Church homecoming occasions are the perfect time to greet a congregation with a welcome speech. Whether you are speaking at a traditional church homecoming service or welcoming back missionaries, the following speech is fully customizeable to meet a variety of needs.
Welcome Home Speech
To use the sample speech, click on the image. Next, click on the download icon to save the document. From there, you can customize the speech for your occasion. Look at the Adobe guide for printables if you have any issues downloading.
How to Customize
There are many occasions when a homecoming welcome speech is appropriate. Editing the sample speech to fit your specific needs is simple. Start by inserting personal information where indicated in the example speech. Consider changing some of the wording to sound more familiar to the congregation.
Welcoming Scriptures
Replacing the provided scriptures with more personal choices is one way to customize. Other appropriate scriptures include:
- "But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our condition." 2 Corinthians 5:9, The Message
- "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20, King James Version
- "Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the Glory of God." Romans 15:7, English Standard Version
In place of a verse, you could also include a quote from a popular sermon in your church or a prominent leader in your community.
Personal Anecdotes
Adding a more specific anecdote in place of the section describing a journey can help the speech seem more original. Consider the congregation and the church over the past year. If there has been a significant life event or project that can be described in terms of its journey, this would be a good place to use it. Examples of instances that can be spoken of using the metaphor of a journey include:
- A near-death experience
- Rebuilding after a natural disaster
- Experience with adoption/foster care
- A recent missions trip
- Church building or mission updates
Call to Action
The end of the sample speech calls for members to ''go forth and live this message." Inserting a more specific, personal call to action will make the speech seem more relevant. Other calls to action might be:
- Turn to your neighbor and offer words of welcome on this day.
- As you would care for your house, share an offering with this home so we may continue to spread our joy among each other.
- Take this message into the world and help someone you love who has lost their way find the path back home.
Church Homecoming Occasions
Several types of occasions can be viewed as a homecoming. A few popular celebrations include:
- The return of missionaries for a long or short term assignment
- Anniversary of the use of a building or church site
- The return of a pastor or minister who was on sabbatical
- Milestone anniversary of the church's beginning
- Annual celebration of the church's founding
- A visit from a past church leader
- The first gathering at a new location
Receiving Others
Many parishioners view the church as a type of home. Remind guests why they can feel comfortable and welcome in your place of worship with a personalized speech.
