In an era where we can FaceTime across the world but barely make eye contact with our barista, it’s safe to say we have a connection problem. We spend hours doomscrolling, double-tapping and sending “haha” texts to avoid actually laughing out loud but for all this digital engagement, loneliness is at an all-time high. According to a 2023 study from the U.S. Surgeon General, social isolation has the same health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And yet, we can’t seem to log off.
The church, if it’s paying attention, has an opportunity here. Because for all the talk of deconstruction and the ways institutional religion has gotten it wrong, one thing faith communities were designed to do really well is offer real, messy, IRL relationships—the kind that are inconvenient but healing. The kind that don’t just exist in the comments section.
Social media was supposed to bring us closer. Instead, it’s left us performing, curating and comparing our lives rather than actually living them. We have hundreds of “friends” but no one to call when we’re falling apart. We know what a stranger had for brunch but not what’s weighing on our best friend’s heart. And let’s be honest, we feel it. Our generation, the most plugged-in ever, is also the loneliest according to a Cigna study. When community is reduced to likes and notifications, we’re starving for something real.
Jesus’ entire ministry was built around personal connection. He didn’t start a Slack channel with the disciples—He walked with them. He didn’t host webinars—He sat at tables, had actual meals and shared life. The early church was founded on this same principle. Acts 2:46 says, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”
This wasn’t just a weekly event. It was an immersive, deeply engaged life. No Instagram stories needed.
According to Levi Lusko, loneliness isn’t a Gen Z problem. It’s a human problem—one that’s just been amplified by the way we’ve built our lives.
“Technology and the modern age has allowed us to build lives where we don’t talk to strangers anymore,” he told RELEVANT. “You have Instacart that allows you to say, leave the groceries at the door, don’t even ring the doorbell so I can come out of my lair only to snag them quickly. We shut the garage doors before we get out of our cars. We shifted from being a front yard people to being a backyard people.”
He’s right. The apps that promise convenience have quietly made us complicit in our own isolation. And we’re left wondering why we feel miserable even as we build our lives for maximum ease.
While some churches have leaned into the digital age—streaming services, creating apps, running social media campaigns—what we actually need isn’t another algorithm-driven experience. It’s human connection. It’s walking into a place where people know your name, ask how you’re doing and actually wait for the answer.
That’s where the church can step up.
“The church is one of the best places in the world to meet lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds and areas of life,” Lusko said. “Church is a place where you are encouraged to admit your weak. It’s encouraged to come forward if you need prayer. Come forward if you’re broken. It’s an institution that, for all this ills and all of its problems, where else in culture are we given a spot where it’s actually cool to say you’re broken?”
Imagine if small groups weren’t just Bible studies but true life-giving communities where we felt safe enough to be honest. If Sunday morning wasn’t just a polished production but a space where we could be vulnerable about our struggles. If churches prioritized mentorship, deep friendships and serving together instead of just social events with free coffee.
We don’t need another Instagram post about “doing life together.” We need people willing to show up.
The good news? It’s not complicated. Here’s how churches can reclaim real community:
- Emphasize Presence Over Performance – Create environments where we don’t feel pressure to be “churchy” but can show up as we are. No filters needed.
- Encourage Intergenerational Friendships – The early church wasn’t a youth group—it was a multigenerational community. We need wisdom from those ahead of us and energy from those behind us.
- Make Gatherings More Than Services – Church shouldn’t be an event we attend but a community we belong to. Prioritize meals, service projects and just hanging out.
- Teach What the Bible Actually Says About Community – Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.” We weren’t meant to do this alone.
- Commit to the Long Haul – Relationships take time and real community isn’t built in a semester. It requires patience, grace and consistency—even when it’s inconvenient.
Lusko pointed to a 2020 Harvard study that backs up what Scripture’s been saying all along.
“Something so small, like attending church once a week means you’re literally 70% less likely to die from these things that are killing a generation—things like fentanyl, alcohol and suicide.”
He also believes the Church’s power lies in its diversity—economically, generationally and spiritually.
“The upward mobility factor can’t be overlooked,” he said. “The church is a place where if you’re serving on a team at your average church, you’re going to literally have the chance to talk to people who have a different earning power than you do.”
For Lusko, this isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.
“When my wife and I lost our daughter who went home to be with Jesus in 2012, we had a beautiful amount of people who knew who could come put away the Tupperware. People who could be there parked in front of the house within minutes,” he shared. “There’s lots of ways that could happen, but for us it happened through the church, and I’m so grateful for that. I might not be sitting here had it not been for the church.”
If the church is serious about reaching a generation that’s more alone than ever, it has to stop treating community as a buzzword and start making it a practice. We don’t need more content—we need connection. And in a world that keeps saying, “You don’t need anyone,” the church should be the loudest voice reminding us that we actually do.
Jesus wasn’t building a social media following. He was building a family. Maybe it’s time we did the same.
Title: We’re More Disconnected Than Ever. Here’s How the Church Could Change That
URL: https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/were-more-disconnected-than-ever-heres-how-the-church-could-change-that/
Source: REL ::: RELEVANT
Source URL: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/rss/relevantmagazine.xml
Date: April 10, 2025 at 11:46PM
Feedly Board(s): Religion