We are living in a time when pews once filled with laughter, prayer, and praise now sit quieter than they used to. Where are the people? Where are the families we used to see every Sunday? The friends we used to hug? The children we watched grow up? Where is everyone?
Let’s be real: The pandemic scattered many. Disappointment, distraction, hurt, and sometimes just plain exhaustion pulled people away. It has become the new normal to stay at home on Sundays and just watch church on television, on a computer, or on a cell phone. But I believe God is calling His people home. This message is not about guilt. It’s not about numbers. It’s about restoration. It’s about invitation. It’s about becoming the kind of church people can’t wait to come back to and never want to leave.
What is a church home? A church home is more than just the building where we go to worship with the community of believers and where you feel spiritually connected, supported, and cared for. It’s the place where you're known by name, not just as a face in the crowd. It is a place where you grow in your faith through teaching, fellowship, and service. It’s a place where you’re encouraged during hard times and celebrated in the good ones. The church home is the place where people pray with you, walk with you, and sometimes cry with you and where we are held accountable and reminded of our purpose.
For many, a church home feels like a spiritual family, a place to belong, not just attending. Have you been thinking about coming back home to your church home? Or do you know someone who needs to have a church home?
Luke 15:1-32 is the story of the Prodigal son.
Jesus tells a story of a young man who left home and a father who never stopped waiting. When the son finally came to his senses, the Bible says: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion…”
The door to the home was still open for the returning son. The table was still set. The robe was still ready. That’s the heart of the church home. Let’s judge those absences, but let’s celebrate the return. People need to know that no matter how long they’ve been gone, there’s still a place for them in the house of God. This story of the Prodigal Son shows the heart of the Father and a place of grace. That is what a church home should reflect.
People come back where there’s love, not shame
John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Guilt never grows a church. Shame never brings healing. But love, real love, heals, invites, and restores. The church must become experts at love and radical hospitality. Warm hugs. Honest conversations. No fake smiles, just real grace. This kind of grace God shows us all. Ask yourself, ‘Do people feel missed when they’re gone?’ ‘Do they feel celebrated when they return?’ ‘Is the church creating a culture where people want to be?’
Rebuilding takes all of us. Nehemiah 4:6) says, “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. Rebuilding the church isn’t just the pastor’s job. It’s not just for the deacons or the praise team job. It takes every one of us, inviting, encouraging, texting, and praying.
Let’s get practical. ‘Sheep begot sheep.’ Shepherds take care of sheep after they are given to him. But sheep should produce more sheep. Reach out to someone who used to sit next to you. Call them. Invite them to come back home. The church should be creating events that are less about performance and more about connection. Why not start some small groups and go where people are, not just where they should be. God doesn’t need a perfect church; He needs a faithful one. Remember the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Finally, the church should create an atmosphere of expectation. Consider what it says in Acts 2:46–47. “Every day they continued to meet together... praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” People were drawn to the early church because something was happening. There was life, joy, healing, and hope. Let’s stir up an atmosphere that says: God is here, and something good is about to happen. When people know the church is alive, they’ll want to be part of it again.
Come Home!
If you’ve been distant not just physically but spiritually, I want to say this with the love of God:
Come home! Not to a building. But to a family. To a Father who never stopped loving you. To a purpose waiting to be fulfilled. And to those of us already home. We still have the light on.
The doors are still open wide. Let’s be the kind of church the world is aching to return to.
If you are reading this message or hearing it, could God be trying to get your attention?
Come Home!
