Christmas Prayer

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Come with open ears, open minds, and open hearts. Come to receive the blessings God has in store for us this Christmas season.

Pray:

God of hope and encouragement,

I come in the midst of this season of busyness and preparations:

to find a time and space to slow down, to reflect on what my true preparations should be.

I need to prepare my heart to receive the gifts of love and hope.

I need to prepare my mind to focus on your promise that a messiah will come and nothing will be the same.

I need to prepare my spirit: to praise God for prophecy, promises, and preparation;

to find hope and encouragement;

to find peace and joy.

Amen.

Professional Entertainment- Personal Experience

We do not have to orchestrate moments to pontificate about the "commercialization of Christmas;" instead God beckons us to come to the party. Even in the hustle and bustle of this season we still find God's presence around us. Have you personally discovered the joy of this season? Can you sing with a sincere heart "... joy to the world, the Lord is come!"? Relax, join the celebration!

(Below is an article written for Dollywood Employee's by Chaplain Joey Buck)

At Dollywood we celebrate the sights and sounds of Christmas for two months! This transformation has astonished me. With this being my first year serving as Chaplain for Dollywood I was not sure exactly what to expect. But when our guests enter through the turnstiles each of you definitely help bring to life a winter wonderland- no matter the temperature outside! Like the old carol sings “In the air there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile.” A festive and breathtaking time of year, no doubt.

You sweep the grounds, serve a hot chocolate, entertain with your singing, greet guests with a cheery grin… the days are short, the nights are long… it is cold, your feet hurt, and you are worn out. In the timeless tale, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, the White Witch has laid a terrible spell on Narnia; it is always winter and never Christmas. A feeling all too common to many of us these days.

But the good news is Christmas is coming! These next few weeks (beginning the 4^th Sunday prior to Christmas Day) are traditionally recognized as the period of Advent. The word “advent” simply means “coming”, and the Christmas season is a vivid reminder that not only has Christ come as a little child, but Christ will come again to fulfill the promises of God.

Prophecy, promises, and preparation- all are part of the Advent tradition. They serve as reminders in this hectic season that there is more to prophecy than guessing what is in the package; more to promises than what Santa Clause will bring; more to preparation than cleaning house and putting on a spread for a holiday party. We are called back to the longing, not for a certain present, but for a God who brings about a beloved community of harmony and peace.

Amid your responsibilities as a “professional” on Park, take a moment to prepare your heart and mind to receive God’s gifts of love and hope. This Christmas season, we celebrate Light coming into the world. We celebrate God sending his Son Jesus to show us what God looks like. Make this season a personal experience, look in the middle of the celebrations and find God’s presence.

Journey to Mt. LeConte

For three years Emily has journeyed to the top of Mt. LeConte each weekend to share in the lives of those who work and visit the lodge. Although she did not always have someone to hike with her, she reflects on the experience and says she was never hiking alone. Click the picture below to watch the sunrise and listen in her own words as she leads worship atop Myrtle Point.

Season of Praise. Season of Thanksgiving.

Psalm 150 beckons us to offer God praise, with all that we are and all that we have, for His presence and activity in our life. On Sunday evening, November 21, at Dollywood's Robert F. Thomas Memorial Chapel, Chaplain Joey Buck (and his wife Katy and their son), led an expression of praise with the park guests who attended the weekly Sunday worship service.

Praise the Lord... Praise Him with tambourine and dancing... with resounding cymbals... Let everything that has breath praise the Lord... Praise the Lord!

A life lived without praised is no life at all.

Things I learned about Joey / Things I learned about Bill

Bill Black and Joey Buck recently presented the 2010 Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries annual report to the Sevier County Baptist Association. You can find the printed version of that report on our home page. Our verbal report focused on the things we have learned about each other through working together for a year. Bill spoke of things learned about Joey. Joey spoke of things he learned about SMRM --and Bill.

Bill about Joey:

Consistent: In our selection process interviews, one of the things that impressed all of us was how carefully Joey and Katy spoke of a faith in God that is lived out in family and decisions
--and a desire to share that faith in total lifestyle.

