Feed Your Faith in association with GC²F and The V Cafe presents This Beautiful Republic on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 7:30pm. For tickets and more details, click here.

Tickets only $5!!!!

On Saturday, January 26th, First Christian Church Maryville will be hosting the Crown Financial Ministries simulcast Money Map Live from 9am to 4:30pm. This opportunity will equip you with the skills to:

• Get out of debt
• Save for the future
• Make ends meet
• Invest wisely
• Give generously
• Budget effectively
• and more!

The simulcast will feature teaching from Howard Dayton, Les & Leslie Parrott, Ron Blue, Sharon Epps, Chuck Bentley and more.

Purchase tickets to this event »

Feed Your Faith has established some very aggressive goals for 2008 and we need your help to reach them.

One of our two most aggressive goals is to reach outside of East Tennessee. We are now in the process of partnering with homeless ministries not only in Knoxville, but in cities such as New York City, Chicago and Atlanta. We are also starting to sponsor week-long work camps for teen-agers and young adults to help with home repairs and maintenance projects.

Our mission has always been two-fold. First, to provide solid, biblical, Christian speakers and musician who will help bring the Gospel message to everyone who attends our events. The second is to donate the proceeds from our events to ministries that focus on the homeless.

Our goal, from now until the end of 2007, is simple, but not easy. We are looking for 1000 people, just like you, to pledge to support FYF for 12 months, $10.00 per month. Maybe you can do more. Perhaps you can be 2 people and give $20.00 per month. Picture this, most homeless ministries can feed 10 people for $10.00.

Why donate to Feed Your Faith instead of directly to a support ministry? There are a couple different reasons. First, we provide events that help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your donation helps make these events a reality.

Secondly, and more importantly, your gift channeled through Feed Your Faith is multiplied. When our events are paid for in advance, we are able to donate not only the money that would have been made from the event, but also the money that would have been spent on the event.

Imagine this. You give $10.00 to Feed Your Faith. We put on an event and 20 people hear the Gospel for the first time. We then turn around and are able to donate $15.00 to a homeless ministry.

We are kicking off our drive to reach our 1000 people for $10.00/month tonight at the kickoff of the World’s Biggest Blog Party. Come join the fun, and help us make a difference.

Mike Williams

Feed Your Faith

Tonight (Sept. 11th) is the kick-off for the World’s Biggest Blog party.Read more about it here!!! 

We are very excited to be selected as a ministry supported by this group, and in return, use proceeds to “Feed Your Faith� and make a difference in East TN and around the world.

Please spread the word about these events and check back soon. We are in the midst of planning our 2008 schedule of events. We are also working very hard to bring a work camp to East Tennessee with over 400 volunteers working for a week to help those less fortunate in our community.

If you are able to support us with a one-time or a monthly gift, we promise to use every penny to make a difference to the homeless, the widows, and the orphans.

Mike Williams

Feed Your Faith

Ok, I just have to say that last Friday was one of the most fun days I’ve had in a very long time. So many firsts. FYF held it’s first concert and it was a blast. Caleb attended his first concert just to name a few.

The “day at the concert” started at 1pm when the truck from M&L Sound showed up. Guy (the sound guy) was great. He is a strong Christian and when he found out what FYF is all about, he cut almost 50% of the sound bill (praise God) But back to the concert… We took an hour loading in and hooking up the largest speakers I had ever seen. Hard work but also great friends to be working with and a good cause to be working for.

When the sound was done, it was time to start loading in the bands. it was fun to work side by side with them and to listen to them joke about being “B-level bands” as they set up their own stage. (even though they are Dove award winners). Here’s a shot of load-in.

After load-in, the guys from “This Beautiful Republic” were hungry. When we offered to go get them something and asked what they would like, Their answer was “ARBY”S!!!” So off went RickY to get 4 bags of Arby’s sandwiches. The sad part about that was that when the catered meal from Texas Roadhouse showed up, they were too full to eat it. All the bands completed their sound checks and seperated to watch TV, play on computers, and to sleep. Here is the completed stage.

