Dr. Carson Weitnauer Executive Director, Uncommon Pursuit
Friends Following Jesus is a ministry initiative of Uncommon Pursuit
The Gap
Small groups are often “strangers performing community.”
People watch a video, answer rote questions, and drive home unchanged. They complete the tasks but don’t connect as friends.
Then they go spiritually dark until next Sunday.
Friends in your church were discussing the Scriptures together during the week?
Not because you assigned it or organized it, but because their friend texted them a Bible study.
It was just a part of Christianity that I never even knew existed, but having someone intentionally care about you and pour into you really exemplified Christianity to me really well.
For my Doctor of Ministry at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I asked pastors to identify their most spiritually mature members under 40.
Then I asked those people to name the best Christians they knew. I interviewed 30 of them.
They all said the same thing.
30
in-depth interviews with spiritually mature disciples
were the #1 factor in their spiritual growth
“It’s more what happens between the weeks that creates growth.”
“Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.”
— 1 Corinthians 11:1 CSB
This is what the first disciples did. They walked with Jesus and then they walked with each other.
Likewise, Paul asked the Corinthians to imitate the Christlikeness they had experienced in their relationships with him.
Research confirms it takes roughly 200 hours of shared time to move from acquaintance to close friend. Friendship isn’t accidental.
It’s a way of life. That’s why we design for regular conversations.
Half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness. Among 18–34-year-olds, 30% say they’re lonely every day or several times a week.
The Surgeon General calls it a public health crisis. Your members aren’t just drifting between Sundays. They’re disconnected from one another.
But this study found that the disciples who thrived had friends who walked through the good and bad with them. Being in the same room isn’t enough.
No subscription. No curriculum to buy. No login required to read. Supported by monthly donors.
Short, honest studies on real-life topics—anxiety, doubt, identity, faith. Friends are invited to get The Daily sent to their inbox every morning, building a habit of daily Bible reading together. They can also go on Journeys (topical and book-based studies) and take Courses together.
Every study is designed for friends to discuss. The questions and action steps steadily teach the skills, attitudes, and habits that build strong, godly friendships. Together, friends help each other be like Jesus and live like Jesus.
No prep needed!
Get The Daily each morning, find a topic, or follow a multi-week journey like The Gospel of John.
Tap share. Your friend receives the link and reads the same study on their phone. No download, payment gateway, or other barrier to access.
Each study ends with honest questions and one thing to try. The conversation happens naturally over coffee, on a walk, or in a text thread. The app also has a built-in discussions feature.
This isn’t another solo devotional app. The conversations are built in.
In the research, participants showed little interest in books, podcasts, or apps as standalone tools.
They valued resources only when experienced in the context of trusted relationships.
FFJ is built for them.
I do think that when given the opportunity, if people were willing to really be vulnerable and be real, that there’s a new experience to doing life alongside fellow Christians that you can’t really experience in another way.
158 friends have opened a study shared with them.
Someone opened the study you shared
Friends Following Jesus
Bible Study Group
Sarah, David, and Maria
That part about the shepherd really hit me…
2dI have so many teens and young adults who ask me what daily devotional they should start with. I’m excited to send them to such an accessible and trustworthy resource.
Sunday is the launching point. It’s the icing, not the cake… Ultimately, where I’ve grown the most is in those Tuesday night Bible studies where we’re sitting around hanging out together.
Practical Steps:
Dr. Carson Weitnauer
Uncommon Pursuit