Willing: Joey does not say "no" very lightly. He also accepts the unexpected of ministry with a joyful commitment to fulfill the task. His very first day here, before his clothes and funiture arrived, he willingly went to UT hospital to be with an injured Dollywood employee and her family.

Compassionate: He sees people and enters into their feelings. This compassionate approach grants him a hungry heart to share Christ with others and a style of acceptance that opens many hearts

God-sensitive: He is led by the Holy Spirit. When he reports events and conversations he uses the phrase "Oh Bill, God was with us and ...".

Mechanically blessed: A bonus for us! He has a wonderful ability to maintain or repair just about anything. As he says, "if somebody put it together, I can take it apart and fix it!"

Good to work with: He as adapted to me and to my style without losing his identity, his ministry, his mission. And even better, we are very different.

Fast learner who is dependable to finish all his assignments. We are both excited about finishing our first year --and a whole cycle of SMRM-- so that we can begin to enjoy the added value of understanding.

Says "yes" to call. Joey and Katy have said "yes" to God's call for their lives. This leads to a passion for ministry; it leads to creativity outside the walls of the traditional church style; it leads to commitment to go the distance in relationships; it leads to the celebration of one of Joey's favorite words: Fun. Whether he is preaching at Dollywood, repairing the dishwasher at the staff dorm, sharing Christ with an international college student, teaching a summer missionary the meaning of responsibility, or doing administrative work with me -- his comment is always "this is fun!" Being faithful to your call is simply the most fun you can have as a Christian.

_____________________________________________________________________

Joey about SMRM:

SMRM values volunteers. Our goal is to call out Christians on mission and to enable them to fulfill that call. All volunteers with SMRM have the space and freedom to use the gifts God has given to each person. One example of this would be Candice Coleman, a daughter of Sevier County Baptist Association's churches who is a snowboard instructor and winter worship music leader for us.

Resort missions does not just happen. It is not "play." Every action has purpose and intentionality.

There is a deep rooted vested interest to those who live and work in the resort and leisure community. This is the result of long term trust and involvement.

Bill has expectations that all individuals involved in SMRM are to take it to the next level --operating within the realm of professionalism. This push, this goal, is always there for all of us.

Bill is always looking to be at the creative edge --teaching, leading, and developing others in ministry. SMRM follows the leadership of the Holy Spirit in adapting to the constant changes in the resort industry.

Bill has a gift of teaching, guiding, and mentoring others into ministry. In this year alone we have celebrated Jacob Baccus's work and growth into seminary, one of the best summer staff's in SMRM's long and meaningful history, and my arrival and commitment.

Thanks be to God.
Bill and Joey, co-authors

Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair continued

As we delivered the cookies on Oct 7, one crafter pointed out that he had worked the show for 23 years. He estimated that he had enjoyed about 200 cookies himself! Other crafters were trading with each other for their favorite cookies. Others asked for cookies prepared by specific ladies. One crafter declared with mischievious eyes that she had not received a bag ---as she wiped cookie crumbs from her face! And one couple said that they moved to Gatlinburg last year and opened a shop ---and are attending Gatlinburg First Baptist because of its strong youth program (for their daughters) and because they knew the church through its cookies.

Our outreach at the crafts fair offers:

THE BLESSING

We affirm the crafters as people made in the image of God, the Creator. In the image of this Creator God, the crafters create art and craft. We pray God's blessings on their hands as they bring beauty to life.

THE GOOD NEWS

Cookies! The people of Gatlinburg First Baptist Church and its Missions Committee make 200 decorated bags of homemade cookies. We deliver them as another affirmation of the crafters and their work. This church cares about people!

THE WORSHIP SERVICES

Each Sunday of the show we offer a worship service for the crafters. These services provide an opportunity to celebrate God's love and hear his Word for our lives in the midst of a busy time.

THE VOLUNTEER HOST PROGRAM

Each day of the show, we have two volunteers available to the crafters. Al and Jane Rahn of Georgia have come for six years as chaplains for the show. They booth sit for crafters to provide 30 minute breaks and to speak into the crafters lives. They are booked full all through the show!

THE RESPONSE

As we receive these crafters into this setting and into our lives, we share the love of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ with them. This is truly a God blessed ministry done by so many volunteers.

