A Community of Friends: The Sunday School Class as a Conduit for Social Contacts and Social Support Among Older Women

This article discusses a small group of women in rural Ohio who have transformed their Sunday school class into a community of friends that not only affords spiritual support but also sustains regular social contact well into old age. A qualitative thematic approach was used to analyze the data. Church participation through the life course, common themes that emerged among the women interviewed, and a discussion regarding the role of churches in serving as conduits of intergenerational contact and social support for the elderly are presented.