At Hillsong Church, there is a phrase that has been around since our early beginnings. It has echoed through our churches and into our hearts for as long as most of us can remember. It is deeply woven into the fabric of who we are. I am sure you know it. I am sure you have seen it. I have seen it in many different languages.
It is the phrase: Welcome home. You belong here. These simple yet profound words carry a weight, a promise, and a calling. They embody the heartbeat of our church that has always been beyond walls and differences. It is a way of life, inviting people from all walks of life to gather. A bold reminder that Church is about real people coming together. Where every one matters. Where everyone is deeply loved by God.
To say “you belong” in today’s world is radical. We live in a time where division is the norm and where many people feel isolated, unseen, or disconnected. But at Hillsong, our heart posture of “welcome home” is not just a greeting. It is a personal invitation to every person to find a place where they are fully known and fully loved. To be part of a big global family. That spans every background, age, culture, race, and language. All united by God’s love and our shared longing for God’s kingdom.
But the beauty of “you belong here” goes beyond belonging. It plays a crucial part in something even greater: unity. In John 17, Jesus prays a powerful prayer for all believers — that we would be one, just as He and the Father are one. This unity is a hallmark of the Church and a glimpse into the kingdom that Jesus envisioned. Where love and oneness would overcome any dividing wall between people.
When we say, “Welcome home,” we are echoing this prayer, inviting everyone into the unity that Jesus longed for.
This heart posture of Welcome Home does not ignore our differences. Instead, it embraces and celebrates them. It invites each of us to bring our unique cultures, languages, and background into a greater whole. Unity is not about uniformity but about harmony. Similar to how each part of the body serves a different purpose each member brings something invaluable. Like a symphony, our differences strengthen and make us better.
This type of unity builds healthy church communities and changes lives through Christ. When someone experiences, “Welcome home,” they encounter more than good hospitality. They experience the fulfillment of Jesus’s prayer. As people from every tongue, tribe, and nation come together, worshiping God as one. This type of unity is not something we can achieve on our own. It is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit, drawing us closer to God and to each other.
I have witnessed firsthand the power of this type of unity and belonging. How it can change lives. When people step into an environment that authentically welcomes them—where their backgrounds, tongues, tribes, and nations are not just acknowledged but celebrated—they experience a glimpse of God’s kingdom on earth. In this type of space differences are treasured. The languages we speak, the cultures we carry, the stories we bring—all part of the bigger story God is writing.
In the book of Revelation, we see a vision of a multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing together before God’s throne. This vision isn’t just a far-off promise; it’s something we get to see a glimpse of each Sunday as we gather from all corners of the earth. Our church’s ongoing commitment to “Welcome Home” is creating a healthy church where people genuinely experience unity and belonging. Not because they fit a certain mold or brand but because they are embraced for who God created them to be.
Welcome Home is much more than a feeling — it is a John 17 calling and a Revelation 7 calling. It is what God has called each of us to embody. His Church. His Bride. It is the calling of creating churches where everyone feels like they are home. Where everyone experiences the unity Jesus prayed for. Welcome Home is so much more than any of us can even begin to imagine—it is the sound of the kingdom of God breaking through.
Prayer is a powerful way to align our hearts with God’s vision for unity. We can pray individually and together for greater unity. We can ask God for wisdom to see others through His eyes. For a heart of openness to value differences. May the following prayer be what we all ask God to do in our global church:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you.
For the beautiful differences you created. Differences seen in every culture, language, race, and background represented in the earth and in our church. Made in your image and deeply loved by You.
Help us.
Break down any barriers in our hearts that prevent us from fully welcoming others. Give us the courage to step
out of our comfort zones. To build genuine relationships with people like us and different from us. Help us to see them as part of your family, our family.
Increase our unity.
Fill our church with a spirit of unity. In every location locally and globally. May our churches be a place where every person feels at home. Increase our love for one another where our unity becomes our hallmark.
Empower us to live selflessly so that our unity becomes a testimony to the world of Your love. Where we are a sound of the Kingdom of God breaking through.
In Jesus name amen.
Maria Hansen-Quine
Hillsong Global Unity
Dec 24 2024
