History
In August of 1987, Mike and DeDe began Tri-State Christian Center in the middle of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia right next to the corners of Tennessee and North Carolina . For the first year and a half, the church met in their home; then for 8 1/2 years a 3,000 square foot metal building was rented. In late 1997, the Lord blessed with the ability to purchase a vacant 9,000 square foot facility that formerly housed a Baptist Church that had since built new facilities a quarter mile away.
In 2006 the Lord led us to get deeply involved in combating the horrendous Methamphetamine epidemic in our area (See “NEWS” tab). Pastor Mike helped spearhead the community efforts as the Chairman for the “March Against Meth” held on Saturday, August 12th. Approximately 3000 citizens representing civic groups, businesses and about 50 area churches marched 1.6 miles that day to declare that we are coming together as a community to work to put an end to this scourge.
As part of our efforts to fight this epidemic, in June we began training members of TSCC with the Living Free Curriculum from Turning Point Ministries in Chattanooga, TN. The Living Free Curriculum is designed to equip churches to apply the principles and lessons learned by Teen Challenge to minister to people with life controlling problems in non-residential settings. We finished training our first group of facilitators in December 2006 and received court approval by Brenda Weaver, the Chief Judge of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit in January 2007. In February we began small-group ministry in support of the Drug Court of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit. At that time, Judge Weaver challenged us to take the Living Free Program into the Fannin County Jail. So, in March we began doing the same small-group ministry once a week in the jail. We added another group in July and another in September and now have Living Free Groups doing ministry three nights a week and available to all residents of the jail. We are currently averaging anywhere from 30 to 60 clients each week attending these groups in the jail.
Additionally, in 2007 at Judge Weaver's request, we stepped out in March to train leaders from other churches and surrounding counties in the Living Free model of ministry. In June we completed this training and added facilitators from this training to the teams going into the jail. The facilitators we trained from Gilmer County to our south are now duplicating our efforts in their county.
One other result of our efforts: We have helped three other surrounding counties plan marches and on Saturday, April 28, 2007, these three anti-drug marches were held simultaneously with over 8,000 residents marching in those counties. Two more counties in this region held marches later that year and maybe we began something of significance. In all these efforts, it has been the churches that have led the way and as we have seen in our county, so much more can be accomplished when the church links arms with Law Enforcement Agencies and the Judicial System.
In its 30th year, TSCC looks confidently to the future and its destiny in the Lord with its Mission Statement: Equipping Christians in the Tri-State area to fulfill the "Great Commission" in the Power of the Holy Spirit!
In 2006 the Lord led us to get deeply involved in combating the horrendous Methamphetamine epidemic in our area (See “NEWS” tab). Pastor Mike helped spearhead the community efforts as the Chairman for the “March Against Meth” held on Saturday, August 12th. Approximately 3000 citizens representing civic groups, businesses and about 50 area churches marched 1.6 miles that day to declare that we are coming together as a community to work to put an end to this scourge.
As part of our efforts to fight this epidemic, in June we began training members of TSCC with the Living Free Curriculum from Turning Point Ministries in Chattanooga, TN. The Living Free Curriculum is designed to equip churches to apply the principles and lessons learned by Teen Challenge to minister to people with life controlling problems in non-residential settings. We finished training our first group of facilitators in December 2006 and received court approval by Brenda Weaver, the Chief Judge of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit in January 2007. In February we began small-group ministry in support of the Drug Court of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit. At that time, Judge Weaver challenged us to take the Living Free Program into the Fannin County Jail. So, in March we began doing the same small-group ministry once a week in the jail. We added another group in July and another in September and now have Living Free Groups doing ministry three nights a week and available to all residents of the jail. We are currently averaging anywhere from 30 to 60 clients each week attending these groups in the jail.
Additionally, in 2007 at Judge Weaver's request, we stepped out in March to train leaders from other churches and surrounding counties in the Living Free model of ministry. In June we completed this training and added facilitators from this training to the teams going into the jail. The facilitators we trained from Gilmer County to our south are now duplicating our efforts in their county.
One other result of our efforts: We have helped three other surrounding counties plan marches and on Saturday, April 28, 2007, these three anti-drug marches were held simultaneously with over 8,000 residents marching in those counties. Two more counties in this region held marches later that year and maybe we began something of significance. In all these efforts, it has been the churches that have led the way and as we have seen in our county, so much more can be accomplished when the church links arms with Law Enforcement Agencies and the Judicial System.
In its 30th year, TSCC looks confidently to the future and its destiny in the Lord with its Mission Statement: Equipping Christians in the Tri-State area to fulfill the "Great Commission" in the Power of the Holy Spirit!