We're All Family Here

One of the oddities of the English language is the number of words that mean “group.” For example, we refer to a crowd of people, a box of crayons, and a pad of paper. But the most striking group names are related to animals. Why do we refer to an army of ants, a kindle of kittens, a charm of hummingbirds, a congress of baboons, a knot of toads, a movement of moles, and—my favorite—a murder of crows?

As we turn to Scripture, we see a similar pattern in how the church is described. Multiple names are used for the people of God: “the assembly of the upright” (Psalm 111:1), “the branch of God’s planting” (Isaiah 60:21), “the flock of God” (Ezekiel 34:15), “the fold of Christ” (John 10:16), “the congregation of the Lord’s poor” (Psalm 74:19), “the pillar and ground of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), and “the lot of God’s inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9).

But my favorite comes from Ephesians 2:19, where we are called “God’s household”—or more literally, God’s family. Fundamentally, we are family as church. Yes, we are an organization, a gathering, a congregation. But at our core, we are kinfolk, related through the blood of Jesus. Once, we were not family—we were estranged—but now, as Paul explains in Ephesians 2, “you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

Such nearness and community are vital because we live in an alienated, lonely world. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General recently declared that we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. In 2021, 49% of adults reported having three or fewer close friends, compared to 27% in 1990. Loneliness is even more severe among young people: for those ages 15–24, time spent in person with friends dropped from 150 minutes per day in 2003 to just 40 minutes in 2020—a decline of nearly 70%.

Facebook and other communication tools are valuable—but face time is vital. In this fractured, lonely society, we must draw closer together, discovering a deeper sense of family and community in Jesus. As we continue in Ephesians 2, we find clues for how that happens.

Affirm That Family "In Christ" Is Not Dependent On Status Or Labels

 In the larger society, you have community because of who you are—your title, position, or status. But in the church, you have community because of Jesus. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 2:14–15: Christ “has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace.”

In biblical times, Jews were often seen as the best, while Gentiles were considered the least—outsiders and strangers. But now, because of Jesus, those distinctions are erased. In Christ, there are no “little people.” Even those once considered outsiders are fully included.

Who have you labeled as “little people”? Who do you consider the least rather than the best?

Growing up in Hagerstown, Maryland, I considered the “North-enders” the least. They were the wealthy folks who lived in the north end of town, belonged to the country club, drove big Buicks, and ate at expensive restaurants. But everything changed when my family joined the Hagerstown Church of the Brethren. That church included both poor South-enders like wealthy North-enders and me. And we sat together, worshiped together, ate together, and worked together.

At one point, we even danced together—because the first love of my life, in God’s sense of humor, turned out to be a North-ender. A very rich North-ender, I might add—someone I eventually took to my senior prom. That’s just like God: bringing together people who would never expect to be together. As Paul reminds us, Christ “has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14).

Work For Reconciliation And Peacebuilding

Despite Christ’s vision of unity, much still divides us. We must be intentional about tearing down walls and building a new community in Jesus. As Paul continues, Christ reconciles us “to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near” (Ephesians 2:16–17).

2023 marked the 100th anniversary of one of the Church of the Brethren’s most remarkable mission efforts: the birth of EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria. If ever there were a community that embodies the family of God, it is this fellowship of nearly one million believers. Yet their story has unfolded under immense hardship.

For years, EYN has faced persecution from Boko Haram, one of the world’s deadliest terrorist groups. Over 1,600 churches have been burned or abandoned, about 70% of their material assets. Yet the church continues to thrive, marked by deep community and peace.

Whenever attacks came, members fled—but wherever they went, they planted new congregations. As one EYN leader said, “EYN is a wounded healer… Boko Haram has succeeded in destroying church buildings, thinking they will stop Christianity. But as we ran, we ran with our faith, and Christ was with us.” The result has been a movement of relocation, reconstruction, and even reconciliation—including peacebuilding with Muslim neighbors.

That’s what happens when you truly live as God’s family: you pursue peace even with your fiercest enemies. This doesn’t mean abandoning convictions, but it does mean seeing others not as threats, but as people made in the image of God. Show hospitality—even to those you struggle to like. Whether Muslim or Christian, Black or white, lifelong Brethren or new believers, progressive or evangelical, contemporary or traditional—we must treat one another with love and civility, not hostility and hate.

But we must go further. We must not only love people—we must invite them into the family. 

Reach Out And Enlarge Christ's Community

Paul notes in Ephesians 2:17 that Jesus preached peace both to those who were near and those who were far away. “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18). The gospel is not just for those already inside the family—it is for those still waiting to be welcomed.

Paul described himself in many ways: a servant of God (Titus 1:1), the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:13–15), the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9), and the least of all God’s people (Ephesians 3:8). But more specifically, he called himself “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13). This is striking, because Paul was not a Gentile—he was a devout Jew, a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Acts 23:6). Yet his mission was to reach those outside the family.

So who is not yet part of your church family?

Your congregation is beautiful. The ways you are already breaking down labels and building peace matter deeply. But there are still people outside your circle who long to belong. Invite them in.

Yes, outsiders may seem different—even strange. Like the Gentiles of Paul’s time, they may not fit your expectations. They may think, vote, and worship differently, or come from different backgrounds. But they are made in the image of God.

That’s why Paul boldly declares, “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19).

And so we say to those still outside: You are loved. You are needed. You are wanted. You, too, are family here.

Becky Pippert tells the story of a church in Oregon struggling to welcome outsiders. One Sunday, a disheveled young man—messy hair, stained T-shirt, ripped jeans—walked in during the opening hymn. Finding no seats, he walked to the front and sat on the floor.

The congregation grew tense as the head deacon—a well-dressed, polished man—walked down the aisle toward him. People braced for confrontation. But instead, something unexpected happened. The deacon sat down beside the young man on the floor—and stayed there for the rest of the service.

That is the picture of the family of God.

We are called to sit with one another—not just in worship, but in life. Regardless of appearance, status, or background, we embrace one another in Christ.

So let us live this out, declaring both inside and outside the church: You are loved. You are needed. You are wanted. You, too, are family here.

For in Christ Jesus, “you who once were far away have been brought near” (Ephesians 2:13). We have been drawn into a love that will not let us go—a love meant not only for us, but for all: for outsiders, for strangers, for everyone who longs for home.