Press Release: New Tour Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



Justin Ryan Announces New “I’ve Been There" Tour

Nashville, TN -  Christian recording artist Justin Ryan has announced that he will launch a new youth-inspired concert series in the Summer of 2011 called "I’ve Been There."

The concert tour is inspired by the overwhelming number of  youth suicides provoked by bullying and rejection in the past several years.

The tour, whose name is inspired by a Marsha Stevens-Pino song of the same title on Ryan’s 2006 Mosrite Records release Surrender, will share Justin’s own story of struggling with his faith in his teen years and how God’s love helped him overcome many obstacles to find acceptance within his church community and himself.

The Paducah, KY native grew up singing in churches in the South and at the age of 17  was rejected by his family and friends, who then turned their backs on him. It seemed that he had not only lost his immediate family, but also the church family he had acquired throughout his life. After losing sight of his music and God, and surviving a suicide attempt, Justin found himself and his faith again at the Metropolitan Community Church of Paducah.

Shortly after, legendary  evangelist and songwriter Marsha Stevens-Pino took Justin under her wing and reintroduced him to the world of Ministry. Since then Justin has dedicated his life to spreading the Word and love of God to other  communities and youth through his music and ministry.

“I am really looking forward to getting back on the road and having a chance to tell my story of coming out in a very small southern town,” Justin said. “These days, for youth especially,  being different can be very costly if you don’t have a network of support.”

An except from the song that inspired the tour helps to illustrate Justin’s message: “I felt the wounds, I kept the scars. I can meet them where they are. I can feel their pain cause I’ve been there.”

“I hope that through this tour more  marginalized youth will be able to discover that there are places in their communities that they can turn to if they’ve been bullied or if they feel like no one cares. I was one of the lucky ones to have discovered that there was a loving community of accepting Christians and to know that the God that I thought had forgotten me was really there all along,” Justin stated.

The first leg of the tour will kick off on May 22, 2011 in Pittsburgh, PA at the MCC Pittsburgh.

Justin plans to visit MCCs, UCCs and other affirming churches throughout the rest of the year and spread his ministry’s message of survival, hope and God’s love.

For more information on adding your church to the tour email Justin@JustinRyanOnline.com. For more information on the “I’ve Been There Tour” and Justin’s ministry visit www.justinryanonline.com.

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"I've Been There" Live