Staff
Dawn VanderWerf
Executive Director
Dawn VanderWerf founded Single Parent Ministries in 2012 as a divorced single mom after discovering the biblical definition of “widows and fatherless” includes most single parent families. As an author, speaker, and co-founder of The Single Parenting Summit, Dawn is passionate about helping churches and leaders expand their influence by understanding and ministering to the unique needs of single parent families in their communities.
Email: [email protected]
Dawn Corona
Church Education Director
Dawn Corona led a post-abortive recovery group, then joined Cradles of Grace, supporting women in unplanned pregnancy. She later directed Parent Life for Youth for Christ, also serving with Suncoast Youth for Christ. Her passion for single parent support led her to join our team in March 2024.
Email: [email protected]
Advisory Board
Dr. Shelly Melia
Dr. Shelly Melia is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Ministry at Dallas Baptist University. She served in the local church in children’s and family ministry for over 25 years prior to coming to DBU to lead the Master of Arts in Children’s Ministry and the Master of Arts in Family Ministry. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and serves as a Professor of Childhood Education at DBU.
Caroline Chalkley
Caroline Chalkley is the Single Parent Pastor at New Life Bible Church London, and the only on-staff pastor in England specializing in Single Parent Families. As a former single mom herself, Caroline knows the many needs of single parents and feels a calling as a pastor to minister to unwed women raising children alone.
Linda Jacobs
Linda Jacobs is one of the nation’s leading experts on how to minister effectively to single parents and children of divorce. Having been both divorced and widowed, Linda learned firsthand the emotional and support needs of single mom-led families, and she developed a passion to help other hurting families.
Matt Haviland
Matt Haviland is the Men’s Center Director for Alpha Grand Rapids (AGR) which operates two centers in West Michigan: Alpha Women’s Center and Alpha Men’s Center. Matt is deeply passionate about discipling men and understands how valuable fathers are to their families and communities. As Men’s Center Director,
Carol Lubs
Carol Lubs is passionate to see the Church walk with single moms, support life at all its stages, and offer long term discipleship for single parents and their families. As an adoptive mom herself, Carol saw the lack of support available for moms to choose life in an unplanned pregnancy and the lack of resources to make an informed decision about whether to parent or to place in adoption.