Penny Edgell reports on her research findings concerning congregations as a source of emotional support for individuals:
• Some people “specialize” in religiously-based emotional support. About 30% of our sample get their support primarily from three sources: their spouse (if they have one), their friends from church, and their religious leader.
• Other people “specialize” in secular sources of emotional support – support from their spouse (if they have one), parents, and neighbors are particularly important for this 24% of our sample.
• Some people are “generalists” who draw on all the available sources of emotional support we asked about on a regular basis. Generalists are about 26% of our sample.
• A fourth group has very limited emotional support; this 20% of our sample say it is far less likely that they would go to any of the sources we named if a problem were bothering them.
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This research-in-progress suggests that we be cautious in our assumptions about what “all churches are like” or “what all churches do” for their members. Congregations do foster sustained face-to-face interaction and for many, this leads to the development of rich, emotionally supportive connections – the kinds of connections that are linked to well-being. But that kind of bonding, and the capital it generates, is influenced by how well one fits with the core imperatives of congregational life ….
…[F]or those who want to encourage emotional bonding as part of the congregational mission, it is worth understanding that it does not “come naturally,” and that some people are less likely than others to be drawn into the circle of support.
What would your congregation do with these findings?
Read it at Call & Response.