Author Archives: Jay F Guin

About Jay F Guin

My name is Jay Guin, and I’m a retired elder. I wrote The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace about 18 years ago. I’ve spoken at the Pepperdine, Lipscomb, ACU, Harding, and Tulsa lectureships and at ElderLink. My wife’s name is Denise, and I have four sons, Chris, Jonathan, Tyler, and Philip. I have two grandchildren. And I practice law.

On Elder Accountability

Posted on December 31, 2007 by Jay F Guin

I stumbled across an article by Dub Orr, a retired elder for the 11th and Willis Church of Christ, that I just have to share. But first, a little background. Whether the topic is church growth or church survival, in … Continue reading →

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Church Growth: Details and the Devil

Posted on December 30, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Josh Hunt recently sent out a newsletter pointing out how the little things often make a huge difference in church growth. Now, the big things are big for a reason, but even if you get the big things right, the … Continue reading →

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Church Growth: Serving the Community

Posted on December 30, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Here’s a fascinating statistic from chapter 5 of Beyond Megachurch Myths — 21% of megachurch members volunteer weekly in community service. Ten percent of megachurches have over half their members active in community service on a weekly basis! Wow! Plainly, … Continue reading →

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Church Growth: An Equipping Ministry

Posted on December 30, 2007 by Jay F Guin

One of the most difficult tasks of any leader is training additional leaders. After all, leaders are busy, and taking the time to train someone else is not immediately productive. It takes time — often years — for the person … Continue reading →

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Church Growth: Interview with Rick McKinley

Posted on December 30, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Rick McKinley is the pastor of Imago Dei, the Portland, Oregon church Don Miller writes about in Blue Like Jazz. This link will take you to an interview of him by Christianity Today. Good reading. It’ll challenge your conceptions about … Continue reading →

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Church Growth: Having a Story

Posted on December 27, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Thumma and Travis review the various styles of megachurches, concluding that they fall into four categories, each with a different “what matters most”: * Old Line/Program Based: Maintaining the witness in the present location. An evolutionary approach to change. Stewards … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas, Part 2

Posted on December 26, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Did you enjoy the video? Someone sent it to me in celebration of the birth of my Savior. And do you know what I thought? I thought, “That man’s worshiping with an instrument!” And then a whole bunch of other … Continue reading →

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It’s Snowing!

Posted on December 25, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Somewhere. Not here in Tuscaloosa, in the deepest of the Deep South. It hasn’t snowed much here in years. For readers in snow-challenged locations like mine, here’s a little electronic snow to help your Christmas cheer. (Your monitor is working … Continue reading →

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Church Growth: Being Nondenominational

Posted on December 24, 2007 by Jay F Guin

According the Thumma and Travis, only 34% of megachurches have no denominational affiliation. However, far more present themselves as nondenominational. Why? Denominational names carry with them preconceptions about style, theology, and worship formats. Megachurches want to be judged by what … Continue reading →

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“Tell Me a Beautiful Lie”

Posted on December 23, 2007 by Jay F Guin

I thought some of you might enjoy this website. My oldest son is working on a musical based on the Russian Civil War. The story wrestles with some questions important to Christians. The music is, I think, incredible. But you … Continue reading →

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