“I have worked alongside Susan on numerous projects with Barna Group over the years. I am especially grateful for her careful, nuanced, and biblical approach to problems, as she demonstrates here in this important book. . . . If you’re experiencing loneliness or know someone who is—or if you work in churches, schools, companies, or organizations where there are human beings (yes, that’s pretty much all of us)—you should know what ideas are circulating about the crush of loneliness and the buffering of healthy relationships. Susan helps us to close these gaps.”—David Kinnaman, president, Barna Group (from the foreword)

“If you’re not aware we face a loneliness epidemic, you will be fully informed by the end of this stats-packed book. But Susan Mettes doesn’t just highlight the problem; she also busts myths and offers a host of practical ways that leaders can help build communities of belonging. I’m eager to put these tips into practice.”—Collin Hansen, vice president of content and editor in chief, The Gospel Coalition; host of the Gospelbound podcast
“I’ve never read a book that so eloquently elucidates the landscape of loneliness. Susan Mettes’s analysis of our loneliness pandemic is as thought-provoking as it is practical. You will come away from this book feeling inspired and equipped to help transform loneliness into belonging.”—Michelle Ami Reyes, vice president, Asian American Christian Collaborative
“This is an important book for so many reasons. Susan Mettes and Barna Group are to be commended for their myth-busting, data-driven analysis of loneliness. As a scholar-pastor who has spent much of his life studying—and trying to cultivate—Christian community, I found my assumptions about loneliness challenged at many points. But I also found much hope in the book’s thoughtful suggestions for ways we can alleviate the sense of aloneness and isolation experienced by Christians and non-Christians alike.”—Joseph H. Hellerman, author of When the Church Was a Family and Why We Need the Church to Become More Like Jesus
“As a single woman and a recent empty nester, I was eager to understand more about feelings of loneliness that I’ve been slow to acknowledge. The thorough research and insights Mettes offers, as well as a solid theological foundation, helped me to wrap my mind around the roots and remedies for the loneliness that is rampant in our culture. I highly recommend this book both for those who feel the sting of loneliness and for the ones who love us.”—Margot Starbuck, author of The Grown Woman’s Guide to Online Dating