The Moose

I am incorporating some vlogging (like blogging, except it's "video" blogging) into the blog to spice things up a bit. It will be like a newspaper column that occasionally appears and it will be called "Ryan's Ramblings." Just click the play button on the box below. Enjoy the first installment...

Ryan's Ramblings: The Moose


The Moose in Trouble


Family pic with the Goose

Updated Follow Up System

We shared with you in a post from a couple months ago that we have been working on an updated video/email follow up system. It has been a long and time-consuming process, but as of a couple weeks ago, that new system is fully operational. In the past, when someone would attend one of our events and indicate a decision for Christ, we would send them an email a few days later with some helpful advice and links to various online resources. Beyond that it was up to the local ministries to follow up with that person. The new system attempts to extend the bridge from the event to people getting plugged into a local ministry as well as follow up with those who may be slipping through the cracks of the current system. Now all the positive contacts receive the initial email with some encouragement and resources as well as five more emails over the next five weeks walking them through five key concepts to help them in their new walk with Christ. Each email directs them to a video of Joel and me walking them through the concept as well as a PDF “On Your Own Study” that takes them deeper into Scripture. We currently have about 500 people from recent events working their way through the system and the feedback so far has been great. If you want a better idea of what we are doing, visit: http://www.joelpenton.com/undevelopedmaturity.html to view the last of out five follow-up videos. From that page you can also visit the pages from other weeks.

Ryan

Lorain County Tour/New Presentation

Joel and I recently spent 6 days in Lorain County, up near Cleveland, and we packed in 13 assemblies during that time. A county prevention group brought us in for the second year in a row to travel to many of the county schools. We also partnered with Heritage Chrisitian Church in Avon to hold an outreach event at the tail end of our time in the area. Kevin, the youth pastor, and Guy, a local businessman, helped make the events happen and were kind enough to be our roadies for a few days. We're still trying to coerce Guy into selling his company and forsaking six figures so he can come on the road with us. Don't think that's going to happen.

Since we had been to many of the same schools last year, we brought a new presentation for those assemblies. We had been trying all year to craft a second assembly presentation for repeat schools, but had yet to feel like we created something solid. However, I think we finally hit the nail on the head as we got a lot of positive feedback from administrators, teachers, and students at the schools where we did the new presentation. This is huge as we really feel confident in offering schools a legitimate follow up assembly if they bring us back.

Sharing the Gospel at a Catholic Church

Well, it's currently closing in on midnight on Wednesday night and we are only halfway home to Columbus (just passing through Van Wert) on a 4 ½ hour trip from Mattawan, MI. We'll get home at 2:00 a.m. and then have to leave at 5:45 for an 8:00 assembly south of Columbus. Yeah, about 3 hours of sleep tonight. On a brighter note, as I’m blogging, I'm lounging in the back of our 15-passenger beast of a van named the Moose, which I’ll highlight in a later post. Seriously, you should look forward to that one.

I want to share about a really cool event we got to do recently at St. Brigid of Kildare Church in Dublin, which is a Catholic church conveniently located about 10 minutes from our home. We presented to about 300 8th graders for their confirmation retreat. We don’t often get the opportunity to go to Catholic churches or schools, so we always jump at any chance we get. From what I gather, it’s rare that anyone outside of the Catholic Church gets this unique opportunity. We actually did the same event last year and were really grateful that the church invited us back. So for the second year in a row, we were able to talk with their confirmation group about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. Please pray that the seeds that were planted in these kids’ hearts would grow.

Ryan

Willoughby Middle School OSU Day

Greetings from Biggby Coffee Shop in Kalamazoo, MI! Joel and I are on the road again and will be for the next few days...

Comment From Reading, MI Event
First of all, here is an e-mail we received from a student that came to the outreach event at Reading HS which I blogged about yesterday:

“I have to confess the day you came to my school I was like 'great another speaker....better break out the MP3 player'...but when I heard you played for the Buckeyes, I was like, 'maybe this guy is actually cool'...So I listened, and really enjoyed the speech...so I went to the little gig down at Reading School. And words cannot describe what happened, I rededicated my life to Jesus, and for the first time in 2 years I picked up my Bible, blew the dust off, and read it.”

This is why we press on.

Willoughby Middle School OSU Day
A couple weeks ago we were at Willoughby Middle School in the Cleveland area for an assembly. The administration decided to make it "OSU Day", as some schools do for our assemblies. I must say they took it to a new level with things like OSU giveaways and a blow-up Brutus. All in all, it was definitely one of the better assemblies we have been a part of this year. Be sure to watch the video at the bottom and make sure your speakers are up.

Ryan


Joel and his helmet.














The sea of red for OSU day.











I think Brutus could take Joel.




















Students at nearby Willowick MS where we also did an assembly.











No words needed.

Reading, MI Assemblies & Outreach

A few weeks ago we ventured up north to Reading, MI which is in Hillsdale County, just north of the OH/MI state line. We thought you couldn't get more podunk than our hometown of Van Wert....that is until we went to Reading. The whole county is pretty rural, and Reading is literally in the middle of nowhere.

We did 2 assemblies - 1 at Reading HS and 1 at nearby Camden-Frontier HS. Then we held an outreach event for both schools at Reading HS. We partnered with a ministry called Crossroads Farm which is a youth ministry based in Reading dedicated to reaching the rural youth Hillsdale County. They have an awesome ministry and we truly felt like we were simply coming alongside their already-existing ministry, rather than just coming in and doing our own thing.

184 students filled out response cards at the end of the outreach, 59 of whom indicated they had no church home. Of the 184 people, 102 indicated they rededicated their life to Christ and 39 indicated they made a first-time commitment to Jesus. More good news is that Crossroads was, far and away, the most equipped for follow up of any group at any outreach we have done. They were prepared to personally follow up with each student that made a decision to give each a chance to get plugged in and grow in their relationship with Jesus. Praise God for what He did in Reading! Please pray for the students that attended and heard about Jesus, and pray for Crossroads in their ministry and specifically the follow up efforts to this event. Enjoy the pics...

Ryan


Some of the Crossroads kids sporting their Stand Your Ground shirts.














I stole this idea from Attaboy (thanks guys). We bring up a few kids to bang on random percussion instruments during the tail-end of one of my songs. It is pretty cool if they get crazy. Plus it's as close as I ever get to having a band. Kind of sad.














We did a Halo-themed Nerf gun war that actually served as an illustration for later on in the event.














Joel and one of his fans.














Me talking with a dude. He was cool and reminded me of Carrot Top. Remember Carrot Top, that real skinny dude? Yeah, I googled him for the heck of it and look what I found....check this crazy stuff out.

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Joel and I recently got the chance to get out of the Midwest to go to Fort Walton Beach, FL. Joel won a national award called the Danny Wuerffel Trophy his senior year at OSU. The organization that gives the honor is based in Fort Walton Beach and they invite all past winners back each year for the award ceremony. Since Joel is in the area each year for the ceremony, we always try to book an event, and this year was no exception. I got to go with him this year and we did a youth event at a local church in FWB.

The event went well, and there were about 200 kids there. At our events, we don't usually get to spend a bunch of time just hanging out with people, but we had a lot of free time after the event. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings with Matt, the youth pastor of the church, and a bunch of his students and had a great time hanging out and stuffing ourselves with wings. It was great to do some ministry in a new area, plus it's always nice to go somewhere where it's not so frickin cold.

-Ryan

Me, Joel, and the lone Ohio State fan. God help her down there.

The dudes and ladies of Trinity UMC in Fort Walton Beach.

Joel with Danny Wuerffel, past winners, and '09 recipient Tim Tebow.