-Happiness is Going to Church and Making Friends
by Dr. D ~ December 8th, 2010
(Image by aimforawesome via Flickr)
A Sociological study shows that people who go to church and make friends are more likely to be happy than the average.
However, apparently it’s not spiritual practices or religious beliefs that seem to make the difference as much as developing close relationships and making friends among those of like minded faith.
According to one of the researchers Chaeyoon Lim:
“Our evidence shows that it is not really going to church and listening to sermons or praying that makes people happier, but making church-based friends and building social networks there.”
The research by sociologists Robert Putnam (Harvard University) and Chaeyoon Lim (University of Wisconsin–Madison) is reported in American Sociological Review for December.
Response: The best Pastors have known this for a long time. Christianity at its best is not a ‘lone wolf’ spiritual practice but is far more successful for all involved as a close family or ‘community’.
Though this research indicates that merely making friends makes a difference in ones ‘happiness quotient’. Most pastors can readily confirm that engagement and fellowship with fellow believers also makes a difference in spiritual development and ‘life-changing’ progress.
All of this is well known and most pastors make a concerted effort to encourage their members to get involved in some kind of small group or home fellowship for close relationships with fellow believers. *Top of the Blog
November 12th, 2011 at 8:42 am
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