships that will last well beyond the holidays.

3. Church Crawl. Every Southeast Texas church is going to have free singing events, holiday plays, and fellowship dinners throughout the holiday. Pick the ones that look like the most fun and hit them all, alone or with other single friends. You get great entertainment and the opportunity to meet other Christians. We all love our “own” churches, but it is great to get out into other churches and to see the great activities that they put together as well. This is another great opportunity to meet new people and to expand your circle of friends.

4. Reach out to estranged family. Many of use have a parent, grandparent, brother, or cousin who lives within driving distance that we’ve lost touch with. Maybe something bad happened, or maybe we just got too caught up in work and our own responsibilities to keep in touch. The holidays are a great time to rekindle these relationships. The same is true with old friendships. If there is anyone you have wanted to catch up with, the holidays are the perfect time.

5. Check out a local church’s singles ministry. Every Southeast Texas community has one or more church’s with an active singles ministry. Even if it is not your home church, they will be glad to welcome you and to include you in their activities. This is also another opportunity to make new friends you may not otherwise have an opportunity to meet.

None of these ideas is a magic bullet for forever banishing holiday loneliness, but they can certainly help.

Remember to get off the couch and out into the world this holiday season. There’s really no telling who you’ll meet. A new friend, an old friend, or your soul mate.

We hope you enjoyed today’s feature, Southeast Texas Christian Lifestyle Guide – a little planning now will help you avoid the holiday blues.