Empty chairs tell a story. They speak of comfort lost, of consistency broken, of a family missing pieces it used to have. If you’re leading a ministry and you keep noticing gaps in the pews, you’re not alone, and you’re not powerless. Here are three things every leader should do about it.
1. Pray for People to Come to Church
Before any strategy, there’s prayer. Jesus told His disciples in Luke 10:2, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” Notice He didn’t say organize first. He said pray first.
Empty chairs are not just an attendance problem. They’re a spiritual battle for hearts, for time, for priorities. So before you plan a single outreach event, get on your knees. Pray by name for people who’ve drifted. Pray for the ones who’ve never walked through your doors. Ask God to soften hearts and open eyes, because 2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us that healing and restoration start with a humble, praying people.
2. Reach Out to New and Old People
Prayer moves God. Reaching out moves people. Jesus modeled this constantly. Matthew 9:36 says He saw the multitudes and “was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” He didn’t wait for the scattered to find their way back. He went looking.
Leaders can’t afford to wait by the door either. Call the member who missed three Sundays in a row. Visit the family that used to sit in the third row. Welcome the visitor who came once and never returned. Luke 15 tells us about a shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep to go find the one that wandered off, and about a father who ran to meet a son coming home. That’s the heart behind reaching out: nobody gets written off, whether they’re brand new or they’ve been gone a while.
3. Encourage Members to Share Flyers and Invites
The Gospel has always spread through relationships. When Andrew met Jesus, the first thing he did was find his brother Simon and bring him along (John 1:41-42). When the man delivered from a legion of demons wanted to follow Jesus, Jesus gave him a different assignment: “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee” (Mark 5:19).
Your members are your best messengers. A flyer handed to a coworker, an invite sent in a family group chat, a simple “come with me this Sunday” carries weight a church announcement never will. Equip your people with invite cards, digital flyers, and simple words to say. Then encourage them, consistently, to use them. Growth rarely comes from the pulpit alone. It comes from ordinary members doing what Andrew did: bringing someone along.
The Chairs Won’t Stay Empty
Empty chairs are not a verdict. They’re an invitation, to pray harder, reach further, and equip your people to bring others in. Romans 10:14-15 asks how people will hear without someone preaching, and how someone will preach unless they’re sent. Every praying leader, every phone call made, every flyer shared, is part of that sending.
Start this week. Pick one chair you know used to be filled, and go after it in prayer, in person, or through someone else’s invitation. The harvest is still ready.