How Church Could (Literally) Save Your Life

In this episode, Adam and Ty sit down with Rebecca McLaughlin to discuss her new book How Church Could (Literally) Save Your Life, which explores how regular involvement in a local church is linked with mental, physical, moral, and spiritual flourishing. Drawing on rigorous academic research (especially from Harvard School of Public Health), Rebecca outlines compelling findings: weekly attendance correlates with lower rates of depression, extended life expectancy, reduced deaths of despair, and more. She also addresses objections (such as church‑hurt, abuse, selection bias) and pivots to a theological framing: the church is more than an event — it is family.

In This Episode

01:00 – “church is our family”

06:00 – Why this topic? The research behind the book

08:00 – Stats: church attendance & health outcomes

11:00 – Not prosperity gospel: deeper than health hacks

12:00 – What about unhealthy churches?

14:00 – Data controls: not just correlation

16:00 – Theology: why worship matters

18:00 – Church vs. self-optimization culture

23:00 – Virtual vs. in-person: why weekly presence matters

26:00 – Making church a real family

29:00 – Marriage, singleness & spiritual kinship

32:00 – Closing reflections & next steps

Key Takeaways

• Regular attendance at church (once a week or more) is strongly correlated with improved mental health, longer life expectancy, and reduced risk of “deaths of despair.”
• The positive effect is not explained solely by social support.
• The church is not just “another activity” but a family.
• Making church family real may require simple but counter‑cultural practices.
• The research is not a guarantee of trouble‑free life or a health‑miracle; the gospel remains central — the church is for life in Christ, not just health benefits.
• For those who’ve been hurt in church: the invitation is not necessarily to abandon church, but to work toward healthy, safe, loving communities.

Guest Resources

• How Church Could Literally Save Your Life by Rebecca McLaughlin
• Rebecca’s Website
• Confronting Christianity Podcast
• Follow Rebecca

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