How to Find and Get Connected to a Healthy Church Community
This season of the podcast, we are highlighting principles of the Blue Zones research, which outlines habits for better, longer lives. One of the principles is to belong: "All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based community…research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy." While we do not choose to seek out community because of the health benefits, science does back up our deep need for community.
Many healthy living avenues create their own tight-knit communities, tribes, and dogmas. These are certainly helpful when you need support, but at times can create isolation if they are based on your own efforts to adhere or ability to contribute. Take for example some dieting communities, which in principle are bound by a shared desire to lose weight, but in practice, research shows that when food restriction increases, individuals report greater feelings of loneliness. And loneliness brings with it an entire host of negative health effects like cognitive decline, high blood pressure, and more.
During this episode, we interview Kasey’s pastor from Good Shepherd Church PCA in Athens, Georgia about the value of getting involved in a faith community and why Jesus’ church is different than any other place of belonging in the world.
Morgan shares how he became attracted to the gospel through community as a high school student, and how it led him to the place he is today, where he gets to tell people about the love of God every day.
If you are in a place where you have walked away from the church for a season or reason, or perhaps desire a deeper connection with a local church, this episode is for you. Morgan addresses those barriers that keep us from church or from going back, discusses what to look for when seeking a healthy church, and how to establish more meaningful connections within a church.
We encourage you to listen in here: Episode 27: How to Find and Get Connected to a Healthy Church Community.
What to Look for in a Healthy Church:
In episode 27 of The Joyful Health Show, we discuss how to find and connect with a healthy church community. Many of us recognize the need to be in community, and our health suffers when we are not actively part of a church body where we feel we belong. In this episode, we interview Pastor Morgan Angert about healthy church community rooted in the unconditional acceptance of Jesus. We discuss:
How being connected to a faith community affects our health
Why should one come back to church or seek one out?
The two qualities to look for when seeking a healthy church
How to get build meaningful connections in your faith community
About Morgan Angert
Morgan Angert
Originally from Roswell, GA, Morgan attended the University of Georgia where he met his wife, Lauren. After College, Morgan lived and served at churches in Colorado for 6 years, first in Fort Collins and then in Denver. While in Denver, Morgan completed his Masters of Divinity at Denver Seminary in Littleton, CO. In 2016 Morgan and Lauren returned to Athens to help plant Good Shepherd where Morgan served as assistant pastor and then associate pastor. By the grace of God, Morgan was called as the senior pastor of GSPC in February of 2021. Morgan and Lauren have three daughters: Lucy, Alice, and Esme, and Winston the Corgi.
Instagram- @morganangert, @goodshepherdath
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Takeaways From Today’s Episode
Looking for the resources we mentioned in this episode? We’ve listed them all below! (The following resources include affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us in this way!)
You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News by Kelly Kapic
ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, artistry by Ruth Chou Simons
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