Interview With Author Jake Thurston
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! My name is Jake Thurston. I’m a follower of Jesus, married to my amazing wife, Kasey, and have three kids: Amelia, who’s 4, Adelyn, who’s 2, and Beckett, who’s 1 month old. I’m also a pastor and church planter of Resilient Church in Vermillion, South Dakota.
I have written and published one book so far, but already have ideas for at least 2 more!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The title of my latest book is “You Need Friends: Reclaim Your God-Given Design For Community & Remedy Your Loneliness for Good.”
This is the result of almost 10 years of work. I stumbled upon an idea during my master’s program in 2015: How could the lost Christian practice of spiritual friendship remedy the loneliness epidemic in our country? 6 out of 10 adults in the US are lonely, and 8 out of 10 Gen Zers are lonely on any given day. So much of the mental health crisis occurring right now is due to loneliness.
But I believe that the church is the hope of the world. And this articulation of spiritual friendship is so breathtaking, that I believe it could solve much of our people’s hunger for intimacy and deeper friendships.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing out of the ordinary! Other than my job as a pastor literally requires me to write a 4000-word sermon every week. So I technically write about 3 books a year if you consider all the content I write for my profession!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many. John Mark Comer, Justin Whitmel Early, Eugene Peterson, Dallas Willard, and Jonathan Haidt are 5 of my favorite nonfiction authors. Brandon Sanderson is my favorite fiction / fantasy author by far.
What are you working on now?
I’m working hard to launch my book right now, getting on interviews and doing individual reach outs. But then I will be working on the audiobook over the summer, as well as a 6-week video curriculum to accompany the book to be done in small group settings.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
On amazon: https://a.co/d/iCKGkMI
Or my website: www.youneedfriends.com
Do you have any advice for new authors?
You just gotta do it! You have to sit down and start writing. It’s not magically going to write itself. You have to show up, put in the time, and be consistent.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There is so much… but the one that first came to my mind is “to do what you’re best at when you’re at your best.” If you want to accomplish the most important things during your work day, you need to identify the parts of your day when you’re sharpest and fullest of energy, and devote the absolute most important work of your job to that time slot. Not only does it produce your best work, but you feel more accomplished at the end of the day.
What are you reading now?
The Poppy War trilogy by R. F. Kuang, The Echo of Things to Come by James Islington, and Scandal of the Kingdom by Dallas Willard.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After launching this first book, my dream is to write a followup to “You Need Friends” called “Your Church Needs Friends.” It’s specifically for pastors and church leaders to setup small group ministries that can actually cultivate deep, spiritual friendships based on my first book. And then the third book I have in mind will be an extensive research project on pastors’ experience with loneliness, and the particularly difficult task for pastors to find good community and spiritual friendships ourselves.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I could have 6…. the Bible, and all five books of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive.
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