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I’m excited. I’m seeing signs of life and hope in churches all around the world. During the COVID pandemic, many churches lost ground—attendance dropped, outreach slowed, and momentum seemed to stall. But now, five years later, things are changing. Youth groups are growing, baptisms are happening, and in some places, we’re even catching glimpses of revival.

One statistic recently caught my eye: 39% of Millennials now report attending church weekly, up from just 21% in 2019. That’s not just encouraging—it’s great news!

But even with all this good news, I can’t help but carry a concern in my heart. I see people who like church. I see people who enjoy church. But do people truly love the church?

 

1. The Purchase of the Church

We must never forget this truth: Jesus Christ loved the church so much that He died for it. He didn’t just build it—He bought it with His own blood.

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock… to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
— Acts 20:28 

That was an unusual price. No man could have paid it. But Jesus willingly gave His life to satisfy the justice of God and redeem a people for Himself.

If Jesus loved the church enough to die for it, shouldn’t we love it enough to live for it?

 

2. The People of the Church

Too often, people fall out of love with the church—not because of the gospel, but because of people. Someone hurt them. Someone disappointed them. Someone let them down.

But it’s the people of the church that we are called to love. We aren’t just volunteers in an organization—we are members of a family. And like any family, we will have differences, quirks, and the occasional disagreement. But love holds us together.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
— John 13:35 

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.”
— Romans 12:10 

When we stop loving the people in our church, we’re not just losing patience—we're losing sight of who we’re supposed to be. Christ loved us at our worst, and He calls us to extend that same love to one another.

 

3. The Plan for the Church

Here’s something truly remarkable: the church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of people who are not yet part of it.

When we fall out of love with the church, we’re falling out of love with God’s plan to reach the world. How can we effectively reach the unchurched if we can’t even love those who are in the church?

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway...”
— Matthew 28:19–20 

Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples, yes—but that Commission continues today through His church. This is God’s mission in action.

“How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”
— Romans 10:14–15 

We cannot be part of God’s plan for the lost if we’ve grown cold toward God’s people. When we fall out of love with the church, we’re falling out of step with God’s mission.

So yes, I’m thrilled at what I see happening in churches today. But I’m praying that it goes deeper than programs and attendance. My hope is that we fall in love with the church again—not just as a place to go, but as a people to love, a mission to pursue, and a Savior to glorify.

Let’s love the church like Jesus does.