As a rule I am not into attractional church models. I don’t like the idea of a worship band that are so bothered about what they look like that it becomes more about performance than praise. However, recently I have been really interested in listening to some of the pastors of big churches and what has helped their churches to grow and develop. They have a lot to teach those of us from the “small is beautiful” mindset and background.

One such guy, TD Jake, has become a little bit of an overnight hero in my eyes. I only heard half of one of his talks the other day and confess to being a little bit blown away by his very simple but effective teaching on both church planting and church growth.

One of the most beautiful things he said that really stuck with me is this:

“If God has given you an empty seat in your church then there is someone in your city it belongs to.”

I love that. I love the concept that an empty chair is a person waiting to be asked to come, waiting to be given the chance to get to know Jesus or remember why they once knew Him better.

Today, I want you to imagine your church. I want you to imagine your pew, or your row -the one you sat in last week. Now think of your friends, or your family. Who does that seat (or those seats) beside you belong to?

Join me today in praying that in this season of Advent, the season of waiting, we would wait on God to give us the courage to invite people to fill their seats.

No more empty chairs, in Jesus’ beautifully perfect name! Amen!