Last night Ryan, Joel, and I traveled to a small town outside of Urbana for them to speak and play at a 30 hour famine for a youth group. The kids were about 20 hours into their famine so we had fun talking about how good our Wendy’s was on the way in. Joel began by sharing his story he normally shares at school assemblies that deals with his own high school experiences. Then he was able to get into the spiritual part of what was going on his life at the time. Because there was no time limit for them, they ended up spending almost 2 hours sharing. I have been to many, many events, but I have to say that this was one of the best. I am always amazed that no matter how many events I go to, I still learn and am encouraged by Joel’s speaking and Ryan’s music. I am thankful that I get the chance to hear them as many times as I do. Not only did Joel and Ryan do a great job, but the crowd was obviously thirsty for the Truth and responded very well. There were around 10 that accepted Christ for the first time and around 30 that rededicated their life to Christ! Praise God that he is using Ryan and Joel to touch the lives of so many people!
Emily
Sunday, March 1, 2009
RealTime '09
Last weekend we got the chance to fly out to Kansas City, MO for FCA staff time. Every 3 years, they hold what is called “RealTime.” Rather than strict training, this weekend is a time for FCA staff and their spouses to be encouraged. They really poured into all of us—all 1000 of us and it was a very spiritually refreshing weekend. We stayed at the Hyatt in downtown KC and we got to listen to national speakers like Chip Engram and Leah Amico and hear and worship with award-winning Christian bands. We met people from all over the country that are faithfully reaching kids and adults through FCA. With Ryan and I being coaches (we coach cross country together and I coach track too if you didn’t know), we understand the influence you have with young athletes and the amazing opportunity to impact their lives. I left that weekend having a much greater appreciation for FCA and for all of the people that pour their lives into it every day for the sake of Christ.
Emily
Ryan and I at dinner...
All of Central Ohio FCA staff except Joel and Beth.
The first night they only had a smoking room available and our neighbors decided to have a late night smoke..... so this is what I woke up to Ryan doing at 2am!
The main stage...
Emily
Ryan and I at dinner...
All of Central Ohio FCA staff except Joel and Beth.
The first night they only had a smoking room available and our neighbors decided to have a late night smoke..... so this is what I woke up to Ryan doing at 2am!
The main stage...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Valentine's Day Dinner/Church Service
So for all 6 of you that are following this blog, I finally have an update! We had a substantial break in traveling/events from the end of January until mid-February. It has picked up again and will get crazy come March and April.
About a week and half ago, I got the opportunity to play dinner music and do a few songs at a Sweetheart Dinner. A good friend of ours pastors a church in Johnstown, a rural town northeast of Columbus, and this is an annual event he does for his people. With me playing during the evening, unfortunately, Emily was the only one without a sweetheart and was definitely the 5th wheel at her table. She's a real trooper.
Also, the church needed someone last minute to lead music worship for the next day's service. Emily and I got to come back the next morning to help and I even talked Em into joining me to lead a couple songs. The church is really cool. They meet at a high school, and Dan (our pastor friend) said there were a lot of people there for the first time, many of whom were unchurched. They have avoided making the Sunday service the strong focal point for their ministry. Instead, they do an awesome job of ministering to and reaching people during the week, where they are at. Please pray for Dan and Faith Fellowship as they grow. Pray that they would continue to preach the Gospel in words and action. Pray for the new believers at the church, as there are many who are finding their way in their new relationships with Jesus.
More updates coming very soon....
Ryan
About a week and half ago, I got the opportunity to play dinner music and do a few songs at a Sweetheart Dinner. A good friend of ours pastors a church in Johnstown, a rural town northeast of Columbus, and this is an annual event he does for his people. With me playing during the evening, unfortunately, Emily was the only one without a sweetheart and was definitely the 5th wheel at her table. She's a real trooper.
Also, the church needed someone last minute to lead music worship for the next day's service. Emily and I got to come back the next morning to help and I even talked Em into joining me to lead a couple songs. The church is really cool. They meet at a high school, and Dan (our pastor friend) said there were a lot of people there for the first time, many of whom were unchurched. They have avoided making the Sunday service the strong focal point for their ministry. Instead, they do an awesome job of ministering to and reaching people during the week, where they are at. Please pray for Dan and Faith Fellowship as they grow. Pray that they would continue to preach the Gospel in words and action. Pray for the new believers at the church, as there are many who are finding their way in their new relationships with Jesus.