The Measure of Love

7 cookies each x 200 crafters x 29 years = 40,600 cookies

How do you measure a gesture of kindness?
We have only begun this year at the annual fall Gatlinburg Craftsman Fair.

Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries

at the Grand Canyon National Park

Bill Black and Tracy and Jay Hartman took SMRM to the Grand Canyon for four days while attending the national board meeting for A Christian Ministry In The National Parks. Both Bill and Tracy are on the board of this wonderful organizatiion. The meeting provided time for us to enjoy each other (Jana and Jonathon were both there too!) and to enjoy the canyon. Our relationships with ACMNP are central to our mission as they provide access into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These relationships also provide us insights into other expressions of resort minitries. In turn, we speak into practical ministry guidance for the board, since we live with the ACMNP team each summer.

As a side note, we were greeted at the opening banquet by our friend Dave Gable, who was wearing a SMRM staff shirt! Dave and Millie have visited the dorm and SMRM. He is a pastor from California who was serving as interim pastor at the Grand Canyon Community Church. SMRM does get out there --or better, SMRM gets into peoples' lives!

Filing away at the Bunion

A fantastic day full of friendship, spiritual conversations, life & culture discussions, and sharing the blessings of God. Seven international students came hiking with me to Charlies Bunion. After a wearisome 8 miles (or 12K sounds better...) we made it back to the car and a few of us headed out to dinner. If communication is an art, then why not step into the creative nature of our God; there is much to discover in this canvas!

"No one in my country does this sort of kindness to us." were the words I heard as I was helping them shop for food and sundries. An end to a perfect day? Maybe not perfect, my wife and son are back in Texas so my home was empty when I returned, but being able to share the motive for our kindness sure made my day better!

-Joey Buck

2010 Summer Staff Photos

Hear--Listen--Receive--Relate--Witness

Our 2010 Summer Staff was one of the best!

Our theme this summer was on personal relationships developed through the process of hearing someone, actively listening to them, and then receiving them as an individual. Hearing leads to listening; listening leads to receiving; and receiving leads to relationship. It is in relationship that witness and ministry takes place.

This year’s staff “got it” using this process. Their interpersonal relationships were powerful in witness for Christ and in ministry. They also “got-most-of-it” (how’s that for a Bill Black phrase?) in terms of intentional preparation, focus, initiative to accomplish purpose, and evaluation on the program side. (For those of you who know me, you know that I expect us to always do more!) They were a joy to work with.

Joey and Katy Buck and our houseparents contributed greatly to this successful summer. Their careful guidance and generous care made life much easier for all involved. This ministry is blessed with staff and houseparents that make the summer possible.

Hear—Listen—Receive—Relate—Witness

I would invite all of us to apply these verbs in evaluative action as we read the following comments:

My greatest joy this summer was seeing how God would make something that I thought would be hard –and make it an easy experience. He has done this time and time again this summer. It deepened my trust in Him.
Victory

I have grown the most this summer in my relationship with Christ. I really have seen myself grow closer to God. I have seen myself grow as a leader for the future.
Tanner

I now have a passion to just love on people for Christ’s sake.
AnnaMarie

The one person I best remember is S____ because I can see his is craving for God’s love –and I got to show him that.
AnnaMarie

SMRM is a family, another home, a God-given experience as well as a challenge I never expected. You can never understand the pull of the ministry until you answer God’s call to serve.
Danielle


My greatest joy was spending time with the international workers and witnessing to them. I found myself laughing, crying, and praying with them!
Scotti

My biggest problem is that I don’t want to leave. I love missions. I love SMRM.
Allison

_________________________

And the other good news is that they are all asking “Is it next summer yet?” “When can we come back?” I’ve been told they even have a countdown clock running!

Thanks be to God for a good summer.
Bill Black

July 8, 2010 A Day In The Life Of SMRM

A Day In The Life Of SMRM
Bill Black

“That was the best day ever!”
This is the heart hope of most families on vacation: to have a child cry out in excitement or a parent say in contentment: “That was the best day ever!”

July 8, 2010 stands as one of the best days ever in the long and beautiful story of SMRM. It was a day filled with the graces of God and the actions of committed Christians. It was a day of answered prayer matched with touches of love. It was a day of Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries at its very best.