After dinner, we started running all over the place making sure everything was in order before the doors opened. The church had told us they would have volunteers available for anything we needed done, but they all seemed to have duties when they arrived. Thank you to all our friends that stepped in last minute to fill the voids!!!

This Beautiful Republic took the stage first and completely ROCKED the place. They had a very energetic and loud set and I LOVED THEM!!! All 14 band members (3 bands worth) were great but I think Ben (TBR’s lead singer) and I clicked the best. Here’s a shot of ben and the e-mail he sent me after the show.

Thanks so much Mike! Glad that you were there and we appreciate the encouragement more than you know. Hopefully you had HALF as much fun as we did. Let’s do it again soon!! We were definitely taken good care of at your show, it was amazing and it makes us ( and other bands) want to work with you because you take care of the details. I hope it was a success and wish you guys the best of luck. See you soon!

Ben and the TBR guys.

Next up was NEEDTOBREATHE, best know for their song “Shine On”. I honestly believe they were the most gifted musically of the three bands (just my opinion) especially the lead singer. They did a great acoustic version of “Shine On” to end their set. Here is a shot of their lead singer.

Last but not least came Sanctus Real. They were truly amazing as well. Very humble and grateful guys. They were just happy to be able to play and to tell people about Jesus. 5 truly incredible guys. I look forward to working with them again soon. Here is my favorite shot from the day that I have seen so far. This is Matt, the lead singer of Sanctus Real.

All three groups hung out to sign autographs after the show. They posed for pictures. They especially like the kids that were there. Here is Caleb and his soccer buddy Hunter, with Sanctus Real.

We then loaded it all back into trailers and made the church look as if nothing had taken place.

After everyone had left, dad2three and I sat in the parking lot and rehashed the days events. I got home at 1am, the adreneline let me fall asleep at 2:30 am, and I was up for work at 6am. Needless to say, after work I came home, ate dinner, and fell asleep at 6:30pm. I woke up at 8am the next morning.

Well, that is my recap of the day. I’m sorry it was so long (I could have added alot more) but these are the highlights. I definately have found something I love to do and feel like is making a difference. Best of all, I have a supportive wife that loves to help and a great partner in ministry. (Thanks RickY) I also have lots of good friends who are willing to help in any way they can.

Thanks everyone and we’ll see you at the next event.

On Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 6:30pm, Feed Your Faith is bringing Mark Mittlelberg to speak at Grace Baptist Church (7171 Oak Ridge Highway) in Knoxville, TN. Here’s a preview of the evening:

One of the keys to growing and feeling alive spiritually is learning to communicate our faith to others. But how? Most of us feel ill-equipped and unnatural, and would rather leave outreach to a “professional” — like our pastor or small group leader! That’s a normal feeling, but wait — by doing so you’ll miss the adventure of a lifetime, and you might miss out on the chance to make a life-changing impact on your family and friends.

That’s why we’re excited to have Mark Mittelberg, coauthor of the best-selling book, Becoming a Contagious Christian , come and Feed Our Faith by showing us how we can all find a natural approach to faith-sharing that fits our own individual personalities. It’s a liberating and inspiring message Mark has taught all over the world, freeing up and igniting countless listeners to become “contagious” Christians who have an influence that lasts for eternity.

Don’t miss this one — you’ll be encouraged that night, and impacted life-long!

Proceeds to benefit “Family Promise of Knoxville“. A love offering will be taken.

Register for this event online or by phone:

Purchase tickets online.

Call 865-274-7621 to purchase by phone. Tickets available at: Cedar Springs Christian Bookstores and Grace Baptist Church Join Mark Mittelberg from 1:30-3:00 pm, Aug. 4th, for a special booksigning at Cedar Springs Christian Store. Tickets: $10 Purchase 10 or more tickets to receive a group rate of $8/ticket!

