Loneliness

“None of us are alone. Far from it. In fact, we often wish we had more free time. Yet we still feel lonely. Why?” - Ref21

“Between 2003 and 2020: Social isolation increased 24 hours a month for the average person. Social engagement with friends dropped by 20 hours. Companionship dropped by 14 hours per month.” - Ryan Burge

“Among churchgoers, only 12 percent of those who attend church weekly report high levels of loneliness, compared to 25 percent of those who never attend.” - Baptist Press

“Grief is lonely when you are the only one grieving and lonely when you are grieving with others…. ‘The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy’ (Proverbs 14:10).” - Challies

“Some research even finds that frequently eating meals with family members can reduce a child’s likelihood of substance use, violence, and other anti-social behaviors later in life.” - IFS

“Barna… research found most urban dwellers consider the church as simply ‘a piece of the puzzle’ in dealing with issues like homelessness, poverty, healthcare and racism.” - The Baptist Paper

“If we need community for physical and mental health, how much more do we need it for spiritual health?” - Ligonier

“…which translates into more than a billion people — feel very or fairly lonely, according to a recent Meta-Gallup survey of more than 140 countries.” - Gallup

“While feelings of loneliness and isolation have increased over the better part of a decade, pastors’ feelings of support from those around them have decreased.” - Barna

“Love isn’t unique to Christian communities, of course, but this verse suggests there should be something uniquely compelling about the kind of love Jesus’s disciples embody. Our friendship makes the reality of the gospel unignorable to the outside world.” - TGC