Like most great moments of life, it was not planned or expected. It was a day for which we were prepared but not anticipating. July 8 was God’s day –blessed, designed, guided, and empowered. It was a day for us to declare with the Psalmist “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24)

Most times, we read this verse as a simple affirmation of a happy day, a day of worship and gladness. For us to be able to apply it to July 8, 2010, we must recognize the preparation necessary within all involved and the purpose of a Christian community on mission.

Preparation for such a day comes through:
A Christian community prepared to work together;
Having individual’s spirits responding to the leadership of the Holy Spirit;
Having hearts ready for whatever needs doing;
Having bodies in shape for service;
Recognizing that unexpected events lead to expected opportunities for evangelism and ministry;
Calling out to God throughout the day and trusting God to answer prayers;
Accepting God’s answers and moving forward with the next moment.

The purpose of Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries is to reveal the presence of God to those who live, work and play in the Sevier County area of the Smoky Mountains. In the summer, we are a community of faith made up of local volunteers and summer missionaries. This summer’s team of SMRM has been wonderful to work with and strong in their ministry. They have been community. July 8 enabled them to fulfill this best expression of community. Martin Buber writes “Community … cannot occur once and for all time: always it must be the moment’s answer to the moment’s question, and nothing more.” He further states, “…they are community only if they prepare the way to the Promised Land through the thickets of this pathless hour. …A community of faith truly exists only when it is a community at work.” (Seeds Of The Spirit, Wisdom Of The Twentieth Century, pp. 41, 42)

On July 8, SMRM acted as community, as Church, to bring forth God’s grace.

By now you are crying out for me to get on with it and tell you what happened. The day began with standard assignments of two day camps for children in privately owned campgrounds, a van trip to Knoxville for 11 international college student workers to Social Security by Jacob Baccus, and an afternoon and evening of hosting international college student workers at Pigeon Forge First Baptist Church’s LaPuerta (The Door) Ministry Center. One other activity was to be an evening camp for children at Outdoor Resorts of America. For Joey Buck, SMRM Assistant Director and Dollywood Chaplain, it was to be a day off with his family –including parents from Texas and his best friend who surprised him with a visit from Texas. For Bill Black, SMRM Director, it was to be a day of office work and sermon preparation followed by touring ministry sites with our houseparents for the week, Sue and Scott Barber.

At 8:00 a.m., Bill received a phone call from his friend Joanna who is the supervisor of international workers at Ober Gatlinburg. Nine of her students had been in a wreck in their private minivan at 6:30 a.m. that morning as they drove into Gatlinburg after spending a night in a cabin in Pigeon Forge. She knew that one group had been transported to LeConte Medical Center and another group to the University of Tennessee Medical Center Trauma Unit. At least one had been taken by helicopter. With this call, the day began.

As you hear the story of the day, hold onto our declaration: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) Listen to the story of God’s answers to prayers and God’s graces and how SMRM responded to the Holy Spirit’s leadings.

Joey Buck and SMRM volunteer Marci Claude went to LeConte Medical Center to identify students and comfort them. Five students were there and the first answered prayer was that none were seriously injured. Most had cuts and stitches, abrasions, bruises, and seat belt burns. (Let me clarify that no alcohol was involved in any of the students and the driver simply lost control on the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and hit a boulder on the side of the mountain. –another answered prayer when you pray it. Also, eight of the students are Ukranian and one is Russian.)

Joey met with National Park rangers (the Spur is in the Park) to help with identification, accident statements, and accident citations. The students said later they had never met such “nice police” or such “kind ambulance workers”; “they kept trying to make us laugh and telling us we would be okay” –a grace of God in the midst of a scary situation in a foreign country.

Bill took Joanna and another Ukrainian student (who could be our translator) to Knoxville and UT Medical Center Trauma Unit. God answered our first prayer –about the health and location of one missing student—when we walked into the door of the Emergency Room and were met by her with a policeman who was taking her to the cafeteria with a free meal coupon in his hand. God answered our next prayers when we found the other three students and were assured that they were all going to be okay, with no surgeries or serious injuries. One had a blow to the head and was being kept sedated and would be in ICU overnight but we could talk to him as he came out of sedation through the afternoon –if we could speak Ukrainian, as his English skills were temporarily gone. The others had cuts and stitches, abrasions, bruises, and a severely sprained ankle. Medical prayers were answered and fears were calmed throughout the day.

