Joy Christian Radio

May 30, 2017

Report of the Vernon Slate Memorial Building Fund
From the Engineering Department of Joy Christian Radio
Tullahoma, TN

Dear friends and supporters:
We are thrilled to report some stellar progress in the fund raising efforts launched during our recent “Go Reach Your World” Share the Joy Celebration back in early April! If you will remember, we set an engineering fund raising goal of $7,000 in order to build the new CCM Online radio station and to get a piece of equipment repaired that we need to have done.
We were able to raise the entire $7,000 by late April! A local church, Calvary Baptist Church in Tullahoma, stepped up to the plate and made a $3,000 contribution to finish out the entire amount! Others gave sacrificially to help us accomplish these engineering tasks!
The CCM radio station went online formally on Friday, May 12 at Noon Central Time! In order to accomplish this, we had to renovate or build the following computer / switching components:
The “on air” file server had to be replaced with a much faster and more efficient server that would handle all three networks simultaneously. We purchased and refurbished (in house) a used Dell Poweredge Model T-320. We added a full set of new hard drives, increased the memory and serviced the unit. We are very pleased so far with its performance!
We had to replace several of the computer workstations that were showing their age. Failure to do so would cause failure at some point, so we bit the bullet and did all of them.
We purchased and constructed software / computer work stations in rack mount cases to operate the CCM network.
We purchased new audio processors (total of 3) for all three networks. This makes all the equipment uniform and moves us from the old, worn out analog processors we had to modern digital-controlled processing for all three networks.
We built a new and faster Intranet structure to handle the added traffic of the third network.
We paid the Internet fees for the new CCM station for 2017.
We purchased a huge addition to the music library as our existing CCM library was mostly older (but good!) music. We are still adding to the CCM library every week!
We built a new scheduler workstation, new play-to-air workstation and added processing, switching, Distribution Amps and all the needed switching and equipment needed to be able to “go live” at any time we choose.
We reworked the entire Scheduling Workstation console that houses all three schedulers. Classic Gospel, Bible Talk and CCM are housed together in a place where the programming and remote functions can be easily accessed, plus we now have a workstation where a person can work with the schedulers directly. It’s a much needed improvement in that part of the equipment!
That’s the report concerning the construction of the CCM station! We couldn’t be more thrilled with the response! It has been really good thus far. We ask you to continue to pray as we build this new radio station into a new network to run alongside our existing Classic Gospel Network!
The total cost of building the CCM network and all the related work that was done did create a cost overrun as much of the equipment we purchased was more expensive than our estimates indicated. As a result, we have not yet had the Crown Transmitter sent in for repair, but we do still have part of the funds in reserve to get that done. We hope to get that done very soon, the Lord willing! The balance in the VSMBF is $1206.43, and we need a total of $2,000 in order to get the transmitter repaired.
It’s been quite a banner time of progress in the life of Joy Christian Radio! Never in our history have we had such an ability to start a new radio outreach AND refurbish our file servers and workstation computers PLUS replace key components that make our sound better all at once! The new sound of all of our stations and online streams is better than ever! We’re praising God for His provision and for the wonderful improvements!
Please accept my thanks for all the support you gave us! We simply cannot do this alone! But, together, we can reach more and more people globally with the Gospel of Christ! I’m looking forward to some wonderful new reports as to how many people are listening to our new station! Be sure to tell someone about Joy Christian Radio’s CCM Station! Online at our website (www.joychristianradio.com) and via the Tune In App, wherever it is found! (Now on Roku TV devices!).

Submitted by:
Ed Smith,
President / Founder / Chief Engineer
Joy Christian Radio

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Part One of a Series
By: Ed Smith

