This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Caitlyn and I have just started recording a new season of podcasts. Look for the first one to be released tomorrow!

We plan to invite some fun guests, but mostly this summer we want to explore themes of friendship and community, specifically in the face of what experts have described as a growing loneliness epidemic.

In 2023, more people than ever reported feeling lonely and isolated, even though, at least on the surface, we might appear very connected. In fact, amid our hyperconnected world, people across all demographics have reported feelings of distance, separation, and isolation from their peers. Caitlyn and I want to know why.

Along with this exploration, we want to do our part to make things better, so in our podcasts, we also want to focus on teaching a spirituality of friendship.

Jesus, at the end of his ministry, looks at his disciples and says to them, "I am no longer calling you servants, but friends." The church should be a place where true friendships are made and developed – friendships of love, caring, vulnerability, laughter, strength, faith, and joy. When we are intentional about building friendships, "church" becomes more than a place of worship, it becomes a family.

Perhaps an antidote to loneliness begins with calling one another friends, just like Jesus called us.

In Christ,

Mitch