Meet the Team: Michael Guyer

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better.

Tell us a little about your bio (studies, work experience, family, etc.)

I am originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas. I came to know Christ as a teenager in high school. God began changing my life and giving me new desires for him that I never could have imagined. One of those desires was to serve him in full-time ministry. That desire took me to college at Liberty University. It was in college that I met my wife. I graduated a year before she did and moved to Dallas, TX. In that year, I convinced her to move to Dallas when she graduated. In what was unplanned by us but definitely God’s plan at work, we ended up moving to Wake Forest, NC four months after Emily moved to Dallas. God provided a job at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and shortly after we arrived we connected with Open Door Church. During our time at Open Door, Emily and I grew as a couple, were invested in by other godly couples, and were married on March 5, 2011. Our daughter, Amelia Ruth, was born on October 30, 2013. It has been an incredible journey welcoming her into our lives. We are loving being parents, serving together in ministry, being a part of community at Open Door, and reaching others with goods new of Jesus Christ.

In addition to the serving as the Generation LINK Raleigh Area Director, I serve as the Minister to Students at Open Church. I have the joy of investing in middle and high school students as well as college students. Before coming on staff at Open Door, I worked in the president’s office at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I served in various intern roles throughout college and my first years of seminary at churches in Arkansas and Texas. Outside of ministry my most interesting job was my first job as a door-to-door newspaper salesman for the Northwest Arkansas Morning News. Residents couldn’t resist my charm and good looks.

I  completed my undergraduate degree at Liberty University and an M.Div from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I am currently working on a PhD in Biblical Studies at Southeastern. I desire to serve the church by helping God's people understand their mission and carry it out in this world. I am excited to be a part of equipping the next generation of disciple makers through the local church.

What does Generation LINK look like at your church/location?

Currently, we are in the beginning stages of developing the full potential of Generation LINK at Open Door. We currently have one GLINK Resident—Paul Whitfield—who is being equipped and serving on our staff at Open Door. Paul functions as a church planting resident and serves primarily under our Lead Pastor, Dwayne Milioni. Paul has and is helping us establish a pattern and plan for training and equipping future missionaries, church planters, church planting team members, and pastors. We are looking to add both male and female GLINK residents in the coming two to three years. Generation LINK functions in two primary ways at Open Door: 1) an initial equipping and service opportunity for seminary and post-undergraduate students who desire to serve the church in some capacity in the future (1-2 years) and 2) a capstone equipping opportunity for church planters and missionaries before they are sent out from the local church.

How have you seen God use Generation LINK in your location?

God has used Generation LINK in a number of ways at Open Door. Three significant ways are: 1) GLINK has strengthened our training and equipping strategy. 2) GLINK has opened up and deepened partnerships with other like-minded churches and church plants. The value of GLINK is measured not only by its impact within our own local church, but in relationship to the other churches we are able to serve through partnering together. 3) GLINK is allowing us to invest in future leaders, pastors, missionaries, and church planters in a strategic way. Open Door has been committed to this vision before GLINK came into the picture, but GLINK has allowed us to do this even more intentionally through the residency.

What excites you most about the future of Generation LINK?

I get most excited about the potential of training men and women for the sake of gospel, some of whom will be faithful church members and reach their communities with the gospel, others who will be pastors of established churches, and others who will be church planters to unreached and underserved cities and communities in North America and around the world. Generation LINK is the tangible vehicle for this actually coming to fruition. It allows us the opportunity to invest in those God has entrusted to us and is an invaluable opportunity for our residents to be equipped and sent.

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

This kind of question always makes me a little anxious because I either can’t remember some of the books I’ve read or I start think about all the books I wish I had read. Here are a few that I remember reading and that I am grateful for doing so:

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer. This book grounded by passion for sharing the gospel in the confidence of God’s sovereignty. Knowing God’s sovereignty should not dampen our passion to share the gospel, rather it should make us bold, patient, and prayerful. God taught me through this book that successful evangelism is being faithful to the gospel (both its message and its invitation) and trusting God with the response. In fact, in the process of writing this blog post, I had the opportunity to lead one of our students to Christ. I think I might just need to go back and read this one again!

Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. This book hit me like a ton of bricks when I read it. I probably underlined 80% of the book. I didn’t quite know what God was going to do with my life after I read it, but I knew I didn’t want to be counting seashells—I didn’t want to waste my life but I wanted to spend my life for the sake of the gospel among the nations. I think I read a few mission biographies around this time as well, which contributed to the work God was doing in my heart (John Paton by James Paton, Five Who Changed the World by Danny Akin, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Ruth Tucker). “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Downpour by James MacDonald. I’m not sure who gave me this book, but God used it and the biblical passages it walked through to teach me the true weight and offense of my sin and the nature and joy of repentance. I learned that repentance not only marked the beginning of the Christian life but characterized the entirety of it.

I commend any of these books to you, but know that their contents will not allow you to stay the same!

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

This is an interesting concept—free time. When I do get a little free time, I love spending time with my wife and our daughter. If I’m not spending time with them, I enjoy reading, a round of golf, hanging out with friends, going to a good coffee shop, and I even enjoy doing a little work around the house.

What is your typical coffee shop order?

If I am not feeling snobby—a grande black coffee from Starbucks with room for cream (but only because they fill the cup up so much that it spills over and burns my hand). If I am feely snobby and have a little extra cash, I go to the hipster coffee shops and usually order a pour over of some coffee that I can’t pronounce (typically, it’s from Africa).

Michael Guyer

Meet the Team: Josh Dorrity

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better. 

Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

I graduated from Clemson University in August, 2012 with a BA degree in Sociology and a Communication Studies minor.

What led you to do Generation LINK?

I've been involved in Crosspoint Church in Clemson since the 2nd week of my freshman year at Clemson. I've grown to love the local church and served in various areas such as Children's ministry, Student ministry, and College ministry throughout my time in undergrad. Coming into college, I knew I wanted to do something in ministry for my career such as getting a job with a ministry that puts on conferences and camps for middle and high school students, but as I began to serve in the student ministry at Crosspoint, I began to realize that I didn't want to only get to pour into students for a week or less, only to say goodbye to them and possibly never see them again; I wanted to invest in students for the long term. This desire led me to realize that God was calling me to youth ministry within the church.

I knew about Generation LINK because of all the time I spent at Crosspoint. It was birthed at Crosspoint and I got to witness some of the early stages of the program. I knew it would be a great way for me to serve on a church staff, continue to invest in students, experience Biblical community, and begin my theological training in seminary.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

I serve at Crosspoint Church in Clemson, SC. I primarily serve in student ministry, especially with the middle school-aged students. I also have a hand in college ministry as I co-lead a small group of college students.

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

Being able to invest in students. Not only do I see them 1-2 times a week when we meet, but G-Link allows me time to pursue them outside of our youth meetings. Going to watch their football games, going to eat with them after a Sunday night meeting, inviting them over to watch a movie, playing them in racquetball, etc. These times have opened up opportunities to connect with them and be able to discuss spiritual things on a more personal level, and it's been awesome! I've actually known the current 8th graders since they were in 4th grade and have seen them grow spiritually, and it's definitely going to be difficult to leave them when God calls me somewhere else.

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman

Sticky Faith by Powell and Clark

Romans by God/Paul.

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

I love playing Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, and Racquetball even though I don't get to play either as much as I did in undergrad unfortunately. I love just hanging out with friends during free time if possible; if I'm by myself, I like to watch tv shows (that have at least 3 seasons) on Netflix, Hulu, etc.

What is your typical coffee shop order?

I actually don't like coffee...which can be unfortunate at times. If I do go to Starbucks with others (and actually get anything), I usually get the Strawberries & Creme frappuccino. 

By: Josh Dorrity

Meet the Team: Joey Evans

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better. 

Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

I graduated from Clemson University in December of 2008 with a B.S. in Political Science. I graduated again from Clemson University in May of 2013 with a M.A. in Professional Communication.

What led you to do Generation LINK?