I once had a Pastor stop by the studios asking about the possibility of getting a broadcast on our stations. After I shared the requirements and time availabilities, the two of us had a further discussion. It went like this:
Pastor, “If we decide to come on with your station, how many listeners to my broadcast can you guarantee me?”
Ed, “Absolutely zero. We cannot guarantee you a single listener.”
Pastor, “then why should we come onto your station?”
Ed, “Simple. Because God has called you to reach the world for Christ. Let me ask you a question, Pastor. How many listeners can you promise to bring to the station when we put your broadcast on the air? After all, we will be pulling 30 minutes of Gospel Music and replacing it with your broadcast. We will lose listeners just because the music goes away. So, can you guarantee me that your broadcast will be popular enough to bring in a replacement audience?”
Pastor, “I get your point.”
If I’ve learned anything at all in 40+ years of Christian Broadcasting, it is that the most important thing in any venture for Christ is that we remain faithful to God’s calling and His direction. If we ever stray from that, no amount of “popularity” will replace it or fulfill God’s plan for our ministries. However, if we remain faithful and are willing to BUILD a ministry from zero, He will bless us! When we started Joy Christian Radio back in 2000 and leased that first radio station in 2001, we had zero listeners! But, through a lot of “blood, sweat and tears,” we now have a wonderful local audience in Tullahoma and Jasper, GA areas, plus we are reaching all 50 states plus 93 foreign countries with the Gospel! And, it happened because people believe in the Great Commission and are willing to work together to make it happen.
True Christian Radio is a partnership between people who share a passion to get the Word of God into the hearts of people! Anybody, including Country, Rock and Roll and a plethora of other secular-formatted stations can sell (or purchase) “religious airtime” to “preachers,” but a true partnership between people of God is a powerful thing! The wise Preacher, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:12 (b) “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” In other words, when ministries work together in this thing we call “The Great Commission,” where Jesus Himself commanded us to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel….,” it is much more powerful than the sum of us going it solo.
Joy Christian Radio is a ministry. We are NOT a business! We are a non-profit organization whose goal is to spread the Gospel. We do that through media ministry, terrestrial radio stations that reach a local area and via the Internet that reaches all over planet earth. We live and work by faith. We support churches and depend on churches and individuals to support us. We are not in it to make money, but we have a healthy attitude about money! We know it takes money (and lots of it!) to do what we do, but God, through His faithful people, provide the way forward.
One thing that I would love to see changed! The unhappy fact is that many (in fact, I should say “MOST”) churches do not support this ministry! We have a precious few churches who regularly support Joy Christian Radio. Now, many church members of those churches do support us individually, but actions of support taken by the entire church body or parts of that body generally are not involved in this mission outreach! It has not always been that way, but indeed it is now.
Let me conclude this post with a simple challenge. Would you pray about recommending to your church, your Sunday School class, your ladies or men’s groups, youth groups, or other groups within your church to support Joy Christian Radio? It’s amazingly simple how you can do this. Here are a few suggestions:
1) Put a jar or piggy bank of some kind in your Sunday School and ask people to contribute to it every time you meet. At the end of the month, collect the money and use it to support the MISSIONS outreach of Joy Christian Radio.
2) Take up a special offering on a designated Sunday, Sunday evening or whenever you choose to support the MISSIONS outreach of Joy Christian Radio.
3) Recommend that your church designate an amount to send to support the MISSIONS outreach of Joy Christian Radio.
4) Use your imagination and think of creative ways to support the MISSIONS outreach of Joy Christian Radio, and let us know what they are! We’d love to share your creative ideas with others!
If we work together, we can win people to Christ, encourage, edify and equip the Body of Christ and thus fulfill the Great Commission more effectively than any other way we could possibly get it done. It’s all about getting the Gospel out. So, let’s get together and make a real difference!

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States of America rendered one of its most damning judgments ever when these nine people legalized the killing of innocent babies in their mother’s womb.

Abortion.  It remains a scourge on the face of America as some 60 MILLION babies have been slaughtered in the name of “choice.”

I had the privilege to speak to a wonderful Christian woman whose past was checkered with abortion and sin until Christ came into her life and healed her.  Mindy Lefaucheur came to Joy Christian Radio for a visit, and we went into the production room to record her story.  Later, her daughter, Courtney, came and we interviewed her as well.  Courtney is one of four pregnancies that did not end up in abortion.  The Interview with Mindy was aired on the radio station, but unfortunately, we needed a “second session” with Courtney to finish it and we couldn’t get it.  I included the “raw” interview with Courtney here as well as the interview of Mindy that aired on January 20, 2017 (inauguration day!).

I pray these interviews touch your heart and give you hope.  There is life beyond the death of abortion.

Mindy Lefaucheur Interview as aired on Joy Christian Radio

Courtney Lefaucheur Interview – rough, unedited recording

2015 was been a banner year for Joy Christian Radio!  God is blessing our ministry and we continue to see steady growth on all fronts.  Here is an “end of the year report” containing a partial list of the accomplishments our ministry made this year, and a list of goals for 2016.  These are in no certain order.

