The Way Back to One Another

Rediscover Community in a Disconnected World

Jesus said his followers would be known for their love, not their loneliness. Yet over half of Americans—and American churchgoers—say that they lack companionship or that no one knows them well. We live increasingly disconnected lives, and our mental and spiritual health suffer as a result.

In The Way Back to One Another, Jeff Galley and Phil Smith provide a remedy based on studying Scripture, learning from the global church, and observing best practices in thousands of small groups. The New Testament's exhortations to love one another are not merely individual commands but instructions for experiencing deep relationships and community, one to another, to each other, and each to all. Loving one another today will require a countercultural return to practices that are increasingly devalued and disregarded: depending on, committing to, talking with, knowing, and welcoming one another.

In The Way Back to One Another, you'll learn:



- Loneliness is a subtle yet pervasive issue that affects our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and even as Christ-followers, we're not immune.

- God designed us for deep, meaningful relationships to help us become who he intends us to be.

- There is hope to cultivate the deeper connections we long for and to be ambassadors of those relationships for others, even in a culture of isolation.

- Fulfilling life is found in interdependence and realizing that our relationship with God is deeply connected to our relationships with others.

- Overcoming loneliness requires intentional, countercultural changes in how we live.

Galley and Smith cast a vision for how we were created to live, outline practical shifts to combat loneliness, and offer life design suggestions—small yet meaningful changes we can make to escape aloneness, build relationships, and create community to experience the depth of connection God intends for us. With The Way Back to One Another, discover how you and your church can break away from soul-killing isolation and become catalysts of life-giving relationships and community.



Phillip N. Smith is the Senior Development Ambassador at HOPE International. He previously served as HOPE's senior director of savings group programs, leading the organization's global team. Prior to joining HOPE, Phil served as an executive pastor, corporate executive, and in senior leadership with World Relief, and has served on many boards over the years. Phil and his wife, Becca, have lived in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Rwanda, and currently reside in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They have two sons, a daughter, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.



Jeff Galley is the Central Group Leader for Community at Life.Church, where the church aims to lead people to follow Jesus and love their neighbors through the power of community. He is the author of Conversations: Turn Your Everyday Discussions into Life-Giving Moments. He coleads Global Lift Collective and serves on the board at the Chalmers Center for Economic Development and Tearfund USA. Jeff and his wife, Christy, have three married children, three grandchildren, and live in the Oklahoma City area.



Jill Heisey is a writer who is passionate about helping leaders and nonprofits share their stories. She has collaborated on the books Lead with Prayer, Rooting for Rivals, and The Gift of Disillusionment; written the children's book Keza Paints a Bright Future; and authored articles featured on Christianity Today's Better Samaritan blog. Jill graduated from Messiah University with degrees in politics and Spanish and resides outside Washington, DC, with her husband, Bryan, and their two daughters.

Foreword by Craig Groeschel


Authors' Note


Introduction: Longing for Something More
Part One: We've Lost Our Way


1. Eyes Open to a Better Way


2. It's as Simple and as Hard as That
Part Two: One-Anothers for the American Church


3. Depend on One Another


4. Know One Another


5. Talk with One Another


6. Welcome One Another


7. Commit to One Another


Epilogue: Turning Back to One Another


Acknowledgments


Appendix A: Additional Resources


Appendix B: One-Another Verses


Appendix C: A Note to Church Leaders


Notes

"In an increasingly disconnected world, The Way Back to One Another stands out as one of the most important and powerful books I've read. Jeff, Phil, and Jill have masterfully woven together Scripture, personal stories, the wisdom of the global church, and practical steps to foster the connection God created us to enjoy. This book doesn't just diagnose the ache of loneliness—it offers a clear, hope-filled path toward building interdependent, Christ-centered communities that truly transform lives. If you're longing for relationships that go beyond the surface, this book will meet you with wisdom, warmth, and a way forward into the joy of authentic community."



"God's word is clear. He calls and empowers his people to a one-another life of love and fellowship, but we are too often captured by the same polarizations that permeate our world. I am thankful that Jeff Galley and Phil Smith have given us The Way Back to One Another. This practical resource, grounded in Scripture, shows us the way to beautiful community for the glory of God."



"Social media offers ample opportunities for connectivity, and yet the sense of loneliness among people has increased. The Way Back to One Another offers insights into this puzzling trend and provides practical tips and biblical knowledge to address the epidemic of loneliness. God has created us with an intrinsic need for belonging, and the authors gently guide us back to the richness of a koinōnia community."



"I couldn't put this book down. In a world where we scroll past one another more than we sit beside each other, The Way Back to One Another feels like both a diagnosis and a cure. Through stories that span continents and faith communities, Jeff Galley and Phil Smith remind us of what we've forgotten: that the gospel is not just personal; it's profoundly communal. This is a deeply hopeful, deeply needed work—one that reclaims the radical simplicity of Jesus' command to 'love one another.' It's a call to remember who we are and to rebuild what we've lost: a church marked not by production, but by presence; not by programs, but by people. I'll be recommending this book to every leader I know who cares about spiritual formation, belonging, and the future of the church."



"After living in East Africa for more than a decade, I've seen what it looks like when community is not just an ideal but a way of life. In a cultural moment when isolation, anxiety, and disconnection are rising at an alarming rate, Jeff Galley and Phil Smith offer us a timely and necessary reminder: God created us for relationship. This book is a clarion call for a return to the shared life we were made for—not merely a strategy, but a way of being. We would do well to listen."



"This book is a timely and powerful reminder that we are not only created for connection but need it in order to flourish. The stories beautifully illustrate how meeting practical needs can also awaken and satisfy our deeper longing to belong, to be seen, and to walk together through life. Throughout the book, the authors invite readers to reflect, engage in meaningful conversations, and take practical steps toward cultivating a community where the one-anothers are lived out. Page by page, I was reawakened to my own need for others and equipped with tangible ways to pursue those around me." weniger anzeigen expand_less