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Jay Payleitner

Jay Payleitner spent a decade in major market advertising. Learning how people think and doing some fun work. Including creating TV spots for Midway Airlines, Kroger, and Corona Beer. And heading up the creative team that named "SunChips."

But God called him into Christian media. And he became an almost-too-busy freelance producer. For more than a decade, Jay scripted and produced Josh McDowell Radio, Today's Father, Jesus Freaks Radio with TobyMac and Michael Tait, Project Angel Tree with Chuck Colson, and thousands of hours of radio that aired across the country and beyond.

Jay is a long-time affiliate with the National Center for Fathering and nationally-known motivational speaker for Iron Sharpens Iron, marriage conferences, men's retreats, women's events, writers' conferences, and weekend services.

Jay has sold more than half million books including the bestselling 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad and What If God Wrote Your Bucket List? His latest -- and perhaps most important release -- is The Jesus Dare.

This June, Waterbrook/Multnomah is releasing the surprising book, The Prayer of Agur.

Jay's books have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Afrikaans, Indonesian, Slovenian, Polish, and Russian.

He has been a guest multiple times on The Harvest Show, 100 Huntley Street, Moody Radio, Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, Cornerstone TV, and Focus on the Family.

Jay and his high school sweetheart, Rita, live in the Chicago area where they’ve raised five great kids, loved on ten foster babies, and are cherishing grandparenthood.


“The controlled freak-out is a beautiful thing. (Ephesians 4:26)”
Jay Payleitner
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“Life is a gift and a challenge.”
Jay Payleitner
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