Since finishing undergrad, the Lord has slowly been growing within me a love for the local church. I've worked for parachurch organizations and came back to grad school with the desire to use a communications degree to serve/lead within a parachurch or non-profit organization. Over my time in graduate school, I completely fell in love with the local church and He worked within me a desire to use my gifts to serve there. I'm still processing those desires: does it look like vocational ministry? Lay leadership and service? Generation LINK gave me an opportunity to serve the church body I love - Crosspoint Church in Clemson- while being equipped for a life of ministry, whether it's in the local church or in the workplace.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

I serve at Crosspoint Church in Clemson. Within Student Ministry, I serve with a specific focus on high schoolers. I also serve with the Media and Publicity ministries at Crosspoint, giving oversight to Sunday morning media and then chipping in to meet any publicity needs that arise. 

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

I'm excited to see high school guys make their faith their own. Student ministry can be frustrating at times; you wonder if your students are listening or even care about what you have to say or what the Word says. As a student ministry team, our prayer of late has been that the Lord would move in our students' hearts to open their eyes to their need for Christ. We know that we cannot "persuade" our students to trust Jesus, to submit to Him, or to regard Him as Lord. We cannot persuade them to think about life from a Biblical worldview. We cannot give them discipline to seek the Lord. This is extremely humbling, but also absolutely thrilling. My greatest excitement toward student ministry is the excitement of knowing that God is completely capable of setting the hearts of my high school guys on fire for the Gospel.

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?
"Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life" - Donald Whitney
"A Gospel Primer" - Milton Vincent
The Letter to the Hebrews

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

I immensely enjoy anything active/competitive. Basketball is the all-time favorite, while racquetball is a recent hobby. I love being outside in creation and I delight in watching the seasons change. I have slept in my ENO more times than I can count. I think I'm becoming a better reader. I'm an avid coffee drinker, an avid Duke basketball fan, and a slightly less avid Atlanta Braves fan. I enjoy travel and exploring new places, but it's hard to beat an afternoon downtown in my hometown: Greenville, South Carolina.

What is your typical coffee shop order?

Grande dark roast with an inch of room and two raw sugars at Starbucks. Anywhere else, it's just black coffee.

By: Joey Evans

Meet the Team: Emily Schneck

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better.

Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

I graduated from Clemson University in May of 2013 with a bachelor of arts in architecture and a minor in history.

What led you to do Generation LINK?

During the fall of my senior year at Clemson I began thinking and praying about what God would have me do after graduating.  I had no desire to continue studying architecture or to pursue a career in the field, and therefore faced a lot of uncertainty as to what my next steps would be.  I had heard briefly about Generation LINK while attending Crosspoint, but became really interested in this opportunity as it was presented in the Connecting Point group that I was attending.  I was excited about the chance to serve full-time in the church and to pursue growth and discipleship with like-minded believers.  As God grew my desire to be a part of Generation LINK, He made it clearly evident that this is where He wanted me.     

Which location & what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

I serve in the family & children’s ministry at Crosspoint Church in Clemson.

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

I am most passionate to see children grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Gospel as they are consistently presented with the Truth.  I am excited to see children recognize their need for a Savior and dedicate themselves to a lifetime of serving and honoring Christ.

What books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

I enjoy running, finding new recipes & cooking healthy foods, doing craft projects, and almost anything outside (especially when it is warm!).  I love tea, both iced and hot, any kind of whole wheat bread, popcorn, and vine-ripe tomatoes.

What is your typical coffee shop order?

I’m not a coffee fan, so I don’t visit them frequently… but when I do, either hot tea or a smoothie.  

By: Emily Schneck

Meet the Team: Matt Jordan

   Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

    I graduated from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. I thought that I wanted to become a financial advisor so after I graduated I applied for many of those types of jobs but I never got an interview or anything so I had to take a job as a server to start paying bills.  

      What led you to do Generation LINK?

     What led me to Generation LINK was I realized that God had called me to ministry and that he was calling me to seminary. I had looked at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and really felt that that was where God wanted me to go. About that same time, a new friend I had met named Dustin Raley had told me about GLINK. He told me that they offer seminary training through SEBTS and that you could get hands-on experience as well. I then sat down with Russ Bennett who is a pastor at Cornerstone Church and he gave me a more in-depth summary of GLINK. I felt that this was what God wanted me to do and so I filled out my application and here I am.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

 Because I live in Myrtle Beach, I requested Cornerstone Church and Jeremy and Jenna allowed me to work here and it has really been a blessing. The staff and I get along very well and its a very fun workplace. I am involved in the youth and college ministry here at Cornerstone Church because that's where I have the most knowledge. I can relate to both college kids and youth because I was there not too long ago.

