By: Reagan Anderson

“Friendship.” What does it mean to you? When I consider friendship, I recognize it as one of the greatest gifts God has given us! Through friendship, we get a community to celebrate with, a support system to share in our burdens, a source of encouragement when the road ahead is too tough. Since creation, we see how God had wired humanity for companionship. We see it in the creation story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:18) as well as the intertwined communal nature of God demonstrated through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In the gospel of John, Jesus gives his disciples an example of perfect friendship:

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

It can feel discouraging that our culture has diluted friendship down to convenient text conversations, ankle-deep relationships, and follower counts on social media. This kind of friendship only offers a counterfeit version of the real thing, stripping away the very aspects of friendship our hearts long for most: To be fully seen, known, and loved.

This month, Mount Carmel Young Adults are hosting our annual Friendsgiving on Saturday, November 12th from 5:30pm-9:30pm as a celebration of our ministry’s pursuit of true, rich, and genuine friendship. At this grand potluck, we will come together as old and new friends to share a meal and play games together. If games aren’t your thing, grab a cup of coffee and chat by the [electric] fireplace, or snap a few pictures at the photo booth!

This event is open to all young adults (18-years to early 30s) and high school seniors. Childcare is not provided, but we would love to see our young parents there!

Register here to join us! Text or call me (Reagan Anderson) with any questions.

True friendship is sacrificial, selfless, and hard work. Still, it is a priceless and worthy pursuit. It is my prayer that anyone reading this post has this kind of friendship in your life. May we know this kind of friend. May we be this kind of friend.