• Our second FM radio station went on the air on August 26 at 4:15PM EST! WLYY, 88.3-FM in Jasper, GA (about 50 miles due North of Atlanta) is on the air and we are totally thrilled!  We have made contact with several churches, but have only had opportunity to visit one local church so far.  Our plans for 2016 are to visit more churches in that area!  Please pray that many people are touched by the ministry of this new Joy Christian Radio station!
• Joy Christian Radio has finally been able to bring on a much needed part time employee working in the office! We welcomed Melissa Doak to the staff earlier this year.  She has been and continues to be a huge blessing to our ministry!  She is an uncanny match for our needs and her dedication and love for this ministry makes her the perfect addition to our staff.
• The Joy Christian Communicator was born in December, 2015 with the inaugural edition! Our official newsletter was a long time coming, but with its birth comes a new way for our listeners and supporters to keep up with the latest news about the ministry along with inspirational messages and other interesting things.  If you haven’t signed up yet, just go to the newsletter page on this website, fill in the info requested and you will get the next edition in your email box!  If you don’t have Internet and wish to get a printed copy, call our office and request it and we will send it to you via US Mail.  The office number is 931.222.1633.
• Our Spring and Fall “Share the Joy” celebrations were both spectacular! We made a lot of new friends and God met our financial needs through our supporters!  We want to thank all of you who prayed for and supported this ministry during 2015!  Without your prayers and support, we couldn’t continue to broadcast the Gospel around the Globe!
• The Internet Ministry of Joy Christian Radio continued to grow in 2015! We saw huge increases in the numbers of people listening to the stations via Internet Streaming, as well as longer times spent listening to the stations on average.  We pray that the seeds planted by this ministry would grow and bear fruit for the Glory of God!
• Our Christmas Card Ministry was a HUGE success this year!  Thanks to our wonderful volunteers and those who donated cash or cards, we were able to distribute some 13,200 Christmas Cards to 22 different facilities in the Tullahoma area!  Each patient at these homes got a different card signed by a different person each of the 12 Days of Christmas ending on Christmas Day.  On the last day, they all got a personal card from Joy Christian Radio’s staff.

Goals for 2016

• We pray for souls in 2016. Our most sincere prayer is that God would speak to people who listen to our radio stations through His Word and that sinners would be brought to Christ and that the Saints of God can find Education, Edification and the Equipping needed to minister to people in this broken world.
• We pray for wisdom as we grow that we may reach more people with the Gospel of Christ! Wisdom to make day to day decisions that impact our ministry’s effectiveness and efficiency.  God’s Wisdom is what we seek in 2016 as we are faced with several needs in our ministry.  Needs regarding the suite we lease in Tullahoma and the electrical problems we are living with until some resolution can be attained.  Wisdom to follow the Lord as doors for expansion to our ministry are presented and which doors we should go through and which doors that might open that are not of God’s direction for us.  Wisdom for avoiding the “potholes” that are on the road we travel.
• We plan to get into more churches in 2016 than ever before if the Lord opens the doors. Marie and I are making ourselves available to represent the Lord first and Joy Christian Radio at churches in our listening area.  Will you pray that we can achieve this goal?  And, if you would like for us to come to your church, please call us and schedule a time!  Our number is 931.222.1633, or email us at info@joychristianradio.com.
• We plan to greatly expand our Christmas Card ministry in 2016 both in the Tullahoma area and move into the Jasper, GA area!  We will need cards, so please remember to buy them while the “after Christmas sales” are going on!

We look forward to the blessings of the Lord through this Ministry He has raised up in 2016!  Happy New Year to you all, and thank you for your support of Joy Christian Radio!!

In Our Master’s Joyful Service,

Ed Smith

Twenty-two years ago this Christmas Season, a very dedicated lady named Nicky Warren and a dear friend followed God’s lead and began to provide Christmas Cards for local Nursing Homes and various other healthcare facilities near their home.  Every year for 18 years and assisting in the 19th year, Nicky carried this ministry forward.

But, during 2012, Nicky’s friend went home to be with Jesus, leaving Nicky alone to carry on this wonderful ministry alone.  Her own health failing, Nicky began to pray that God would somehow work it out to let this wonderful ministry continue.

