Why Christian Leaders Need More Friends

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 talk, we unpack some of the reasons friendship gets sidelined 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 talk aims to re-convert us to this forgotten love, lift it up as a sacred calling, and re-prioritise it in our lives.