We have an exciting announcement!
Focus on the Family has selected Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch to be their featured organization for the Adventures in Odyssey Club (AOC) during the month of September! The purpose behind the AOC is to introduce parents and their children to other like-minded Christian organizations and the impact they’re making through high quality audio dramas. The 30-minute audio episodes combine the faith lessons parents appreciate with characters and stories that kids love.
We’re thrilled to be featured in an episode that will be heard by over 19,000 families who are a part of the AOC. In the latest exclusive Club adventure, “Angels in Horsehair,” Whit & Renee travel to a horse ranch that reaches out to hurting kids through rescued horses and the love of God. Don’t miss this heartwarming tale of renewed hope and healing based on actual events in the ministry of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. Each Odyssey episode comes with a special video documentary and a set of activities, called Web Quests. The episode, documentary and activities will relate to or feature Crystal Peaks in some creative way.
The episode will be available online beginning September 1st, 2017. The club offers a free 14-day trial (no credit card needed) for families who are not members of the club and wish to listen in. You can sign up for the free trial and listen to the featured CPYR episode titled, “Angels in Horsehair” by clicking here.
In addition, we have created a kid friendly landing page for the CPYR website. This special page invites kids from the Adventures in Odyssey Club to explore our website and learn more about the heart behind the ministry. If you would like to visit this special page, click here.
For those of you who’ve been around the ranch for a while and for those who happened across this post, we have exciting news!
This year, Crystal Peaks is participating in #GivingTuesday! Being only a three year old program, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving, designed to provide a place for people to give back to their community by donating to the organization or project of their choice. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.), Giving Tuesday will take place on November 29th this year.
A few years ago Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch was gifted the resources to purchase the ranch property located across the street from the main ranch. This tremendous gift has afforded us the opportunity to expand what Jesus is doing in and through this place. Since that day, we’ve been seeking the Lord in how best to utilize the many facets of the new 51-acre property. One of the most exciting aspects of adding this property to the Crystal Peaks campus is the 70-year-old dairy barn. It stands beautifully placed on the property.
In His goodness, the Lord has provided us this space to invest in a larger meeting hall. Perfect for remodel, our strategic plan is to turn this 70-year-old barn into a Conference Center we will call the “Big Barn Conference Center.” Our project team has formulated a plan for the remodel and the design will safely accommodate up to 400 people! We share all this information in hopes that you will join us in becoming a part of this project.
We would like to invite you to choose Crystal Peaks this #GivingTuesday and donate to the restoration of the Big Barn. Help us transform this old dairy barn into a beautiful conference center!
Follow this link to hear the heart behind this project and for more information on how you can help!
By Katherine Teague
Since its birth, the journey of the ranch has been one of dependency on the Lord. Each year the story continues to unfold as the Lord carries forth His gracious work in and through us. Everything Crystal Peaks stands for has come from God’s merciful guidance—and we are so thankful for each challenge and victory He has used to shape us and keep us clinging fast to His Truth.
Seven years ago, we created our first promotional video to share the heart of Crystal Peaks as intimately as possible with those who could not come here in person. SO MUCH has happened since. New horses, new people, new clinics, new property—the never ending story of the hope that can only come from Jesus Christ continues. And we are thrilled to announce that this year we have been working with a few extremely talented local artists, Benjamin Edwards (Benjamin Edwards Photography), Tiffany Lausen (Red Owl Photography), and Paul Powers (White Knuckle Studios) to produce a brand new promotional video!
The video will include footage of our programs, interviews with Troy and Kim, staff, volunteers and ranch families. But more than just sharing stories and scenes, our desire through this endeavor is to share the Hope of Christ.
Our story is not our own—the Lord is the author of every detail. Redemption, rescue, renewal—these are the things our Savior is about. Through CPYR’s journey these last 20 years, His Truth has reigned in our mission: we have no hope to offer the families and kids who come other than true hope that can be found in Christ alone.
The release date for our new promotional video is set for January 2015. Look for an announcement to come with further details, and join us in sharing this beautiful true story of redemption and hope.
By Katherine Teague
When not at the ranch, Kim and Troy are often traveling the country speaking at conferences, schools, churches and other ranches. Ultimately, through each venue, they are able to share what is core to Crystal Peaks’ mission: the hope of Jesus Christ. Last week, Kim had the unique opportunity to spend time in Kentucky, speaking and interacting with students at Asbury College, as well as The Providence School (a local alternative middle and high school) in Jessamine County. The Lord was powerfully at work.
Below is a link to an article written for Central Kentucky News. We encourage you to read it to learn more details about Kim’s visit and the incredible impact it had on students, teachers and community members. Kim’s message addressed what characterizes all of humankind: everyone is searching for hope—even if they do not know it. That hope—as she shared from her own life experience—can only be found in its fullest fruition in Jesus Christ. The message landed on soft, tilled ground. We praise God for what He’s doing in Kentucky and pray for His continued movement in and redemption of hearts and lives.