Early in the Christmas Season in late November, 2013, Nicky came to the offices of Joy Christian Radio in search of a location that would be willing to have people drop off their cards in Tullahoma and inquired if we would agree to be one such drop off point.  We immediately agreed.  The ensuing conversation turned very sad as Nicky related the story of her dear friend going home and her inability to get around as she once did.  She told me that she feared this would be the last year she could do the card ministry…..as she looked into my eyes, a light obviously came on….and she added, “unless someone like you were to take it over!”  A huge smile came over her face, and somehow, I had a peace in my heart about the idea.

Immediately on that day, we agreed to take over the Christmas Card ministry.  Aided by Nicky’s expertise and knowledge of the intricacies of contacting nursing homes and so forth, we distributed almost 8,000 cards that year, a drop of several thousand cards because she wasn’t able to do the level of preparation as in the past.

When time came to prepare for the Christmas Card Ministry in 2014 came around, Marie called Nicky’s home and was informed by her husband that she had suffered a massive stroke and could no longer talk or walk.  The vast majority of the contact information and other vital things needed to do the card ministry was in her head, and we now would never know how she had done things.  So, we did the next best thing.  We got on the phone and called nursing homes and facilities in the area with no guidance, no leads as to a contact person and no list of facilities she’d served in the past.  In spite of the confusion, we were incredibly busy that season, distributing almost 10,000 cards.  We were elated!

Now, it is time for the Christmas Card ministry for 2016!  And, we’re ready!  At this point, the numbers of facilities is still growing!  We are headed for 12,000 cards or more with no end in sight yet!  It is completely amazing!  This Christmas Season, we remember Nicky Warren and her vision to bring some Christmas Cheer to some lonely people who are in nursing homes during this season of Joy and God’s Love.  Thank you, Nicky for your vision and for 18 faithful years Sharing the Joy of Christmas!  It is an honor to follow in your footsteps.

I’m sure there are many reading this blog who are unfamiliar with what our Christmas Card ministry does.  We provide one personally signed Christmas card each of the “12 Days of Christmas” (ending on Christmas Day) to each resident at approved facilities.  Joy Christian Radio oversees this ministry and it is carried out by our staff and a handful of faithful volunteers.  Many people give cards or cash donations to help us make this huge undertaking a reality.  Plus, we will start after Christmas with all the “after Christmas clearances” putting back cards for next year.  It’s the best time to buy cards!

It is our desire at Joy Christian Radio to sponsor other such card ministries in other cities!  But, in order to do that, we need your help!  We can assist with getting cards, but we need someone in each area we are doing this to contact facilities, get people to sign cards and to take the bundles of processed cards to these facilities in time to have the personnel distribute them for Christmas!

Interested?  If you would like to help us start a Christmas Card Ministry in your area, please call our office and talk to Marie or Melissa!  The office number is 931.222.1633.

Merry Christmas!  May the Joys of Christmas be yours!
In Our Master’s Joyful Service,
Ed Smith
Joy Christian Radio

She actually did it!  My sweet wife, who heretofore has vowed and declared she would never lend her voice on the radio (and I can count on one finger the number of times we successfully “conned” her into going on the radio)….has now recorded a full-length promotional spot for our Christmas Card Ministry!  OH MY!  She sounds every bit as good as I tried to convince her she does…..(of course, she had a great coach!  lol…)

Please go to my Facebook page and tell me what you think of Marie’s Christmas Card spot!  If you are not on my friends list, send me a request!

Our “Share the Joy” celebrations are always lots and lots of fun and fellowship!  This past April , we had Cub Scout Pack #562 from Tullahoma paid us a visit, and they had some wonderful things to share with us!  Enjoy!

Our next Share the Joy celebration is scheduled for November 2-6, 2015.  I can’t wait!!

Recently, Terry Tidwell (writer of “God will Make this Trial a Blessing”), along with his wife Vickie and James Fuller got together at the studios of Joy Christian Radio for an interview and recording session.  Here is one of the wonderful things that came as a result of that meeting!  OUR NEW CUSTOM JINGLE!

