Sheridan Voysey Launches Friendship Lab for Churches
The new six-session course aims to tackle rising loneliness among church members and leadership.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Friendships
Live Poll
Do you find it harder to maintain genuine, close friendships today than you did in the past?
Author Sheridan Voysey has introduced a six-session course titled Friendship Lab for Churches to address increasing isolation within religious communities. The initiative follows pilot programs conducted across Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Why it matters
The curriculum was developed after Voysey struggled to find a friend to contact during a personal crisis, highlighting a need for deeper community connection. It aims to overcome common social barriers such as busyness, frequent relocation, and fear of rejection.
The Friendship Lab for Churches consists of six sessions covering topics like vulnerability and conflict resolution. Data indicates one in five church members and around a third of ministers currently experience loneliness.
The players
Sheridan Voysey
He is an author who developed the Friendship Lab for Churches course to address loneliness within congregations.
The details
The course addresses specific obstacles to forming bonds, including declining trust and the pressure of busy schedules. It provides actionable guidance on essential relational skills like effective conversation and navigating relationship conflicts.
Timeline
The Friendship Lab for Churches course launched online on October 27, 2026.
Culture Shift
This program extends the historical concept of a '3 AM friend' as a metric for deep social support by formalizing training for these types of connections. It reflects a wider societal shift toward prioritizing intentional community building to combat modern isolation.
Church members can utilize this six-session course to identify and overcome personal barriers to forming lasting friendships. The program offers practical steps to improve conversational vulnerability and trust within existing community groups.
The takeaway
Intentional effort is often required to build the resilient social support systems necessary during personal crises. Practicing vulnerability and consistent communication are fundamental steps anyone can take to strengthen their daily relationships.
Further reading
For more information on cultivating deeper connections, visit the Friendships section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Christian Today.
Live Poll
Do you find it harder to maintain genuine, close friendships today than you did in the past?
