The Origin of Friendship Sunday

Church Friendship Sunday is a special event celebrated by many Christian congregations to foster community and strengthen bonds among church members and visitors. While the origins of Church Friendship Sunday vary by denomination and congregation, the general idea is to dedicate a Sunday service to welcoming friends, family, and newcomers to the church.

The concept is rooted in the broader tradition of hospitality and fellowship in Christianity, emphasizing the importance of building Relationships within the church community. This event often includes special activities such as potluck meals, social gatherings, and outreach programs to encourage participation and connection.

The Importance of Connections

Leonard Syme, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California at Berkeley, indicates the importance of social ties and social support systems to mortality and disease rates. He points to Japan as being number one in the world concerning health and then discusses the reason for that country's close social, cultural, and traditional ties. He believes that the more social ties, the better the health and the lower the death rate. Conversely, he indicates that the more isolated the person, the poorer the health and the higher the death rate. Social ties are good preventative medicine for physical problems and mental-emotional-behavior problems.

Martin & Diedre Bobgan, How To Counsel From Scripture, Moody Press, 1985, p. 18.

Over the last ten years, more than 50,000 people have been asked why they came to church, and 75-90 percent say they were invited.

Prior studies found that people came to church through the following channels:

• Advertisements accounted for 2%

• Pastoral invitations accounted for 6%

• The evangelism campaign resulted in 6%

• Friends and family accounted for 86% of the votes

Here are some steps to help you organize a successful event:

1. Establish a Prayer Base: Get your congregation to pray for the event and for the people they intend to invite. This can create a spiritual foundation for the day.

2. Create Excitement and Momentum: Announce the event well in advance and keep reminding the congregation about it. Personal faith stories can inspire and connect us, creating excitement for the event when shared.

3. Prepare Your Hospitality Team: Ensure your greeters and ushers are ready to welcome visitors warmly. Please review your hospitality systems to ensure everything is in place, from clean facilities to a transparent process for collecting visitor information.

4. Provide Invitation Tools: Give your congregation tools to invite their friends, such as invitation cards, flyers, and social media graphics. Make it easy for them to spread the word.

5. Plan a Relevant Sermon Series: Launch a sermon series that addresses common life issues and shows the relevance of the Bible. This can help engage visitors and encourage them to return, keeping our congregation interested and engaged.

Examples of a Sermon Series for Friendship Sunday

1. The Value of Friendship: This sermon can explore the characteristics of true friendship, using biblical examples such as David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-5) and the importance of community as highlighted in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

2. Our Connection with Jesus: Focus on the nature of our relationship with Jesus, drawing from passages like John 15:9-17. This series can emphasize how Jesus models the perfect friendship and how we can extend that love to others.

3. Building Strong Relationships: This sermon can address the qualities that make for strong, godly friendships, such as loyalty, honesty, and sensitivity, as described in Proverbs 18:22-24.

4. Family and Friends: Discuss the dynamics of relationships within the family and how these can be extended to friendships within the church community. Topics could include dealing with conflicts, showing love and support, and building a supportive network.

5. Friendship in Today’s World: Explore how to cultivate and maintain friendships in the modern world, addressing challenges like social media, busy schedules, and maintaining meaningful connections.

6. Host a Follow-Up Event: Plan a social event a few weeks after Friendship Sunday to help visitors connect with the church community. This could be a “meet the pastor” event or a community service project.

Originally Published on https://www.becomingbridgebuilders.org/blog

Rev. Dr. B. Keith Haney Rev. Dr. B. Keith Haney

Rev. Dr. Byrene Haney is a dedicated and experienced pastor with over 31 years of service in multi-ethnic urban congregations. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA, and a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. And a Doctorate of Education from Concordia Univerisity, Irvine, CA. Throughout his career, he has served in various roles, including Senior Pastor at Gospel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI, and Mission Facilitator for the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS.

Currently, Rev. Dr. Haney serves as Assistant to the President in the Iowa District West, where he assists congregations with strategic planning, visioning, outreach, and fostering a culture of generosity and human care. His commitment to connecting faith with community needs and crises has significantly impacted the congregations he serves.