How well do you know your Bible?  It seems the average American is Biblically illiterate, according to a study from Barna Research.  CBN News did an article on this some time back that I stumbled on, and it is eye opening!  This article was based on and  inspired by that news story from CBN News:
Some Christian leaders say this generation is the most Biblically illiterate in history. The problem: young Christians are guiding their lives by popular culture instead of Scripture.  The consequences are devastating, not just for the Church, but for society as a whole.  CBN News spoke at random to young people on the beach:
CBN News: Can you name three of the 10 commandments for me?
Young Man: Nope.
CBN News: Can you name one of the 10 commandments for me?
Young Man: Nope
“Can you name the first book of the Bible?” they asked another young man.  “Testament,” he replied.
To a young woman, they asked, “Do you think you can get to heaven by doing good works?”
“I think there are pearls in heaven, like a bonus point, you know,” she replied.  Americans Biblically Illiterate
It’s clear that many Americans — including Christians — don’t know their Bible.   Just look at the numbers from this recent Barna Survey and study:
More than 60 percent of Americans can’t name either half of the Ten Commandments or the four Gospels of the New Testament.
Some 80 percent including “born again” Christians believe that “God helps those who help themselves” is a direct quote from the Bible.
31 percent believe a good person can earn his/her way into heaven.
And, most self-proclaimed Christians don’t believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit actually exist.
Although the Bible is very clear about the sinless nature of Christ, 22 percent believe that Jesus sinned while he was on the earth.
“I don’t think he was sinless altogether, no,” one young man said about Jesus.  “What do you base your belief on,” we asked. “My opinion,” he said.

Now, if you are wondering how this has impacted our society, just read the news.  School shootings.  Legalized homosexuality and homosexual “marriage.”  Homosexuals in our society being hailed as “brave” and “leaders” who announce their homosexuality publicly.  Christians being ostracized and pushed back into the four walls of their churches while being forbidden to practice their religious beliefs in public.   Businesses and individuals being forced to buy insurance that includes items that violate their Christian beliefs such as abortion-causing drugs.  All this, and I’m just getting started.

So, what do we do?  It’s simple, actually.  We read the Bible and pray.  A genuine relationship with Christ will make a difference in your life, and in the lives of everyone you come in contact with.  Then, it will spread to others and the Christian nation we knew and loved will return.  But, only if we do what the Bible says to do.  2 Chronicles 7:14.

You are loved with an everlasting Love.  Jesus died for you, and He lives in Heaven making intercession for you even now.  Why not give your heart to Him right now?  It will be the best thing you have ever done in your entire life.
In Our Master’s Joyful Service,
Ed Smith

I hope and pray that each of you reading this has a wonderful New Year and that 2014 finds you closer to God than you’ve ever been before!

As I reflect over 2013, I first realize that today is the one year anniversary of our residence in Tullahoma! I can say that I couldn’t have asked for a better or more wonderful year! Although 2013 was very challenging at times, God was always by our side and always made provision for us. Relocating ourselves and Joy Christian Radio simultaneously was a huge challenge that took an entire month to complete, but God helped us to accomplish it, and the work of building our new studios and setting up our new home was in full swing by the first of February. As the year progressed, many obstacles and even attacks of the enemy of our soul came, but God always provided a way out and the defense necessary to stand against the forces of evil that tried so hard to stop our work and mess up our lives. In spite of the obstacles, attacks and setbacks, Joy Christian Radio was able to accomplish several wonderful milestones. God helped us to put another station on the air in early September, to sell our final “investment” station and use the proceeds to upgrade our computer and on-air systems during the summer months, to create and put the Bible Talk Network on the Internet, to accomplish the renewal / repair of our main transmitter at Tullahoma giving us a signal that reaches every part of our licensed coverage area, and to end the year with a 25 Days of Christmas celebration that was among the most successful promotions we’ve ever done! Add to that the multiple and countless calls, letters, emails, Facebook posts and messages, personal contacts, visits and the many other ways that people contacted us to let us know that the radio ministry was a blessing to them plus all of the financial support we received to help us carry on our ministry work and you will see the abundance of God’s blessing. Also, you will quickly have to admit that Himself had God opened up the doors of Heaven and poured out that blessing that He promised throughout the year that we couldn’t even contain. Yes, indeed, 2013 was a banner year for us personally and for Joy Christian Radio.

God is Good. We are abundantly blessed, and we look forward to another year of God’s blessings as we proclaim the Gospel of Christ to our world. Remember that you are loved with an everlasting love…and we love you, too. Happy New Year everyone!

Ed Smith, Joy Christian Radio