Celebration 10 Years of The Lord’s Faithfulness
“It feels my heart so happy!”
That is a famous family quote from our son, Bennett, from when he was three years old, watching snow fall. It’s also my sentiments about our gathering in April when more than 100 supporters, partners, and ambassadors came out to celebrate The Good Story turning 10! We could not have envisioned a moment like this at the start of our journey. The evening's theme was “Faithful in Every Season,” and each event element reflected how we have witnessed God’s faithfulness. Ryan and I presented an overview of the current communication landscape, obstacles, and challenges that missionaries and international ministries face. In this age of rapidly changing technology, people's expectations are high and complex for how they want to be communicated with. Couple that with the sheer volume of digital information consumed daily, and you have a disastrous recipe for disconnection or, at best, superficial engagement. The Good Story steps into this tension, helps demystify the landscape, and offers vital hope and equipping.
We played a game called “Where in the world has The Good Story served?” where guests had to try and match an alphabetical list of the 71 countries representing the locations of the 1600+ missionaries and 40+ nonprofits we’ve served this past decade to a map we projected on the screen. We then moved on to the main event, the film, “Faithful In Every Season,” created by Matt McNeill, our longest-serving (and 1st!) ambassador, from Plano, Texas. He put more than 100 hours into making this film, exemplifying the selfless nature of all our ambassadors. Telling our back story and 10 years of ministry in just 30 minutes is astounding. We would be honored if you watched this beautiful film. (BELOW) Or as Ryan said after the film, “I think we can all see this film was not only a journey of The Good Story but a journey of my hair.”
Brian Morykon opened the evening with the song “Find Me” by Jonathan Helser. The chorus echoes what our hearts have desired each day we have had the privilege of pioneering this ministry.
“Find me grateful, find me thankful, find me on my knees. Find me dreaming, find me singing, find me lost in your grace.”
10-year booklets were handed out to each guest
Faithful In Every Season
Ambassador Matt McNeill spent over 100 hours creating this Ebenezer stone of a film documenting the first decade of The Good Story, along with the founders, Ryan and Kelly Portnoy’s personal journey, which ultimately led them to start The Good Story. This has been a long journey marked by God’s faithfulness at every turn and the ups and downs of pioneering a ministry from the ground up.
Each table had prayer cards of missionaries we’ve served who are currently on the field and information cards with all the non-profit ministries we’ve served. We exist to uphold, support, train, and supply this community. We wanted to put faces, names, and ministries before our guests and collectively pray over these missionaries and ministries.
“This is my prayer, that you be filled with power.
Not the power to do all that needs to be done,
That will come, that will come.
But the power to know, in the depths of your soul.
What it is to be loved.
Really known and still loved.
By the Father through the Son,
Such a knowledge is too much.
May your heart be like a tree,
Rooted in the mystery,
Til you overflow with God.
This is my prayer, this is my prayer, this is my prayer.”
–Brian Morykon,
“This is My Prayer”