Friendship Week!

October 5-8 is Friendship Week at the CHR! Friendship is part of how God designed us to flourish. In this episode, we’re talking about why friendship matters, what makes a friendship healthy, and how we can be more intentional about building meaningful relationships. We’ll explore what the Bible and research says about friendship and introduce our Friendship Challenge happening in the CHR to help you put it into practice!  

BIBLE VERSES REFERENCED 

• Genesis 2:18 - We were not designed to be alone. 
   

• Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 - Two are better than one; friends help each other up. 
   

• Proverbs 13:20 - Who we walk with shapes us. 
   

• Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times. 
   

• Proverbs 27:17 - Friends sharpen one another. 
   

• John 15:12 - Jesus calls us to love one another. 
   

• Galatians 6:2 - We are called to bear one another's burdens. 
   

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - We are called to encourage and build one another up. 
   

SOURCES & FURTHER READING 

• American Psychological Association (2023). The Science of Why Friendships Keep Us Healthy. 

• American Psychological Association (2023). Making New Friends and Keeping Existing Ones Is Hard. 

• Mayo Clinic (2024). Friendships: Enrich Your Life and Improve Your Health. 

• Wang et al. (2023). Social isolation, loneliness and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nature Human Behaviour. 

• Ríos-González et al. (2021). Alternative Friendships to Improve Men's Health Status. 

• Baylor Religion Survey / Sam Stroope — Research examining the relationship between friendships within church and religious involvement. 

• The New York Times (2024). 5-Day Friendship Challenge — practical ideas for strengthening friendships through intentionality, reaching out, and vulnerability.