In her book, Searching for Sunday, the late Rachel Held Evans wrote, “The church is God saying, ‘Im throwing a banquet, and all the mismatched, messed-up people are invited. Here, have some wine.”

Many years ago now, when I was younger, my parents gave me the chance to choose where I would go to church. I was never baptized as an infant (another entertaining story altogether), because my parents had wanted me to pick a faith of my own when I was old enough.

At the end of the day, there was only one thing that made the decision: the church that felt like home.

The truth is that what most people are searching for is not the glitz or the glam, or even the easy answers.

They are looking for a place where they can be themselves. Where they matter. Where the fearful and wonderful creation – the person God made them to be – is full loved and affirmed and empowered.

They are looking for Jesus.

Not the one who has been coopted by the hateful forces that humanity has laid upon him over these last two millennia.

They are looking for the welcoming teacher who broke the world’s rules and welcomed all who came to him, especially those that society and the powerful cast out. The one who offered hope to the hopeless. Power to the powerless. Food to the hungry. And lifted up the overlooked.

They are looking for home. Real home. Something many are not even blessed to find in the houses they grow up in.

So, if you want to follow Christ, then #lifegoals means not only to work on your church looking like this, but even more importantly to make yourself and your own family into a place of welcome like this.

That’s your job.