Here’s where SMRM became a community on mission and God took us:

The afternoon assignment at LaPuerta was accomplished with a minimum staff willing to step out. Other staff went to Ober Gatlinburg to visit with co-workers telling them of their friends and to pray with them. Jacob returned from Knoxville and joined in on this. Still other staff went to LeConte Medical Center with a van to help transport students as they were released. Joey went to the pharmacy for them. Three injured girls were taken to Bill and Cindy Black’s home for 27 hours of rest and watch care –mostly done by SMRM’er Sharrunn Rhone who stayed up and nursed them with tender, God-graced love (She chose to sleep on the floor outside their room’s door so she could hear and respond all night). Houseparent Sue Barber and daughter, Brooke, made food for the students at Ober Housing and those at the Black’s. Brooke was blessed to find them on July 9 morning eating a breakfast of graham crackers with peanut butter and a bowl of fruit that she had made! One SMRM volunteer was to arrive on July 8 afternoon and came into an almost empty dorm. Instead of feeling rejected by not being greeted, he looked at the assignment board and joined Bonnie in preparing for the evening day camp. He joined that team as the best use of his heart and hands. Bill finally left UTMC late in the afternoon with 3 students and returned them to Ober Housing. Joey and Bill spent hours on the phone with Ober Gatlinburg management making sure they were informed and that we were within their proper channels. Jacob went back to Knoxville and UTMC to bring a girl to spend the night with the girl who was admitted (yet another answered prayer that she had no internal injuries) (a boy was also kept in ICU) and to pick up Joanna. That night found SMRM still at work with staff locating, counseling, reading Scripture, and praying with a Turkish boy whose birthday they had all been celebrating (and who felt terribly guilty). At 10:45 pm Sue and Scott led all of us in sharing how we had seen God at work through the day and in prayer for all those injured.

Every need through the day was met by grace. Every prayer was answered by a loving Father. Every action was taken in heartfelt hope. Each phone call Bill made with a request or change in plan was answered with “we can do that –and do it with gladness”. Our daily assignments were done and done well. The crisis needs were handled with God given energy and God blessed grace. Individuals followed the Holy Spirit. All recognized that the day was truly about God and others. Community became real –in action and in service together.

It was the day the Lord had made, we did rejoice and were glad in it.
Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries exists for just such a day!

Such a day does not happen by design or by chance.
It happens because Christians are prepared in heart, body, and spirit.
It happens because we are in tune with the Holy Spirit.
It happens because our hope is with God’s hope for the day.
It happens because the Church is ready.

Two questions stand before us in worship today:

What did you do July 8, 2010?

And, better yet,

What does tomorrow hold for us?

Prepared by Bill Black

Day Camps

Day Camps have begun!

You can tell from the pictures that this group of SMRM staffers is a high energy and active team!

Even the snack time includes story telling at its best (and most humorous)!

Craft work is serious business and, for this day camp team, each element of the craft (some not pictured) was tied to the Bible story. Tell some story, bring it to life with craft and then put it all together!

2010 Staff Promise

We ended orientation on June 2 with the sensitivity prayer exercise on the Parkway in Gatlinburg. The staff gathered at Bill and Cindy's with her chocolate chip cookies for further inspiration. We then covenanted together for our 2010 Staff Promise:

O God Our Father,

We covenant with you now to help the world understand

To the visitors to whom I minister I give:
Love, attention, helping hands, the light of Jesus, hope, love as though they were family,
genuineness, authenticity, someone who cares for them in a strange place,
not just Jesus stories but the reason of the story: Jesus Christ


To the employees and locals to whom I minister I give:
Respect and excellent service, support and appreciation, prayers, a shoulder,
confidence that we will be there praying alongside them, learning who they are,
solely give myself as a servant,
a relationship


To those in service with me I give:
Respect, open mind, talents to use in service, love, trust,
knowledge, patience, honest friendship, compassion, love of Christ,
encouragement, hard work


