Since the very beginning, when describing Imagine Church we’ve used the tagline, “Doing church differently,” because it’s true. Imagine Church is different in some fundamental ways from any other church of which I have been a part. Occasionally, however, someone will ask me, “But what does that mean? How is Imagine Church different?” Though there are actually a lot of ways, I always find myself answering, “Imagine Church is different because we make church fun.”
It took me years to come to the realization that it was okay for church to be fun. I grew up hearing things like, “Don’t run in God’s house.” It was okay to run in God’s yard, but it made me think that God was inside peeking out the windows to make sure no one ever came indoors with the idea of running in the church. Church was reverent and quiet, predictable and regimented, but it wasn’t very much fun. Maybe that’s why so many young people dropped out. 
You could ask them, “Don’t you want to go to heaven someday?” “Not if it’s like church!” they might answer. “I’m not wild about the idea of going to hell, but at least I’d be with my friends!”
We know there are parts of life that aren’t fun, and Imagine Church addresses those with honesty and sensitivity. But on a regular basis, we strive to make church enjoyable because we believe Jesus was enjoyable. Children were drawn to him. And here we are, his representatives on earth. If we make church boring, kids may grow up thinking God is boring. So, we felt compelled to make church fun. In doing so, we believe we’re honoring Jesus when he said, “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
What have we done this week as a church to make God smile, or to make God laugh? Those are good questions to ask, for a group of believers that strives to make church fun.
