About Us

David and his son Preston attended Christ  in the Rockies, in Colorado in July 2017.  Preston shared that it was a "wonderful trip this summer that was truly something my father and I will never forget. We learned a lot together and he and I will hold that trip and those memories very close in our hearts."

Wade and his son Bennett participated in Christ in the Rockies, in Colorado in June 2017.  Bennett was nominated for this trip by his church small group leader because of his pursuit of relationship with God, leadership qualities, service to community, love of the outdoors and strong values.

Blaise attended Christ in the Rockies in Colorado in June 2017, with his father Scott.  Blaise and Scott said their experience was life changing, fulfilling their expectations for a Father-Son adventure.

My son Tyler heard Tim speak about Christ in the Smokies at Northpoint Church, brought the brochure home, and said to his mom, ”I want to do this with Dad”. His mom and I divorced when he was very young and I was not as involved with him as he needed me to be early in his life. In the past several years, we have spent more time together and I have become more involved, but there was always a desire on both our parts to build a deeper relationship. So now at 18, he invited me to attend  this retreat and I am so glad he did and so very grateful that Taylor’s foundation provided a way for us to go. This was a real bonding time for Tyler and me. We learned more about each other in one short week than we have in years. All the vital elements were there: discovery, learning, adventure, challenge and fellowship with other fathers and sons. We learned solid principles that serve to equip and grow us in the journey of manhood, all set against the backdrop of the beautiful Smoky Mountains.  I would tell every father and son to come to Christ in the Smokies and experience a new level of closeness in your relationship.

Christ In The Smokies provided my son and me an opportunity to be together, experience great adventures together and share words of love and life and blessing that we would not say in normal day life and living. Thank you Stricklands and Team for creating the perfect environment for fathers and sons to connect at the deepest of levels. It will NEVER be forgotten.

Prior to attending, besides my desire for Grayson to reconnect w Christ and a strong desire to present him with his Blessing at 25, we both went into this trip with y’alls motto of leaving Nothing unsaid… and for 4 1/2 days and nights we did just that.  This resonated with Grayson and I… words can truly never adequately describe the feeling or moments in time last week, especially during the blessing, hiking/river trip talks, and passage to manhood ceremony, it’s a special GIFT that Grayson and I are tremendously grateful for and truly wish every dad and son could experience.

Bailey shared that "CITS has changed our relationship.  It has brought us closer through the deep, meaningful father-son discussions" while Mitchell shared that it was "Incredibly impactful to my relationships with both my earthly Father and heavenly Father.  Gave me an entire new perspective on where to go in life, from this point on."

This is a MUST do for fathers and their sons who are entering adulthood.  Christ in the Smokies offered a unique and compelling combination of adventure, father/son growth time, and fellowship with men.  This was one of the defining moments for my relationship with Drew and one we will never forget.  The agenda was just right - not too packed, but with great content and activities.  Thank you to Tim and Toni and the entire CITS team for an incredible experience!

Soul feeding.  Jack and I were already really close but this really enhanced and accelerated our love for each other.

Attending Christ in the Rockies, Ethan said "the week was a time of re-evaluating and re-centering my life and focus".  Scott felt blessed by the camp and having an amazing time with his son.

Sebastian describes Christ in the Smokies teaching as “Breaking the chains of apprehension that societal masculinity teaches, to make a man through vulnerability & authenticity".

Evan said , “I came up (to Christ in the Smokies) not knowing what to expect. I came up with open hands. The first night we had immediate authenticity. That was the hook for me. It was worth it because it was real. A lot of truth was communicated. We had a fun time. We grew. It reinforced so many truths we may gloss over.”

After attending Christ in the Smokies, Andrew shared "It was a great unexpected bonding with my father on what it means to be a man."

Daniel noted the challenges that men face.  "Men do not want to be vulnerable. Not good at sharing their feelings. They don’t know how to do it, showing weakness and failure. Dad’s struggle to do that with their sons." For he and Andrew it was "an absolutely fantastic week with my son.  It gave Andrew and I time to think deeper about some issues."

During their time together at Christ in the Smokies, Mike said "To share our feelings with one another and to know – that life is hard – entering manhood we are walking side by side now as we serve our Father and to not be afraid to ask any questions….there’s something about a community of men, and the two of us are a community of men."

Chris called his time at Christ in the Smokies "An incredible meaningful time to focus on being a better father and husband. It has changed me to live a meaningful life with others and Christ."  As significantly Brock shared that it was "A life changing experience that taught me how to be a leader and growing my relationship with my father and God. It gives me incentive to not fall back in to sin."

As a young man Aiden embraced the time at Christ in the Smokies, declaring, "The blessing from my dad really impacted me. I wanted to know 'what does he think of me'. I wanted to hear my dad say that 'you’ve got what it takes'.  Ari enjoyed that "Everything was intentional, relational and Christ centered with the backdrop of outdoor adventure."