To the Church I give:
Self to be used in every opportunity, prayers, respect, service,
dedication, servant heart, not to be selfish,
hands to serve and mouth that speaks what God says


To myself I give:
Openness, trust and faith in God, a chance for patience,
love, perseverance, self confidence,
time spent with God to grow, self discipline
a promise to let people in
time alone to worship and read so I can grow
open mind, open heart


To You, O Lord, I give:
Everything, my all, love and devotion, obedience, my fear
everything you want me to be with no complaint or question,
my fears and struggles, agape love, servant heart,
totality of my being
this ministry and praise no matter what happens

2010 Summer Staff

The dorm has come to life!

Our 2010 summer staff has arrived!

And already we have done a night hike into Laurel Falls for the "beautiful feet" Bible study!

This time we added a brief and safe bear encounter --nothing like a night hike with a bear to build TIGHT community!

Orientation is just completed and ministry action has begun!

Can anyone identify the exercise in the second picture? Think personal evangelism!

The SMRM family experience has taken shape with wonderful houseparents and covenant community living. (Here Kay is coached by her granddaughter on how to make brownies!)

We are excited about this summer. Please pray with us as we grow as on mission Christians.

Please pray with us as we seek to reveal the presence of God to those we meet.

Pray for SMRM this summer!

Support SMRM at our Faith Based Partners Baseball Game

Faith Based Partners of Sevier County
…working together for Food, Shelter, Health, and Spirit.

June 1, 2010

Dear Friends;

Faith Based Partners of Sevier County is working together to develop the means and resources to raise awareness and provide for the needs of Food, Shelter, Health, and Spirit.

Here’s a great opportunity for an evening of summer fun! On Thursday, July 15, 2010 Faith Based Partners of Sevier County invites you to attend Faith and Family Night at the Smokies Ballpark. Your business can treat employees and their families and friends to a night of baseball and be recognized for your contribution to help your community at the same time. We are offering several levels of corporate sponsorship packages and we are sure at least one of them will appeal to your company. The selection is as follows:

The Grand Slam – Cost is $1000. You will receive 135 field level tickets and publicity as a sponsor.
The Home Run – Cost is $500. You will receive 65 field level tickets and publicity as a sponsor.
The Triple – Cost is $250. You will receive 30 field level tickets.
The Double Play – Cost is $100. You will receive 10 field level tickets.
The Relief Pitcher-I cannot attend and need no tickets, but please accept my donation.

In addition to a great evening of baseball you’ll have the opportunity to participate in some other great activities such as between innings games, pictures with the team mascots, and special between innings give-aways. It’s going to be a summer evening of good clean family fun.

Enclosed is a sponsor pledge sheet that you can return to us indicating your willingness to “cover the bases” in Sevier County. We appreciate your help. If you have any questions please feel free to call Bill/Cindy Black at 865-436-4076 or Dick Wellons at 865-908-3153.

In His Service,
Bill Black, Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries, http://www.smrm.org/
Mary Vance, Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Medical Clinic, http://www.mountainhope.org/
Dick Wellons, Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries, http://www.smarm.org/
Steve Streibig, Sevier County Food Ministry, 865-428-5182

__________________________________
PLEDGE SHEET
I’LL HELP COVER THE BASES!

I’ll participate as a sponsor for the Faith and Family Night at the Smokies Ballpark on Thursday, July 15, 2010. Please accept my contribution as I have marked and send my tickets to:
(MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES)
Name:
Contact Person:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Phone Number:
Email address:

My selection is as follows:
____The Grand Slam – Cost is $1000. You will receive 135 field level tickets and publicity as a sponsor.

____The Home Run – Cost is $500. You will receive 65 field level tickets and publicity as a sponsor.

____The Triple – Cost is $250. You will receive 30 field level tickets.

____The Double Play – Cost is $100. You will receive 10 field level tickets.

_____The Relief Pitcher – I cannot attend and need no tickets but please accept my donation of ________.

Your tickets will be processed and delivered to you by a representative of the Faith Based Partners in advance of the game. Thank you for your participation in this great event.

