"You won't find any Precious Moments figurines here but we do have several different Frankensteins!" So says Imagine 'Dat! proprietor Dave Canfield as he peruses his small storefront in Uptown Chicago. It's a space packed floor to ceiling with used books, comics, vintage monster models, movie posters and stills, and the occasional rubber chicken. Film and toy buffs of all ages could spend hours digging through the shelves without finding even half of what lies within but Imagine 'Dat! is more than just another retail store. Though much of what is here is for sale, the heart of the space is dedicated to community outreach taking the form of modeling workshops, reading and media classes, and party events geared towards the under privileged youth of the surrounding Uptown, Chicago community.

Canfield is one of the co-founders of The Imaginarium at Cornerstone Festival , an annual celebration of the imagination and pop culture held annually over the July fourth weekend for the last seven years. "We started with a very simple idea, that movies, television, books, toys and novelties embody our culture's present mythology, our sense of right and wrong, good and evil. Understanding our stories makes them meaningful as well as entertaining. That concept seems to have reached a lot of people. We have kids at the festival coming up to us that say they've grown up at the Imaginarium watching monster movies, building models winning toys, coming to the parties and hanging out for the seminars and film discussions. The Imaginarium is like a family reunion every year."

But bringing that family together took more and more work as time went on. Soon it was a full-time job for Canfield. And so, Imagine 'Dat! was born. "The festival grew into articles, writing for other magazines, interviews, .... the idea of a small retail store we could run programming out of was inevitable. We ran a small booth at the festival where we sold rubber chickens, videos and used books and model kits for a couple of years. The store didn't make a ton of money but it did open our eyes to how important this stuff was to our audience. You can connect to almost anybody through it. That's our goal with Imagine 'Dat! we're a retail store but we sell things that connect people to what they really care about."

But why the emphasis on fantasy, science fiction and horror?, "Those are the dominant forms of entertainment in our culture right now. And those ways of telling stories, talking about the human condition are just as capable of communicating truth as any other. The basic themes of resurrection, redemption, sacrifice and suffering are deeply imbedded in things like the Frankenstein story, or Star Trek or the X-Files." It's barely any leap at all to start talking about those ideas in this context. By teaching youth to think critically about the messages embedded in film and television Canfield hopes to teach them to recognize the media's strengths and weakness' that extend far beyond entertainment value. The ultimate goal, teaching them to recognize those same virtues within themselves and encouraging them to pursue a life beyond simple consumer culture.

Having used books, model kits and novelty items under one roof might seem like a marketers nightmare but Canfield and his staff wouldn't have it any other way. "We have a really varied customer base. But the beauty of that is we can interact with them in a variety of ways. Adults tend to be more interested in the used books, the book and film discussions, and the collectable toys. Kids love our hobby programs. And everybody loves being greeted at the door by somebody wearing Groucho glasses and Billy-Bob teeth. We go out of our way to break down peoples defenses, they're usually very surprised to find out that we're sponsored by a Christian organization."

The parent group that sponsors Imagine 'Dat! is no stranger to using current culture to dialogue about worldview and ideas. Jesus People USA Evangelical Covenant Church was one of the first religious groups to openly embrace and produce hard rock in the early seventies and with the passage of time metal heads, punks, ravers and Goth's have called JPUSA their church home. "As our group has gotten older we've become more and more culturally diverse but we remain unified because of the core of our beliefs. As media has become more and more of an influence in our culture it has been a natural step to see media through our beliefs, to understand the way it helps shape our thinking. And of course when it comes to mentoring that's essentially what your talking about- passing on your beliefs and skills."

A lot of time is spent helping children involved in local mentoring programs." One of the most exciting things for me is introducing kids to modeling. They get to take a classic figure from a book or film or television show and make it come to life with their own two hands. Plus they work with an adult. Most kid's activities distance them from adults but modeling brings them together. Besides the formal classes we have a small area set up in the shop where families can come and work on models together."

Imagine' 'Dat! has been lucky enough to have well known model and hobby supply companies generously supporting it's outreaches. Badger Airbrush, Testors Corporation, Polar Lights, Geometric Design and Sideshow Toy have repeatedly stepped forward with donations of paint, toys, glue, brushes, and model kits. " To say we're grateful is an understatement. These companies have allowed us to reprint articles, provided hours of encouragement and advice, and shown genuine enthusiasm for what we're trying to do. They see the hobby the same way we do. Modeling teaches valuable life skills, patience through finishing what they start, problem solving, and character development. And practical art skills can be a way of building self-confidence and opening kids up to the idea that learning can be fun."

In the works are a number of programs. "We'd like to develop a reading program in conjunction with the local grade school and a rewards program that gives kids toys for community service. We all face challenges in life, our cultural interests should foster our growth and development not just our need to be entertained" Canfield also manages a large website geared to provide information about the groups outreaches and the hobby of modeling.

As the millennium dawns Canfield is looking forward to a future paved in rubber chickens, "As far as I know we're the only outreach of our kind sponsored by a parachurch organization. That makes me feel good in an odd sort of way. I mean Christ was on the cutting edge of his culture because of who he was, not what he wore or what music he listened to or what movies he watched. Once you open people's eyes up to see beyond culture into the ideas and questions it raises you set the stage for them to encounter truth. Who cares what kind of culture it's dressed up in. All truth is God's truth. Some people (Christian and non-Christian) just need to be bonked on the head with a rubber chicken to hear it.