Absolutely! Church should be fun! No doubt about it. No, I don’t mean shallow, silly, or unscriptural. But it should be enjoyable, edifying, uplifting, and encouraging. Joy and laughter are permitted too. There is no text in the entire Bible that states church services (or the pursuit of God) have to be somber all the time.
The Pharisees had a theology that stated – if you are happy, you cannot be holy. To them, spirituality meant being strict, legalistic, and pious.
Sadly, many churches are discouraging.
I read an article once that stated 70% of Americans who attend church on Sunday morning, leave church FEELING WORSE than they did when they arrived! Why? Because the sermon was boring, mean, or condemning. It was too academic. Too somber. Or because the church members were unfriendly. This is NOT a good testimony.
Fortunately, this does not describe Pace Community Church.
A while back I was listening to a man preach. He said, “If I get to the end of my sermon and you are still taking notes & enjoying yourself, then I have failed.” Say what? Where did that philosophy come from? Whose books has this guy been reading anyway? To him, grinding people down in condemnation equaled success. I suppose encouragement and edification have no place in the church either. What a suffocating ministry - it just squeezes the very life right out of you! Dark clouds of gloom hovering overhead. There's too much condemnation. It’s a burden too heavy for people to bear.
People always vote with their feet.
In the Bible, people left the Pharisees and followed Jesus. Why? Because Jesus was a teacher of “good news.”
There’s a lot more to Christianity than simply “teaching truth.” It must be tempered with grace, encouragement, and hope.
"The kingdom of God is NOT meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).