Please return to Cindy Black
2206 Highland Acres Way
Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

If you have any questions please feel free to call Bill and Cindy Black at 865-436-4076.

In His Service,
Bill Black Mary B. Vance Dick Wellons Steve Streibig

PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO
THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES

Missions Is Commitment

First Baptist Church, Lebanon, Tennessee and
Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries

For twenty three years the “Singles Serving The Savior” of First Baptist Church, Lebanon, Tennessee has been a part of Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries. It has been a joy to work with Bill and Cindy Black. What a blessing they have been to the ministry in Gatlinburg and to us! Each Memorial Day weekend our group has led worship services in various campgrounds. It is a blessing to worship and fellowship with campers from all over the USA. Some of the campers take time to share what the Lord is doing in their lives. Some have experienced the death of a loved one or are seeking the Lord’s will in their lives. What a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with them! Thank you, Bill and Cindy and the TBC for giving us this opportunity.
Rev. Don McElroy, Associate Pastor, FBC, Lebanon


I became interested in the Smoky Mountain Resort Ministry twenty-three years ago, when I found that there was a need to minister to the campers. The Singles group from First Baptist of Lebanon, Tennessee, were invited to come on Memorial Day weekend to help start the summer camping season. The campers were friendly and interested in having a worship service on Sundays within their own campgrounds. I found out from Bill Black, the director of Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries, that many campers receive a blessing and make a decision for Christ during the summer season. It is this knowledge, which keeps me returning each year to kick off the summer camping season for SMRM with First Baptist of Lebanon, Tennessee. I also enjoy the fellowship of the Singles group from Lebanon F.B.C. and Don and Ann McElroy, who coordinate this annual mission trip with Bill Black.
Raymond Hunter


Memorial Day, 2009 was my first opportunity to participate in the mission project FBC does annually with SMRM. The opportunity to visit in the campgrounds reminded me of the “fine folks” that enjoy this vacation lifestyle. I was greeting courteously as I extended invitations to our worship services on Sunday morning; yet some of those people did not know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
God opened the door for me to share Jesus with a man at his campsite. He started asking questions so I jumped right into the opportunity. The man told me he would not be at worship but would send his family. I pray others will continue to water those seeds planted.
As a former camper, I know ho important these worship services are to reach our world for Christ. Thank you to the Blacks, SMRM, TBC, and my church for allowing me to be a part.
Elaine Pearson

Our Memorial Day trips to Gatlinburg are both relaxing and invigorating. We get to see true ministry at work through Smoky Mountain Resort Ministry. It is my privilege to be a part of this ministry. I feel so blessed to be able to use my gifts and talents to share the uplifting message of Christ with campers, if only for the weekend. SMRM ministers to a wide population in the Smoky Mountain Region. This includes believing campers, seeking to continue their worship while enjoying the beauty of the area, the temporary and permanent staff of the resorts, and those who are searching for life’s spiritual answers. This ministry strives to meet not only the spiritual needs but the physical and emotional, too.
Our Gatlinburg weekend also means a time of relaxation and fellowship with fellow singles from my church, FBC Lebanon, Tennessee. This may include taking in a show, driving around the beautiful scenery, or just sitting in the swing on the porch of our cabins. Together the ministry and the relaxation make for a memorable and uplifting experience each year.
David Hunter


Each of these comments about the relationship between FBC, Lebanon and SMRM reveals the heart and hope of partnership mission through commitment.

Don McElroy’s statements show the longevity of relationship. The consistent returning partners and the room for fresh participation demonstrates the commitment to missions necessary for our world to be reached. Raymond Hunter’s words reveal his heart of care for people. Elaine Pearson’s words point to the focused prayers and intentional work needed in resort missions. David Hunter’s approach shows that missions is fun!

Going Deeper With Joey: Missions Call and Lifestyle

"So many missionaries, intent on doing something, forget that His main work is to make something of them..." -Jim Elliot

Six years ago I was fresh out of college and eager to embrace the challenge of missionary work. Two of these years I was serving with the North American Mission Board as a US/C-2 Missionary in the Rocky Mountains; the remaining four years were invested in Seminary. Being convinced of God’s calling in my life to live a life-style of evangelism and having gained fantastic experiences from the mission field and a seminary education one might reason that I would have learned fundamental basics of the Christian life.