Mark’s bio:

Mark Mittelberg is a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and a leading strategist and consultant in outreach and evangelism. He is the author of Building a Contagious Church; co-author with Bill Hybels of the best-selling Becoming a Contagious Christian; contributing editor of The Journey, a Bible for spiritual seekers; and the primary author of the newly updated Becoming a Contagious Christian training course, which has been translated into twenty languages and taught to more than a million people around the globe. Mark was the evangelism director at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago for seven years and for the Willow Creek Association for a decade. He was an editorial consultant and a periodic guest for Lee Strobel’s national network television show, “Faith Under Fire.” He is a contributing editor of Outreach magazine, a primary trainer for Luis Palau’s regional friendship evangelism seminars (preparing communities for Luis’s festivals), and a regular speaker for CCN (Church Communication Network) satellite broadcasts to churches all over North America. Mark has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy of Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Heidi, and their two children.

Feed Your Faith is proud to present Dove Award-Winning artists Sanctus Real in concert on Friday, May 4th, 2007. Need to Breathe and This Beautiful Republic will open.

Watch the video for Sanctus Real’s: I’m Not Alright

Online ticketing is now closed. The phone line will be open until 5pm. Tickets will be available at the door. COME JOIN US!!!

Details: All tickets will be held at WILL CALL!!! They will not be mailed this close to the concert date. Will Call will open at 6pm on Friday, May 4th. Venue opens at 6:30pm and the concert begins at 7pm.

• Time: Doors open at 6:30pm, concert starts at 7:00.
• Tickets: $14 advance, $16 at the door. Groups of 10 or more $12 each. Groups of 25 or more $10 each.
• Location: High Praises Church, 1601 E. Broadway, Maryville TN, 37804 (Click for Google Map)
• A love offering will be taken for School of Hope and Family Promise.

Register for this event online or by phone:

Purchase tickets online.

Call 865-274-7621 to purchase by phone. Tickets: $14 ($16 at the door) Purchase 10 or more tickets to receive a group rate of $12/ticket! Groups of 25 or more receive a group rate of $10/ticket! ALL TICKETS WILL BE HELD AT WILL CALL!!! WILL CALL WILL OPEN FRIDAY, MAY 4TH, AT 6PM

Editor’s Note: Last month, Feed Your Faith brought New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel to Knoxville. The following are some reflections on the day from Feed Your Faith’s president, Mike Williams:

Yesterday was such a whirlwind of a day. Let me start with a breakdown of our schedule:

• 5:15am - wake up
• 6:30am - pick up Lee at his hotel and drive over to the local Christian talk radio station
• 7 - 7:30am - On Air
• 7:30 - 8am - walk down the hall, on air with the Christian music station

I then sat around the radio station until almost 9 while everyone had all their “drool all over Lee Strobel” moments including talk about “how do I get the book I’m writing published?” to autographs and pictures. It was all very entertaining to sit back and watch.

We then went to breakfast and then I took him back to his hotel so that he could take a nap. I had, after all, dragged him out of bed at 2:30am his time after he had flown all day the day before. I then ran back to the house to pull all my daily internet sales off the computer to add to my “will call” list. Next I ran to the bank to get change. Then I headed back to Cedar Springs Christian bookstore in Knoxville to meet with the bookstore owner and the radio host that was broadcasting live from the book signing we were having from 2-3:45pm. I got to the store at 12:45 and helped set up for the book signing (the remote radio broadcast went on live at 1pm).

The book signing ended at about 3:50 and I then sat through more “drool all over Lee Strobel” moments from the bookstore owner and staff (again very entertaining) and then proceeded to fight rush hour traffic to get to another TV station’s “Live at Five” broadcast in their studio. We finished that up and then drove to the church. I got Lee situated in a hospitality room, shoveled down some BBQ in about 2 minutes (thanks Grace Baptist for catering dinner) then ran out into the halls for the doors to open at 6pm. The event started at 6:30, I suffered through talking on stage for 10 minutes in front of 1248 people (not fun) then listened to Lee talk until 9pm. He signed books for people until about 9:45, I ran Lee back to the hotel, then turned on the UT basketball game on the radio. I switched from radio to TV when I pulled into my driveway. I had my heart broken when UT lost to Ohio State by 1 point after leading by 20 then fell into bed at about 1:30 this morning.

