Tim Strickland has been influenced by Promise Keepers, John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart and Robert Lewis’ Raising a Modern Day Knight and video series Men’s Fraternity: The Quest for Authentic Manhood.

Attending Promise Keepers events in the late 90s and early 2000s and Wild at Heart retreat in Colorado in mid 2000s, Tim’s calling to invest in men’s ministry was cemented.  Having a young son at the time, Tim began coaching youth sports and volunteering in his son, Taylor’s Boy Scout troop as a way to support and guide youth.  Eventually he led Middle School Boys groups at church which led to weekends called “Boys to Men”.  These events were for 8^th grade boys coming out of Middle School about to launch to High School.  They were born out of multiple experiences Tim had participated in from the church, sports and the Boy Scouts “crossing over” ceremony.  Tim’s love for this age group enters its 21^st year as he continues walking middle school fathers through Robert Lewis’ Raising a Modern Day Knight.  Tim attributes his calling to start Christ in the Smokies in the Smoky Mountains, a call from the Spirit to leverage how God intends to work in the lives of men.  Christ in the Smokies has been hosting “Passage to Manhood” camps since 2018, adding “Going Inward Moving Onward” and “Way of Wisdom” camps over the years. Click here to see all camps.

Christ of the Smokies is served by a band of brothers that are committed to helping men succeed in walking the masculine journey.  They all have invested a good portion of their lives in student and men’s ministry bringing each of their unique gifts for God’s use.

Mission Statement

Walking alongside men to live out their true purpose in Christ throughout the masculine journey.

Our Story

Some of Tim Strickland’s earliest memories were of times he spent on the baseball or football field with his dad coaching his teams. The impact of a close relationship with his father and of being part of a team helped shape the way he looked at life. When he himself became a father, the calling to men’s ministry was undeniable, although it would begin with coaching his son and other boys just as his dad had done with him. In 2015, Tim and his son Taylor were invited to and attended Christ in the Rockies.

Sharing that special time with his son and seeing how it was impacting other fathers and sons, Tim began talks with Mike Haddorff about bringing Christ in the Rockies to the Smoky Mountains so more fathers and sons could share in the experience. In 2016, a tragic accident claimed Taylor’s life, and while the Lord had been leading Tim to pursue Christ in the Smokies, he and his wife Toni knew the time had come. Christ in the Smokies held its first Passage to Manhood camp in 2018 and does so annually, adding “Going Inward Moving Onward” and “Way of Wisdom” camps over the years.

Check out Christ in the Smokies adventures for the upcoming year.

Christ in the Smokies is a tax-exempt organization governed and operated by a board of directors, and its volunteers.   Their purpose is to, meet as the body of Christ, and offer Christian-based adventures and teachings that equip men to walk together, follow the authority of Scripture, and fulfill their God given roles of service and leadership within their families, the Church and communities.