In the Slot

I stood in front of a bunch of college students the other night in Duluth and told them to stay in the church and work for reform.

See, when you’re young and a little cynical, the temptation to ditch the church and just do the Jesus thing by yourself is pretty strong.

But consider: An ancient church father named Cyprian famously declared that there is no salvation outside the church.

Maybe Cyprian was a little extreme, but in my view he leans in the proper direction. After all:

The church is God’s only plan for saving the world.

The option of skipping church and just growing in Christ on our own isn’t really open to us, biblically speaking.

Here’s something that could make church participation more appealing to those on the sidelines:

Find your slot.

By “slot” I mean finding what you love doing and are really good at; then — get in there and dig.

My slot(s) at Grace Church Roseville:

• Tunes: Once or twice/month I make the big commitment (about seven hours’ worth) to play in the worship band. FYI: At 53 I am still a young rocker!

• Sermon prep: My buddy Jim and I serve as Pastor Jason’s advisors for sermon prep. As a trio we study the passages together and determine preaching themes. We have awesome discussions.

• Service assessments: My given assignment is to “write up” the Sunday service from beginning to end — every minute, every inch. Then I email the assessment to the pastoral team. I am supportive, constructive in my comments. 

Those jobs play into my strengths, passions and sense of team.