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

I am most excited about seeing the youth that I minister begin to grow in their faith. With kids its really tough for them to take things seriously but slowly and surely I have begun to see some fruit from this ministry and it really makes it all worth while.

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung has been my favorite read so far this year. Everyone struggles with what the future will hold and I definitely struggled with how I was supposed to fit in God's plan. Just Do Something really opened my eyes to how we figure out what are to do with our lives. And the best about the book is that is simple and to the point. You can read it in a day if you wanted.

My next favorite book will probably Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. It tells the story of 5 missionaries who gave everything for the sake of spreading the gospels to the nations. The setting is in the jungles of the Ecuador where the missionaries are trying to reach the violent waudoni people who have had very little contact with outsiders. These men eventually get speared to death in one of the meetings with the waudoni but the fruits of their labor is seen today in that there is a thriving Christian population there today.

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

Where do I start. Well first off I am an avid outdoorsman and anytime I go bowhunting or fishing I go. I grew up on a farm so I am no stranger to the country life. But I also like to play pretty much any sport that involves a ball. Its very fun and its also a great ministry tool. Lastly, my kryptonite is video games. If you would let me, I could play Call of Duty or Battlefield all day long. But don't thing nothing good come out of video games, because it is also a great ministry tool.

What is your typical coffee shop order?

I pretty much always stick with French vanilla. Many of my buddies drink it black but I have no shame in dropping a ton of French vanilla creamer in my coffee and turning it the color of my skin. I pretty much should ask, "Can I get some coffee with my creamer?"

Meet the Team: Josh Davis

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better. 

Where did you graduate from and what did you study?
I graduated from the great university of Clemson University. I studied Construction Science and Management with a minor in Business

What led you to do Generation LINK?
Ultimately Christ led me to do G LINK. When I first heard of Summer LINK I was like “ Yes, I want to do that” Through my first Summer LINK in Myrtle Beach, God led me to pursue full time ministry as a youth pastor. I then served on Summer LINK Boston 2012 and during my last semester at Clemson, I applied and was accepted to G LINK.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?
I am serving at Crosspoint Church in Clemson, SC. I serve in the Student Ministry and Kids Ministry.

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?
The opportunity to spend another year with my students, this year being my 4th year, and continue to build relationships and point them to Christ.

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?
“Humility” by CJ Mahaney, “Spiritual Disciplines” by Donald S. Whitney, and “Master Plan of Evangelism” by Robert E. Coleman

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?
I love just relaxing and spending time with friends, I like sports, soccer, football, ultimate Frisbee, racquetball, I just like being active. I’m also starting to enjoy reading more, which is surprising. And I always love a good cup of coffee and conversation.

What is your typical coffee shop order?
Large regular coffee, no sugar, just creamer. OR an Americano.

Meet the Team: Meghan Lowe

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better.

Where did you graduate from and what did you study? 

I graduated from The Ohio State University in May 2013 and studied International Studies, with a concentration 
in West European Studies. 

What led you to do Generation LINK?

I had the opportunity to do Summer LINK Myrtle Beach after my freshman year so I had an idea about 
Generation LINK. My senior year came around and the idea floated around in my head a little more. I was 
scared so I came to the conclusion that it wasn't for me and decided to go in a different direction. However, God 
had something else in mind. After He shut the door to something else, the fear that had led me to run was 
pointed out to me through a number of people. Just a week later the opportunity to do Generation LINK was 
presented to me again. I knew I could only run for so long and decided to take a step of faith and I haven't 
regretted it one bit. 

What areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

I serve with the college ministry at Crosspoint Church.

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

I love having the opportunity to lead a Bible study for freshmen girls. It has been such a joy getting to know 
them and to spend time in the Word with them every Wednesday night. On top of that, I love getting to meet 
with those girls one-on-one and talking about God together.