More updates coming very soon....
Ryan
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Record Booking Week & Prayer
Last week was a great week from a booking standpoint as we were able to schedule 14 new events. Praise God for that. I'm not sure, but that has to be some sort of record in our short existence as a ministry. Please pray that the bookings continue to come in and that we continue to work hard - and smart - at that process.
Quick story about that, a good friend of ours e-mailed me on Wednesday last week and asked how he could pray for us. I told him to pray specifically for bookings. That day we scheduled 9 events. Like our earthly fathers, I know that sometimes God answers our requests by saying "no" or "later" and not always "yes", but we will never know unless we ask. Might as well ask, right? And if we end by submitting our will to the will of God, it makes it easier to accept whatever answer He gives. Because no matter what His answer is, it is always the right answer. The more we do that, I believe, the more our will and desires will grow closer to the will and desires of our Father.
I thank God for our faithful friend, and for all of you who are supporting us through prayer.
-Ryan
Quick story about that, a good friend of ours e-mailed me on Wednesday last week and asked how he could pray for us. I told him to pray specifically for bookings. That day we scheduled 9 events. Like our earthly fathers, I know that sometimes God answers our requests by saying "no" or "later" and not always "yes", but we will never know unless we ask. Might as well ask, right? And if we end by submitting our will to the will of God, it makes it easier to accept whatever answer He gives. Because no matter what His answer is, it is always the right answer. The more we do that, I believe, the more our will and desires will grow closer to the will and desires of our Father.
I thank God for our faithful friend, and for all of you who are supporting us through prayer.
-Ryan
Penton's Progress
Just wanted to let you know that Joel and Bethany send out a monthly e-newsletter to keep people informed on the happenings of the ministry from their perspective. They write about some different things than what we post here. Feel free to sign up to receive the Penton's Progress by clicking here.
-Emily
-Emily
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
YouTube Follow Up Videos
After each of the outreach events we do, we send out e-mails to encourage people that made first-time decisions or rededications to Christ. We also send out a 5-course Bible study for new believers, with a section going out each week for 5 continuous weeks. To beef up those efforts, we are in the process of shooting short videos to go along with each part of the study. We used Joel's handheld Flip cam and intentionally tried to create the YouTube (informal and intimate, kind of unprofessional) feel. Click here to watch the first one we've done. It is the lead-in video to the 5 study/video series. Any feedback you have would be great. Just leave a comment here on the blog.
Blessings,
Ryan
Blessings,
Ryan
Monday, January 19, 2009
A New Birth
We have some good news! After 23 hours of labor (yes, 23!), Joel Stephen Penton III was born on Saturday at 2:03pm. We got the chance to visit Joel, Bethany, and baby Joel yesterday at the hospital. Mommy and baby are both doing very well. Please pray for the Penton family as they begin this new phase in their lives.
We can't wait to babysit!
-Emily
Thursday, January 15, 2009
JP3
Joel and Bethany are expecting their first child, Joel III, and they are going into the hospital on Friday. It is actually about a week overdue at this point. Please pray for a healthy baby and a smooth delivery process. We'll keep you updated!
Ryan
Ryan
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Worship Chapel
Today I braved the snowy roads to be in Canton at Heritage Christian School (good thing Em wasn't with me - let's just say she doesn't do well on the roads when there's even a slight possibility of snow and ice). It's a small school, with only about 125 students in grades 6-12. Last year they had Joel and I to do a chapel. This year they invited me back to do a full chapel of just music. We followed Isaiah 6:1-8 (one of my favorite passages; read it if you can) to help guide our worship.
