A Southern Baptist Church on Highway 80 in Haughton
Eastwood Baptist Church sits along Highway 80 East in Haughton, Louisiana, where the congregation has grown from humble beginnings into a multi-generational body reaching people across the street and around the world. The church's singular mission is "to make fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ who make disciples of Jesus Christ." That mission shapes everything from the Sunday schedule to the long list of small groups and outreach ministries available throughout the week.
The church describes itself as "a place where people from all walks of life find a spiritual connection to God through Christ, connect with His Word, and live out the faith that changed them by helping others find Christ." That conviction is lived out in a packed weekly calendar of Family Life Groups, children's ministry, student ministry, D.Groups, Celebrate Recovery, GriefShare, a community kitchen, and a foster closet serving families across Bossier Parish.
Meet Pastor Jason McGuffie
Lead Pastor Jason McGuffie is originally from Brookhaven, Mississippi. He gave his life to the Lord in January 2002 and surrendered to ministry later that same year. He and his wife, Jessica, met in high school and were married on June 1, 2002. Over the years Jason has served local churches as student pastor, associate pastor, teaching pastor, and lead pastor. He holds a BA, MA, DMIN, and PhD from Southwest Bible College and Seminary, all with a ministry focus.
Jason's stated objective is to live out the call God has placed on his life by spreading the gospel through preaching, teaching, pastoring, and personal evangelism through the local church. Jessica works as an RN, and together they are raising two children, Zach and Zoë. The family enjoys the outdoors, good food, and time together.
Sunday Mornings: Family Life Groups and Worship
The Sunday rhythm at Eastwood centers on two gatherings. Family Life Groups meet across the campus at 9:00 AM, with adult classes, children's classes, and teen classes running concurrently. These are age-graded groups where members study the Bible together, build friendships, and discuss recent sermons or a systematic study.
At 10:30 AM the whole church gathers for the Sunday Worship Service in the Sanctuary. The service lasts about an hour and is described as energetic with worshipful music and centered on the truth of God's Word. Before the service, guests are encouraged to grab a cup of coffee at the Selah Coffee Shop and meet new friends in the atrium area, where greeters help visitors find their way.
Current teaching is moving through a series called "Words Matter," working through passages in John, Deuteronomy, and Genesis. Recent series have walked through Romans ("The Rescuer" and "The Rescued"), 1 Peter ("Aliens"), 2 Corinthians ("Messy"), and topical studies on money, doubt, generosity, and second chances. Messages are posted to the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page for anyone who cannot attend in person.
The VIP First-Time Experience
Eastwood treats first-time guests as VIPs. Anyone planning a visit can fill out a First-Time Guest Form, and the team rolls out a few simple touches: preferred parking in the West Parking Lot near the Sanctuary, a personal guide to show them around, and a free gift waiting after the service.
Greeters are stationed at the entrances to help newcomers find the right room. The dress code is casual, and the church is "more concerned with meeting your needs and getting to know you than what you wear." After the service, a Welcome Desk is staffed by volunteers and team members who can answer questions, hear feedback, and help with next steps.
Parking and Where to Go on Sunday
Two parking lots serve the campus: the West Parking Lot near the Sanctuary and the East Parking Lot next to the Children's Building. Directional signs are posted along the drive to guide visitors to each area.
The Children's Building sits on the east side of the Sanctuary. Nursery through Preschool meets downstairs, while Kindergarten through 5th grade meets on the second floor. Kids in 3rd grade and older attend worship with their parents in the Sanctuary. Teenagers in 6th through 12th grade gather for Family Life Groups at 9:00 AM in the Youth Building, then join the rest of the church for worship at 10:30 AM.
Eastwood Kids: Birth Through 5th Grade
The children's ministry, led by Leaonda and her family, is built around three weekly touchpoints. At 9:00 AM children participate in Children's Life Groups, age-graded small group Bible studies. During the 10:30 AM worship service, Kids Worship is offered for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, with singing, an interactive Bible lesson, and game time.
On Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, TeamKID brings kids together for Bible memory games, application of Bible truths, missions videos, and activity-based learning. The goal, drawn from Deuteronomy 6:5-7, is to help families talk about God's commands at home, on the road, at bedtime, and in the morning.
Security is taken seriously: volunteers are background-checked, staff are well-trained, and a security team is on campus throughout the day. Leaonda has been involved in children's ministry for many years and surrendered her life to full-time ministry at 21. Her husband David and their four children, Erica, Darcie, Darla, and Drew, all serve alongside her.
Eastwood Students: 6th Through 12th Grade
Student Pastor Allen Goodwin leads Eastwood Students alongside his wife Lark and their three children, Annie James, John Calvin, and Russell Allen. Allen joined the team in 2023 after three years of ministry in the Atlanta area. A graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe (History major) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (Master's), he and Lark are happy to be back in North Louisiana.