Caught in the excitement of returning the mission field, rejoining the ranks of those in resort & leisure missions, and realizing the fruition of a dream, I was determined to do something great… and do it for the Lord! But just days after arriving in Gatlinburg, even before the moving truck arrived with our household goods, God began to [not so] gently remind me of his purposes. He does not need me to do something great for Him. He is the great I AM.

‘…it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them… Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’[1] He requires my obedience. God has opened the door for me and my family to join with Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries and I know incredible experiences are awaiting us in this venture. His main reason for us being here, however, is not for the task at hand. More importantly I am here so that He might make something of me. I am each day to endeavor in every task, in every thought to be conformed into the likeness of Christ so that the Glory of God may be reflected. Service driven, people centered. Jim Elliot understood this principle and it cost him his life.
[1] Jeremiah 7:22-23

Joey Buck: New Assistant Director / Dollywood Chaplain

Joey, Katy, and Hayden Buck have joined our SMRM family!

Joey is our new Assistant Director / Dollywood Chaplain.

Here are some of his opening thoughts:

March 10, 2010

It has been an exciting three weeks as my family and I have begun our work with SMRM. There are many facets of ministry with which we have already been involved. Just days after our arrival, and before the truck arrived with our household goods, I was called out to the hospital to meet a Dollywood employee family whose loved one suffered a traumatic fall resulting in critical injuries. It is a privilege to be together with the family offering comfort through the assurance of God’s presence, power, and faithfulness. As we continue to watch the Great Physician heal our friend, I know that the ministry to this family is in the sense of love and prayers from all who support this minsitry.

The winter season at Ober-Gatlinburg is nearing the end…but the snow continues to fall! Skiing conditions are great and the conversations with the employees have been even better. As the International students are preparing to say goodbye to new friends and return home, we take the opportunity to visit with them about their experiences in the United States. To so many, the idea of a relationship with Jesus is a new concept. Our lives have demonstrated that being a Christian is more than talk, more than a religious tradition- it is about being open to the love of God and living in the joy of knowing He loves us!

Katy and I quickly unpacked the boxes so that we could open our home to a few students who offered to help us move in. We discovered that “old-school” Nintendo is popular entertainment in Brazil! The students appreciated a good American hamburger grilled on the back porch along with the free internet to check email and catch up with family back home. One-by-one they are leaving to returning home but we are content knowing that they have seen God’s love demonstrated through service and have heard God’s truth through our conversations.

We are glad to be here and look forward to the plans God has for us.
Joey Buck

Ski Ministries At Ober Gatlinburg

Jacob Baccus followed our gifts of a Sunday donut and a worship devotional sheet with conversations with international employees in the rental room.

And then:

What do ---snow --- 12 degrees --- skis and snowboards --- Sunday --- church bulletins --- hearts turned towards God --- and 19 people --- have in common?

An outdoor worship service at the top of Castle Run at Ober Gatlinburg!

January 3rd’s cold temperatures made for a close circle as we gathered to worship. It was one of our more joyful services as each made the choice to celebrate their love for God in such conditions. Candice Coleman couldn’t play her guitar but she did lead us in praise songs.

The cold also made for a short sermon on Bill’s part!

Thanks be to God for worship that makes us stronger in our faith and gives God praise!

Ober Gatlinburg International Employees Soup Dinner

SMRM and Gatlinburg First Baptist Church hosted 70 students from 8 countries on January 3 for a dinner. Soups, chili, and rice and beans made up the heart of the menu. The heart of the dinner, however, was in the fellowship created with the students and in the love of Jesus Christ that was shared with them.

These students have come to work at Ober Gatlinburg for the winter season. Many are active Christians. Noel, from the Philippines, is a pastor and in theology school there. When Bill Black called on him to lead in prayer and in thanking God for our night, he prayed with a passionate heart and with tears of joy in his eyes. Many of the students, however, are not Christians. Jacob Baccus shared the wisdom of seeking Jesus in their travels while Bill gave out Bibles in their languages and in English.

Pray with us as we continue in relationship and friendship with these students.