There are direct links between faith and food as well as friendships and spiritual maturity, a recent study commissioned by a religious publishing company and conducted by the Gallup Organization has shown.
People with close friendships in their church are less likely to leave the church and are more likely to report a stronger faith in God, the study showed. Results also showed that 77 per cent of highly satisfied church members have eaten a meal with people in their congregation. “Hence, mealtime fellowship appears strongly correlated with high levels of congregational satisfaction,” said Group Publishing Inc. in a news release. The study found that 62 per cent of those who eat meals together report regularly spending time in prayer and worship daily compared to 49 per cent who did not share meals with other church members.
The results and analysis of the study has been compiled with ministry application ideas in a book, Friendship: Creating a Culture of Connectivity in Your Church. More information may be found at www.group.com/giveback.