Should Church Be Fun?

A couple of years ago I was listening to a conservative Christian talk radio show and heard the host complaining about "rock-n-roll" churches. At first I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. But, as the discussion progressed it became clear that this particular Christian radio personality had a general skepticism of churches with a contemporary service -- like Heartland I guess.

If you know people with different church backgrounds, you probably also know that some people have very distinct and often very strong opinions about what church should be. For some people church services can only take place on Sunday. Others think it perfectly appropriate to attend church services on Wednesday night, Saturday night, or any other day and time that is convenient.

For some people "worship" means hymns and a pipe organ -- the thought of even an acoustic guitar in service is pretty much blasphemy. For others, nothing seems to bring them closer to God than contemporary worship music performed by a band and worship team. For some people, church is supposed to be simple and dignified. Sunday services are a time for solemn worship and quiet reflection. Others want church to be energetic, exciting and maybe thought provoking. So, this brings me to the title of this blog and the question I have for you: "should church be fun?"

Before I go any further, I need to let you in on a little secret. The secret is this. The talk radio lady who is skeptical of "rock-n-roll" churches -- I actually share some of her concerns. Yep, I really do.

Don't get me wrong. I think churches should come in a lot of different shapes, sizes and flavors. Different types of churches are able to reach different types of people -- and that's obviously a good thing. I even think that church can be fun. But, in with the fun there also has to be a seriousness of purpose.

I think the real concern this particular talk show host has, and again it's one that I share, is at times churches might be trying so hard to cater to the base desires of people -- to make church easy, interesting, exciting and maybe even fun, that the point gets minimized or even lost. The concern is that churches can get so caught up in the production that they lose sight of God's purpose. The concern is that preaching can become more philosophy and pop-psychology than edification from the Word of God. The concern is that for the sake of growth or attracting new believers the message gets softened, watered down or even becomes unrecognizable.

I love my church -- and not just because I am part of the staff. Having sat in countless meetings where we have discussed difficult issues about where the church is and where the church is going, I can definitely say that we don't always get it right. But I can also definitely say that we try our best to get it right and to seek God's will for Heartland Church.

As a church we certainly want to stay relevant. But, we also want to stay true to the Word of God, to go into the world and preach the good news, and to properly disciple believers. I think we can do all of that. I don't think of Heartland Church as a "rock-n-roll" church, but I will also be the first to admit that it's not for everyone. On the other hand, sometimes reaching people takes a little fun, and maybe even a little rock-n-roll! And I can live with that. What do you think?