What 2-3 books have been most informative in your walk with Christ? 

• Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper
• Knowing God by JI Packer
• Follow Me by David Platt

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

I enjoy reading. I often have several books going at once. I also love to spend time in coffee shops, spend time 
with friends, travel, watch soccer and football, go to concerts... The list could go on and on. 

What is your typical coffee shop order?

It depends on the season and the coffee shop. If it happens to be winter time I love a good Gingerbread Latte. 
Otherwise, I'm pretty simple: black coffee. 

Meet the Team: Chad Ferrell

This post is part of a series called "Meet the Team" introducing you to our Generation LINK staff. We hope it will help you get to know Generation LINK staff members serving around the country a little better.

Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

I graduated from Appalachian State University in the Spring of 2007 with a Bachelor's of Science in Communication. I also have a M.Div. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

What led you to Generation LINK?

After graduating from seminary in December 2010, my wife and I were given an opportunity to serve a year in India with Generation LINK and our home church, Ridgecrest in Durham, NC. After our year in India we started pursuing church planting. Through our interest in church planting we decided to do a church planting residency through Generation LINK. 

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with Generation LINK?

I am at Crosspoint Church in Clemson, SC. I am a church planting resident. I serve on the college ministry team. I also lead our International Student Ministry. I have been able to serve with our international partnership in India. 

What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

One of the most exciting parts of my ministry is being able to interact with the elders at Crosspoint. I have been able to see a great example of plurality of elders at Crosspoint. I also have a great desire to see internationals reached with the gospel and am very excited about getting families within Crosspoint involved in the lives of the 1500 international students at Clemson University. I am excited about Crosspoint's desire to see churches planted internationally and nationally. 

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ? 

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Romans by the Apostle Paul 

Institutes by John Calvin 

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

I love spending time with my wife and son. I enjoy fishing, hunting, disc golf, anything outdoors. I enjoy a good book and a wonderful cup of black coffee. Another favorite thing to do is try new restaurants especially those that have been featured on the Food Network.

What is your typical coffee shop order?

Drip coffee, no room for sugar or cream. 

Meet the Team: Joel & Jennifer Smith

            Where did you graduate from and what did you study?

 Joel and I both graduated from Clemson University. Joel studied American Sign Language and I studied Special  Education.

             What led you to do Generation LINK?

 A year and a half ago, Joel got the opportunity and privilege of leading the SummerLINK team to Boston. We were engaged at the time, and while he was there, he kept telling me how much he enjoyed getting to know and learn from the leadership team at Redemption Hill Church. Over the summer, Joel grew a great respect for Tanner and John, the pastors of RHC and wanted to spend more time learning from them how they led their church. That summer, before I came to visit the SummerLINK team in Boston, Joel asked me to pray and consider if the Lord may be leading us to move to Boston. It was during my visit that the Lord made it clear that He was calling us to Boston. We spent time prayer walking through the city, and it was during that time that we felt the Lord leading us to move here. Generation-LINK provided the way for us to move to Boston, be trained theologically and equipped in ministry under the leadership of Redemption Hill Church.

Which location and what areas of ministry do you serve with through Generation LINK?

Joel and I serve at as College Ministry leaders at Redemption Hill Church in Medford, MA (Greater Boston).

 What are you most excited about in your area of ministry?

It is our prayer that these students would grow in their love of the Lord and commitment to His word, and zealously share the good news of Christ with other people on their campus and in their spheres of influence. We are most excited about seeing Christ exalted as students come to faith and grow in their love and knowledge of our Savior!

What 2-3 books have been most formative in your walk with Christ?

Well besides the Bible…  :) 

- “Death by Love” by Mark Driscoll (Joel)

-“Desiring God” by John Piper (Joel & Jen)

-“The Gospel Primer” by Milton Vincent (Jen)

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

Joel: Fishing & Camping

Jennifer: Anything outside, hiking, exploring New England, and talking with friends

·       

          What is your typical coffee shop order?

We both are pretty plain…just a coffee (but I leave room for cream and lots of sugar!)

By: Jennifer Smith