This past year at Pigeon Forge we did our first mission project experiment called Mission:Grand and it was a great success! Over a hundred students represented Christ by spending their free time serving both the hotel staff and the guests that they don’t even know and may not ever meet. They worked so hard that all of our projects were finished in about half of the allotted time!

For those that attended this past winter we are certain that God worked through the music, words, and talents of Dave Edwards, Ben Glenn, and Micah Watson. We consider it a privilege that we had the opportunity to minister alongside these great men of God. We sincerely hope that each person who attended had a God-centered experience and we would love to see each of you back next year anticipating God’s continued work in your life.

Thanks to Robbie for consistently delivering high quality shirts at affordable prices for ministries like us. I can’t wait for you all to grab your shirts at this winter’s conferences which are right around the corner!

Mike grew up in the small town of Elgin, Oklahoma. His father was a full-blood Cherokee and his mother was Comanche and Kiowa. Though he comes from a proud Native heritage, his family was ravaged by alcohol and drug addiction. As a “teenage mom,” Mike’s mother was in and out of his life and would eventually pass away at the age of 40 due to an alcohol related illness. Mike’s father was completely absent from his life.

Through all of the turmoil, pain and abandonment, there was hope. God put people in Mike’s life that would love him unconditionally and model the love of Jesus Christ for him. It was that love and example that would lead him to give his life to the Lord on November 1, 1990.  It became clear to Mike that God had been with him through the storms of his life and that each and every circumstance was instrumental in shaping God’s plan for his life. Mike has been called to preach the love, hope and comfort that can only come from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Also, make sure you read up on our new Mission:Grand experience happening at Pigeon Forge this year. We even offer a special mission and worship opportunity for the first 100 people interested.

If you haven’t already checked out the new website now is your chance. This is the best source for registration information, event updates, and media from past conferences. You can also contact us directly from the site with any questions, comments, or words of encouragement.

We are also making a radical shift in our overall schedule/purpose at Pigeon Forge. We hope you will take advantage of this new opportunity to challenge your students to join us in serving the staff of The Grand Resort and the community of Pigeon Forge, TN.

Thanks to everyone who joined us this year at The EDGE 2010-2011! I’ll post pictures and write more later but for now let me just say that I hope God moved in your heart and the hearts of your students at this year’s conferences. He definitely worked through you in your gifts to Haiti–more on that later. For now, however… sleep!

We will keep posting updates here and Facebook. Please feel free to call or email with any questions or concerns.

I have been getting lots of calls and e-mails asking about our weather plan for The EDGE this weekend. First and foremost let me say that we value your group’s safety above all. We are a ministry–not a business–and we never want finances to prevail over the safety of your group.

At this point we have no intention of canceling the conference based on the information we have about the current and forecasted weather.

Starting this afternoon we will have people in Pigeon Forge at the venue who will be able to give us a first-hand account of the conditions. We will have more staff arriving in Pigeon Forge on Friday from middle TN, southwest VA, and northern KY. As long as we feel the conditions are safe for most people to attend we will still have the event.

We are responsible for making a decision on whether the overall conference happens but ultimately you are responsible for your own group’s travel.

If we decide that the best option is to cancel the event then we will work with you on refunds. Together we will decide the most fair option at that time. I hope we have built up enough of a relationship with you in the past for you to trust our ability to choose ministry first and to keep your best interests at heart.

If we decide to have the conference it is up to you whether it is safe for your group to attend. Obviously there is no way for us to keep up with road conditions in all cities but we hope to hear from many of you leading up to this weekend. Please call and/or email us with weather and road updates from your area. If you feel it is unsafe for your group to get to the conference we will work with you financially on a case-by-case basis. Please stay in touch with us as you enter into your decision-making process. We would rather be in communication with you from the beginning rather than only after your decision has been made. We may also be able to put you in touch with other groups in your area or groups who have driven through your area on their way.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope that everyone can safely attend this year’s conference. We are excited about what God has in store for The EDGE this weekend. Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything else between now and Saturday.

Thanks and God bless.