Who is this guy?
Welcome! I’m Dr. Ryan J. Pelton.
I’m a writer, ordained pastor (20+ years), and spiritual guide for writers, creatives, and leaders.
Now in my mid-40s, I’ve been obsessed with one big question:
"What does it mean to pay attention and be faithful in our generation?"
I attempt to live out this question through my work, relationships, and the tiny space I've been called to steward, in my corner of the universe.
Other highlights:
I married my high school sweetheart (married for 25 years), and have four children, and one dog (Milo).
I've written 20+ books (fiction and nonfiction).
I founded and pastored New City Church, Kansas City, Missouri, for 15 years.
I moved back to my hometown of Los Angeles, California, in the summer of 2024.
I host a podcast, The Art of Paying Attention.
I once placed seventh in the Junior Olympics for fencing (see photo above).
I love exploring these themes:
Learning to notice what God is doing in ordinary life. Essays on slowing down, seeing deeply, and cultivating presence in a distracted, noisy age.
O1. The Art of Paying Attention
O2. Faithful Attention in a Broken World
Living as people of grace and integrity in spaces shaped by power, politics, and performance. Reflections on what it means to follow Jesus with humility, courage, and consistency in daily life.
O3. Faith, Work, and Purpose
Integrating calling, vocation, and spiritual formation. Helping readers see their work—creative or corporate—as sacred participation in God’s renewal of the world.
O4. Creativity, Art, and Spirituality
Exploring the link between imagination, beauty, and faith. How art, writing, and creativity become acts of worship and resistance to despair.
O5. Servant Leadership
Rethinking leadership as the practice of presence, not power. Helping leaders, pastors, and creators cultivate influence rooted in love, humility, and character.
O6. Spiritual formation and direction
Recovering ancient and everyday practices that shape the soul. Personal and corporate habits for doing the slow and steady work of becoming more human.
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