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11/10/2014

The Importance of Connection--How Religion Makes a Difference

Robert Putnam is one of the authors of the book "American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us." In that book he writes about how people of faith are statistically more kind, generous, and neighborly than their secular counterparts. He wanted to better understand, and went on to uncover that these three factors were the best predictors of generous behavior: how many close friends does a person have at church; how many small groups are they part of; and how many conversations do they have about the importance of faith in their life. Watch an overview of these findings in this 3-minute video where he suggests an unbeliever who is connected to a church community is more likely to display generosity than a believer who is disconnected.

So discipleship all starts with an invitation to a better way of life, is nurtured by hope and inspiration through relationships and community, and is reinforced through practice and intentionality. And in the end as Putnam points out, there is a statistically significant difference.

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