Because so much of the ministry we do is geared towards unchurched people, we intentionally stay away from doing corporate praise and worship music at our outreach events. Let's just say that a kid wearing black makeup that smokes pot and listens to Marilyn Manson probably wouldn't be cool with singing "Shine, Jesus, Shine." Seriously, though, I miss having opportunities like this chapel when we can get together with a group of believers and just praise God through singing. Pray that these students can continue to fall in love with Jesus and have a genuine desire to worship Him - in singing, and more importantly, with their lives.
P.S. Sorry, no pics today. We hope to include them in future posts.
-Ryan
Because so much of the ministry we do is geared towards unchurched people, we intentionally stay away from doing corporate praise and worship music at our outreach events. Let's just say that a kid wearing black makeup that smokes pot and listens to Marilyn Manson probably wouldn't be cool with singing "Shine, Jesus, Shine." Seriously, though, I miss having opportunities like this chapel when we can get together with a group of believers and just praise God through singing. Pray that these students can continue to fall in love with Jesus and have a genuine desire to worship Him - in singing, and more importantly, with their lives.
P.S. Sorry, no pics today. We hope to include them in future posts.
-Ryan
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Blog Debut
Welcome to the official blog for me (Ryan) and Emily and our minstry with Joel and Bethany Penton through FCA! We decided this was the most effective, cost-efficient, and personal way for us to keep you updated with what's going on in the ministry. We will, from time-to-time, post things that the Lord is teaching us in our own walks with Him, in hopes of encouraging you. However, the primary purpose for this blog is to share with you how the ministry is impacting the lives of others.
We promise to update the blog at least once a month, but the goal is to post shorter updates as they happen. I think we find that monthly newsletters can become long, and frankly, sometimes hard to get through (at least for me). So hopefully this encourages you to check back often.
With this first post, we thought it would be best to share the background of the ministry. Even though most of you probably know what we do, here it is for those who don't...
My Story
I joined staff with Central Ohio FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in June of 2007. I was brought on to work exclusively with my good friend, Joel Penton, who was already on staff as a full-time speaker. Not only was I put in charge of the ministry’s business operations, but I also got the opportunity to travel to events with Joel and share my music. We decided our mission would be focused on reaching unchurched students for Christ. Thus, I spent much of my time scheduling public school assemblies and working to set up corresponding evening outreach events for each assembly.
A Successful 2007-08 School Year
By God’s grace and through a lot of hard work, we got the 2007-08 school year filled up with speaking opportunities. We presented at 165 assemblies and were able to set up 30 evening outreach events. At these events, students from the assemblies were invited back and we boldly shared the Gospel, many times to an audience that was largely unchurched. We know of nearly 600 who indicated they accepted Jesus for the first time and many more that made a recommitment to Him at last year’s events.
Moving Forward
We are continuing to do assemblies and events this school year. We've had some amazing opportunities and we are excited for what the future holds. Please pray for new opportunities for us to share the Gospel.
Blessings,
Ryan
We promise to update the blog at least once a month, but the goal is to post shorter updates as they happen. I think we find that monthly newsletters can become long, and frankly, sometimes hard to get through (at least for me). So hopefully this encourages you to check back often.
With this first post, we thought it would be best to share the background of the ministry. Even though most of you probably know what we do, here it is for those who don't...
My Story
I joined staff with Central Ohio FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in June of 2007. I was brought on to work exclusively with my good friend, Joel Penton, who was already on staff as a full-time speaker. Not only was I put in charge of the ministry’s business operations, but I also got the opportunity to travel to events with Joel and share my music. We decided our mission would be focused on reaching unchurched students for Christ. Thus, I spent much of my time scheduling public school assemblies and working to set up corresponding evening outreach events for each assembly.
A Successful 2007-08 School Year
By God’s grace and through a lot of hard work, we got the 2007-08 school year filled up with speaking opportunities. We presented at 165 assemblies and were able to set up 30 evening outreach events. At these events, students from the assemblies were invited back and we boldly shared the Gospel, many times to an audience that was largely unchurched. We know of nearly 600 who indicated they accepted Jesus for the first time and many more that made a recommitment to Him at last year’s events.
Moving Forward
We are continuing to do assemblies and events this school year. We've had some amazing opportunities and we are excited for what the future holds. Please pray for new opportunities for us to share the Gospel.
Blessings,
Ryan
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