|
Isolation and Lonleliness in America and in the Church -What Should We Do?
A recent national sociological survey revealed that a quarter of Americans say they have no one with whom they can discuss
personal troubles, more than double the number who were similarly isolated in 1985. Overall, the number of people Americans
have in their close circle of confidants has dropped from around three to two. Where as nearly three-quarters of people in
1985 reported they had a friend in whom they could confide, only half in 2004 said that they could count on such support.
By this criteria, current studies reveal that nearly half the American population (millions and millions) of people now fall
into the category of being personally isolated. George Gallup Jr. suggests in his book, THE PEOPLE'S RELIGION, that Americans
are among the loneliest people in the world.
If the statistics from these sociological surveys are even partially true, many members of our communities are in trouble.
Can anything be done to combat the isolated lives that people are enduring? Living in isolation perhaps does not seem such
a critical problem; it can be easily overlooked because few people are complaining.
People are losing touch with one another. Unfortunately, if we are not connected to others (and to ourselves) the possibility
of connecting to a person we cannot see, touch, or feel seems unlikely. If we as people cannot experience intimacy on the
physical level, how then can there be any intimate connection with God on a spiritual level?
Christians long for the nurturing community found in the New Testament church of Acts, wishing they could experience at
least a small part of such an intimate environment; however they don't know how to find it.
The purpose of Connection Builders is to partner with the local church and organizations to provide ways to combat isolation
and loneliness in individuals through fostering meaningful connections to their church, their community and most importantly
to God. Welcome to our website.
|
