Recent research from Iowa State indicates that Many adults are chronically lonely.

According to one study, 35% of those 45 and older may be chronically lonely. This AARP article further points out that its not necessarily the oldest among us, but those in their 40s and 50s who experience the most chronic loneliness (or who report itone theory is that Baby Boomers are more likely to share about loneliness than folks from the Depression era).

What strikes me from this finding is that most parents of students in our ministries are in their 40s and 50s. So while their kids are experiencing what many describe as the loneliest experience of lifeadolescenceparents may in fact be walking a strikingly similar path.

How can we reach out to adults and kids in ways that build more life-giving social connections? How can we tap into this reality in ways that create increased contact between adults and kids? Maybe even fostering parent-child relationships that stump the experience of loneliness in both life phases?