Although discipling African American men is part of the solution, I’m concerned more with discipling my black sisters and, in the midst of an ongoing crisis, drawing them into Christian community.As Jasmine Holmes writes about being black and single, “I still find myself looking back and wishing that my white friends knew—or at least admitted—some of the unique struggles that I had to face and that I still watch so many of my [black] sisters in Christ face every day.” The church has both a crisis and an opportunity on its hands.Exercise, rest, warm baths, and changing the position or timing of sexual activity can be helpful. In addition to arthritis, pain that continues for more than a month or comes back on and off over time can be caused by other bone and muscle conditions, shingles, poor blood circulation, or blood vessel problems.This discomfort can, in turn, lead to sleep problems, depression, isolation, and difficulty moving around.(By contrast, my husband’s and my generation, the baby boomers, did tend to date and marry within our race.) While intermarriage is becoming more common, black women in America still face significant challenges in their relationships with black men, and the problem is doubly difficult for women in the church.According to David Morrow in , “a staggering 92 percent of African-American churches in America reported a gender gap.” According to Morrow’s sources, “75 to 90 percent of the adults in the typical African-American congregation are women.” That means black Christian women face a low probability of marrying black Christian men.

It can be a form of courtship that consists of social activities done by the couple.With that in mind, how can we as local church communities help to heal the broken identities of our black sisters, especially in the realm of relationships?At a time when families as a whole, and black families in particular, are seriously unraveling, young black women are facing a maelstrom of conflicting messages about their bodies, identities, and especially their relationships.The protocols and practices of dating, and the terms used to describe it, vary considerably from country to country and over time.While the term has several meanings, the most frequent usage refers to two people exploring whether they are romantically or sexually compatible by participating in dates with the other.But, even the most serious health problems usually don't have to stop you from having a satisfying sex life. Joint pain due to arthritis can make sexual contact uncomfortable.Joint replacement surgery and drugs may relieve this pain.