One year ago, Never Unfriended: The Secret to Finding and Keeping Lasting Friendships was launched into the world, landing on bookstore shelves and in family rooms and book clubs and women’s church circles.

Lisa-Jo Baker and the (in)courage community invited you to grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair to the table, and learn what Jesus says about friendship. To ask, in a world where women can unfriend each other with the swipe of a finger, how do we find friendships that we can trust to last? What if we knew we could never be unfriended? Would we risk friendship then? Maybe we would need to first become those kinds of lasting friends ourselves. Lisa-Jo wrote Never Unfriended, a step-by-step guide to friendships you can trust. It answers the questions that lurk under the surface of every friendship — What are we afraid of? What can’t we change? What can we change? And where do we start? — with personal stories and practical tips to help you make the friends and be the friend that lasts.

You shared your excitement about Never Unfriended with us, and we had SO MUCH FUN celebrating together!

And then we dove in even deeper with a Bible study. Not long after Never Unfriended released, We Saved You a Seat: Finding and Keeping Lasting Friendships joined the shelves!  We Saved You a Seat is about not giving up on friendship — even when we’re frustrated by it, even when we’re tired of it, confused by it, or disappointed in it. Together we unpacked what that kind of friendship takes with practical ways to take Jesus up on His invitation to love other people. To be friends who go first, who make the first move, and sometimes the hundredth move of starting over.

And we saw you jump. right. in.

We saw you bring the book into summer book studies, sharing your pictures and stories on Instagram.

We saw hundreds and hundreds of you join our sweatpants book club as we read through Never Unfriended, and heard from several amazing women as they shared their friendship stories.

We saw thousands of you journey through We Saved You a Seat as it was LifeWay’s 2017 Fall Online Book Club.

We watched in awe and wonder as God took the message of Never Unfriended, the heart of We Saved You a Seat, and spread it far and wide. It’s been a year of these books, and we want to celebrate with your stories because you are the ones who have taken the messages of these words and let them sink in soul-deep, impacting your friendships, your communities, and your relationship with the Lord.

Check out these words from several sweet Amazon reviewers:

When I began reading this book I expected to be reading the normal rhetoric that Jesus will always be our friend. This book was so much more than that. Lisa-Jo gave heartfelt examples of the struggles we have making and keeping friendships. I laughed. I cried. I made my husband listen to me read sections so I could talk to him about it. This book touched parts of my soul that I didn’t know were even hurting . . . Lisa-Jo shows us what the Bible says about friendships and how we show Jesus’ light in our friendships!
– Jillian

Hands down, one of the best books I’ve ever read. So relevant. So authentic. It will be a treasure that I reference again & again.
– T. Henry

I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten a hug from a book before, but that’s what “Never Unfriended” felt like to me.
– Cyn Rogalski

And these about We Saved You a Seat:

This book is wonderful! Lisa-Jo speaks about friendship in a way I hadn’t thought of before, and I have been greatly encouraged by her words. My life has literally changed because of this book.
– Jess H.

Fantastic study! I have learned so much about myself, and God’s word. I can take this knowledge and be a better friend to myself and others. Thank you for this much needed topic!
– Danielle Lilleux

Those are just the stories from one small section of the Internet. There are countless others out there, in real life and in real spaces. If you haven’t yet read Never Unfriended or We Saved You a Seat, start here:

First, check out these Friendship Confessions with Lisa-Jo and her friends:

Then, watch the first week of the WSYAS Bible study below. It offers a great glimpse into the heart behind We Saved You a Seat!

Finally, grab copies for you and a friend. Never Unfriended and WSYAS, both at DaySpring. They’re also available at your local LifeWay store, and anywhere else books are sold. Invite your friends, neighbors, pastor’s wife, or sisters over for lemonade, and start reading through together.

We know it’s been a whole year, but we are FAR from tired of hearing your friendship stories! Keep ’em coming. If you’ve read Never Unfriended or studied We Saved You a Seat, we would love to hear how it has impacted your heart and life!

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