Category Archives: Index

Organizing Your Church for Ministry, part 3: one model for deacons in a large church

Posted on April 15, 2007 by Jay F Guin

As you may have surmised, my own church, with attendance of around 700, has struggled with how to fit our traditional teachings on deacons into our ministry structure. We went through a period where the church was run through monthly … Continue reading →

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Organizing Your Church for Ministry, part 2: what do deacons do?

Posted on April 15, 2007 by Jay F Guin

We have taught for a century that a scripturally organized church has a plurality of both elders and deacons. However, we seem not to have noticed that the Bible nowhere says what it is that deacons are to do. As … Continue reading →

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Organizing Your Church for Ministry, part 1: how growth changes how churches are organized

Posted on April 15, 2007 by Jay F Guin

This series of posts is to suggest some ideas for how a church might be organized to do ministry. The fact is that as churches grow, they have to reorganize. Structures that work in a church of 200 likely won’t … Continue reading →

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A Covenant to Serve (for new elders)

Posted on April 14, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Some years ago, when I was first ordained as an elder, the elders asked me to read, sign, and keep a copy of this document. The years have proven the wisdom of asking new elders to do this. The Bible … Continue reading →

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A Theological History of Restoration Movement Thought, Part 0.5 (John Calvin)

Posted on April 12, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Until I change my mind, this will be the last post of this series. John Calvin, of course, died centuries before the founding of the Restoration Movement. And in many respects the Restoration Movement was a reaction against his teachings. … Continue reading →

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A Theological History of Restoration Movement Thought, Part 3.6 (“Raccoon” John Smith)

Posted on April 11, 2007 by Jay F Guin

I’ve mentioned “Raccoon” John Smith before. Smith was one of the most effective missionaries of the early Restoration Movement. He was not a prolific writer, preferring to spend his time on horseback, traveling from town to town preaching the gospel. … Continue reading →

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A Theological History of Restoration Movement Thought, Part 5.5 (James R. Graves)

Posted on April 11, 2007 by Jay F Guin

20th Century Church of Christ theology owes a great deal to James R. Graves, of Nashville. Graves was never a member of the Churches of Christ. Rather, he was a staunch opponent of “Campbellism.” However, the more conservative elements of … Continue reading →

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A Theological History of Restoration Movement Thought, Part 7.6 (Harding)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Jay F Guin

James A. Harding was a highly influential evangelist and a contemporary of Lipscomb, McGarvey, and Larimore. Harding may fairly be characterized as leading the charge to complete the division of the instrumental churches from the a cappella churches. Daniel Sommer … Continue reading →

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A Theological History of Restoration Movement Thought, Part 7.5 (McGarvey & Larimore)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Jay F Guin

Two famous Restoration personalities of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries reveal an attitude toward disagreements on doctrinal matters that is highly instructive. J. W. McGarvey is considered by many to be the greatest intellectual of his age within … Continue reading →

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A Theological History of Restoration Movement Thought, Part 3.5 (Walter Scott)

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Jay F Guin

One of my readers prevailed on me to add a section on Walter Scott (not the Sir Walter Scott famous for being included in the Authors card game). Scott is of near-equal importance to the founding of the Movement as … Continue reading →

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