Students meet on Sundays at 9:00 AM for Life Groups and at 10:30 AM for the full worship service. On Wednesdays, doors open at 5:30 PM, worship begins at 6:30 PM, and the night wraps up at 7:30 PM.
The student ministry also runs a strong slate of yearly events. Each spring the group takes a mission trip to Mission Arlington in Texas. Summer Camp is treated as a potential turning point in a student's walk with the Lord. Summer Mission Trips have reached as far as Mexico and the Czech Republic, and Discipleship Weekends every fall give students a chance to grow through DNOW events, conferences, or retreats. Serve Teams in food, media, worship, and outreach let students use their gifts on a weekly basis.
Family Life Groups: Mid-Size Sunday Communities
Family Life Groups are the church's mid-size small group option, meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM. They are designed so that "even though Eastwood can seem like a big place, the fastest way to make it feel smaller and more like home is to get connected." Members discuss recent messages from the pastors, study the Bible systematically, and build community around shared interests.
Current groups include The Bridge (18-25 young single adults), Anchored, Elevate, Journey, Family T.I.E.S., Gumbo, S.A.L.T., The Lighthouse, Circle of Friends (55+), Sonshine (women), Ladies of Faith (women), Living Beyond Ourselves (women 50+), and Joy (senior adult women). Groups meet in rooms across the main campus, identified by number (A100, A103, A200, and so on).
D.Groups: Reproducing Discipleship
D.Groups are the church's intentionally small, Christ-centered groups designed to take discipleship deeper. Most groups include three to five people of the same gender and meet weekly for about an hour, often in homes, coffee shops, restaurants, or offices.
Each gathering centers on a Scripture reading plan, personal time in God's Word, prayer, accountability, and honest conversation about the Christian life. Age diversity is welcomed, and the groups are considered "closed" once formed so that members can share openly. The hope at the end of every season is reproduction: each person prayerfully forms a new D.Group of their own, multiplying discipleship through the church and into the community.
Care and Recovery: Meeting Real Hurts
Eastwood's Care and Recovery ministries serve people across the region who are working through grief, addiction, foster care, hunger, and special needs. "It's OK to not be OK. Welcome to the club," the church's care page begins. "We all have issues and we all have seasons of life that are difficult. But we don't have to stay there."
GriefShare provides a safe place for all ages to process the hurt and loss caused by the death of a family member, friend, or loved one.
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step program that launched in Haughton through Eastwood. It addresses hurts, hang-ups, and habits including co-dependency, pornography, addiction, eating disorders, anger, depression, abuse, same-sex struggles, grief, anxiety, and more. Sylvia Bonacci leads the ministry, and staffed childcare is available from 5:30 to 8:30 PM for children from three months through 5th grade.
The Kitchen opens the church's facilities to provide weekly free meals for families and individuals in the community who are in need.
The Foster Closet bridges the gap when foster families receive last-minute placements. The closet stocks clothing, shoes, car seats, bedding, diapers, formula, toiletries, toys, and other essentials, all available free of charge. Donation items can be dropped off at the Children's Ministry Building, and an Amazon Wish List is available online.
Vision Gathering is a mission church within a church for adults with mental challenges and special needs, providing a place to worship and serve.
Becoming a Member: New Member Class
For those ready to take a next step, the church offers a New Member Class. Newcomers are invited to a special breakfast held in their honor, where they learn what the church believes, how it operates, and where to get involved. Sign-ups are available online.
Giving and Stewardship
Eastwood teaches that God calls his people to be responsible stewards of their finances, families, marriage, work, and health, and that when he is first in those areas, blessings follow. Tithes and offerings fund a unified budget that supports day-to-day operations, local outreach, and missions, with hundreds of thousands of dollars directed each year to ministries and mission work in the community and around the world.
The church quotes Malachi 3:10 on the principle of tithing and 2 Corinthians 9:7 on cheerful, willing generosity. Giving can be done online through the church's giving portal, by mail, or in person during services.
Stay Connected During the Week
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Visitors and members are welcome to reach out by phone at 318-949-9433 or by email to ministry leaders. A mailing list signup is available for anyone who wants to receive updates on events, ministry announcements, and news from Eastwood.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Casual dress, friendly greeters, preferred parking, a personal guide, coffee in the atrium, an hour-long worship service, and a free gift at the Welcome Desk. Children from birth through 5th grade can be checked into secure, age-appropriate programming, and students in 6th through 12th grade have their own Sunday morning group. Small groups are easy to find, ministry needs are easy to plug into, and the church's care ministries extend well beyond Sunday morning for anyone walking through a hard season.