The research is startling: friendship has been proven to boost our health, decrease anxiety and depression, increase our lifespan, and be a buffer against addictions, prejudice and extremism. And yet rates of it are declining in the West. Why? In this session, we will unpack some of the reasons friendship gets side-lined in both culture and the church, why many Christian workers have impoverished friendship circles, and two convictions that can transform the friendship problem. Incorporating the preliminary findings of a new multi-year project on friendship, this session aims to re-convert us to this forgotten love, lift it up as a sacred calling, and re-prioritise it in our lives.