Now for the “real moments”. Lee Strobel is one of the most genuinely “real” people I have ever had the privilege to meet. We sat around breakfast talking about family, home schooling,and friends. Lee’s best friend Mark Mittelberg, FYF’s next speaker, is a homeschool dad and Lee’s daughter is planning to homeschool his grand daughter. We had a conversation about Rebekah (my daughter) at breakfast and how she had received her 5 year shots yesterday. When Lee met Donna (my wife) in the book signing line at 9:30pm (I wasn’t around), he told her “Thanks for letting me steal Mike all day and how are your daughter’s legs feeling today after her shots?” He took the time to talk to everyone he met. He personalized everything he signed. I watched him have a lady come up to him in the book signing line and ask him to keep her son in his prayers. He told her “Why don’t we pray for him right now” and just stopped the book signing to pray with this woman.

Now for the best family moment of the day. Casey Nichols, Donna’s brother, came and listened to Lee Strobel present his “Case for Christ”. Casey has not been involved in church since childhood and is not currently a believer in Jesus Christ. When it was over, Donna asked him if he enjoyed himself. Casey turned to her and said “That was awesome. The band was great (we had a worship band playing while people were coming in).” He then said “I have never heard anyone explain about Jesus like that since I have been an adult. I went to Sunday school as a kid but his talk tonight was great.” My jaw almost hit the floor. Keep Casey in your prayers that last night will find its way into his heart. I am very encouraged by both his willingness to go and by his response.

Feed Your Faith is pleased to announce that award winning journalist and writer, Lee Strobel (Case for Christ, Case for a Creator, Case for Faith) will be appearing at Grace Baptist Church in Knoxville on March 22nd, 6:30pm.

During this evening, Lee will be presenting on two topics:

• Case for Christ: Lee shares his personal journey investigating the historical evidence that convinced him of Jesus’ deity.
• If Jesus Lived in My House: How Christians can talk to others about Jesus.

Doors will open at 6pm. The cost for this event is $20 per person.

For more information on Lee Strobel, read Lee’s bio at his website.

Register for this event online or by phone:

Purchase tickets online.

Call 865-274-7621 to purchase by phone. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a group rate of $15/ticket! Tickets are also available at: all Cedar Springs Christian Stores and “Gifts of Grace” at Grace Baptist.

Hello everyone and welcome to the new Feed Your Faith web site. I just want to give a quick thank you to Michael Wender and wenderhost.com for all of his work getting us up and running.

Allow me a few minutes to let you know a little bit about Feed Your Faith. We are a group of evangelical Christians working collaboratively outside and across denominational lines to engage Christ’s Church in East Tennessee. We are dedicated to bring the best Christian speakers, teachers, and artists to engage Christians and non-Christians in our sphere of influence. In turn, we are donating the proceeds from our events to local missions and ministries in the greater Knoxville area. Our mission is to teach Jesus during our seminars, praise Jesus during our concerts, and to be Jesus to people in our community by assisting area ministries.

So please, continue to visit our website to see our current and future EVENTS. Pray for us as we continue to spread the word of our ministry (and help us spread the word). And if you are able, please visit our DONATIONS page and help us continue to bring high quality events to this area. To join our mailing list for future events or to find out more about Feed Your Faith, visit our CONTACT page.

Our event with Greg Koukl and Stand to Reason in August was highly successful and we can’t wait for the “Walk Thru the Old Testament” seminar on November 18th.

Thank you all for your support and God Bless.

For the Kingdom,

Mike