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December 2012

Letter from Ken & Gabe There is no doubt that 2012 has been an incredible year of ministry. We have seen God work in the lives of thousands of people throughout the United States. We are indeed grateful for the work He is doing in our midst. Much has changed throughout Connect Ministries in 2012 – offices have changed and expanded, three full-time staff members were added, staff members have taken new roles inside the organization, a new phone system has been installed, more warehouse space has been acquired, etc. One thing has remained consistent… our desire to help churches connect with their community. It is our hope to see the number of people impacted with the message of Jesus Christ only increase in 2013 and we believe it will happen. We send you this magazine respectfully asking you to help meet our needs for 2013. Whether you are new to Connect Ministries, or whether you have been partnering with us for our entire six years of existence, we hope that you will be encouraged by the amazing stories of what God is doing. God is certainly orchestrating something special through Connect Ministries and we give Him all the glory for His mighty work among us. We are humbled by those of you who have partnered with us along this journey and are aware that we could not move forward without your continued prayers and financial support. Thank you for believing in the vision of Connect Ministries and helping make it a reality so that thousands of people can hear the message of Jesus Christ.

Your teammates in Christ,

Ken Thomas and Gabe Norris

ContentsVision and Values ........3

map ..............................4-5

Office Update .............6-7

race Update ...............8-9

basketball Update .10-11

camps Update .......12-13

We Need Your Help ....14

How to make a contribution ................15

32 | www.connect-ministries.com

We accomplish our vision by:Providing intersections – Partners strategically positioned to have meaningful interaction with families of all ages in the community.

Equipping leaders – Partners experience the training they need to effectively implement their role in the upcoming camp or event.

Developing strategies – Partners execute a turn-key camp or event by adhering to professionally designed plans we provide. The values that drive our organization are:

Innovation – We create things that are unique, fresh and new.

Excellence – We take pride in the distinct value of our products.

Celebration – We enjoy moments together when our collective team experiences a win.

Relationships – We prioritize people.

Integrity – We strive to do the right thing at all times. Our vision and values are the heart of connect ministries. They are the reason why we exist and the philosophy behind our work. Through our vision and values we provide three products to local churches.

Connect Race: 32 communities hosted a race in 2012 and 5,000+ runners participated.

Connect 3on3: 5 communities hosted a basketball tournament in 2012 where 1,000 players competed and 7,000 family members participated in the Family Fun Zone.

WinShape Camps for Communities: 63 communities hosted camp in 2012 and a total of 14,539 registered to attend. Over 35,000 family members were served a free meal at Chick-fil-A Friday Family Fun Day.

cONNecT’s Vision and ValuesConnect Ministries exists to resource churches to connect with their communities. Everything we do on a daily basis ultimately serves that purpose. Our vision not only determines our direction, but it also serves as a filter to help our team make wise decisions for the future.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Connect Ministries @connectmini

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Connect Ministries Event Map2012

4 | www.connect-ministries.com

NuMbER of CaMPS

NuMbER of RaCES

NuMbER of baSkEtballtouRNaMENtS

Anticipated Camper Numbers - 15,750 Anticipated Chick-fil-A Friday Family Fun Day Attendees - 39,375 Anticipated Scholarship dollars - $600,000

NuMbER of ChICk-fIl-a RaCE SERIES - 20 Anticipated Runner numbers - 10,000

NuMbER of RaCES - 15 Anticipated Runner numbers - 7,500

NuMbER of RICk aND bubba loCatIoNS - 2 Anticipated Player Numbers - 1,000 Anticipated Fun Zone Numbers - 8,000

NuMbER of baSkEtball touRNaMENtS - 5 Anticipated Player Numbers - 2,000 Anticipated Fun Zone Numbers - 12,000

fuNDRaISINg - $250,000

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95,625NuMbER of PEoPlE attENDINg a CoNNECt MINIStRy EvENt

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New Staff bIOsbRaNDoN CulluM: Brandon grew up in Oxford, Miss., and graduated from Georgia Tech where he studied engineering. He currently attends the New Orleans Theological Seminary at the extension center in Atlanta. He will graduate with a Master’s of Divinity during the summer of 2013.Brandon currently lives in Athens, Ga., where he has been serving WinShape Camps Leaders in Training program for several years. Drawing from his past work experience at General Electric, he focuses on the research and development of Connect Ministries Events division. Brandon has served in camp ministry for 4 years as a Recreation Director and Camp Director.

katIE uNDERWooD: Katie grew up in Tucker, Ga., and graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs. Katie has been with Connect since 2011 serving on the Events team. She also served 5 summers with WinShape Camps for Communities as a Team Time Leader, Recreation Director, and Director. Katie currently lives in Athens, GA and attends Athens Church. Katie leads the Execution & Community Marketing team for the Events division serving as an Event Coordinator. Katie met her fiancé, Will Marshall, while serving with WinShape Camps. They will marry in March of 2013.

WIll MaRShall: Will grew up in Ellijay, Ga., and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Will served as a campus minister at the University of West Georgia for one year, and worked with WinShape Camps for five summers as a Team Time Leader, Production Director, and Camp Director. Will has been in the Connect Office since 2011 and primarily works with the WinShape Camps for Communities team organizing the behind the scenes operations. Will currently leads the Logistics Team and serves as a Coordinator. Will now resides in Athens, Ga., and is active in Athens Church. Will met his fiancé, Katie, while serving with WinShape Camps and they will marry in March of 2013.

Introduction to our Ministries We are overwhelmed with narratives of grace and redemption that continue to arrive in our office. When we consider how good God has been to us, and see the stories of life-change through Connect Ministries—it is humbling. God has been good, and we want to share just a few highlights from the year. We hope the stories in the pages that follow will encourage you as they have encouraged us.

In an effort to establish and maintain intentional relationships with event hosts, Connect Ministries has increased its home team. We are excited to announce that Brandon Cullum, Will Marshall and Katie Underwood have joined our full-time staff. Brandon and Katie joined Connect Events as the product development coordinator and as event coordinator respectively. Will serves WinShape Camps for Communities as the logistics coordinator. We have also added to our LIT, leaders in training, program with new apprentices and interns. Amanda Butts, Josh Deaton, Zach Malone and Kendell Miller serve as apprentices with Connect Ministries, and both Stephen Sowell and Whitney Stancil as apprentices for WinShape Camps for Communities. Five interns also joined our office this year—Joanna Fazio and Stephen Terry for Connect Events, and Karin Olson, Alison Rice and Sallie Zehna with WinShape Camps for Communities.

Consider contributing to our team as we gear up for 2013! See more on page 14.

Our growing family exceeded our office space. With a cramped workplace bursting at the seams, we expanded our lease and added a new suite to our current headquarters. This unit expansion includes four offices, a small conference room, and space for six to ten workstations. Along with this new suite, we upgraded our phone system to the modern and intelligent communication system, Fonality. Both the expansion and the phone installation occurred in early October. As we stand back and look at 2012, it is hard to believe that just a few years ago Connect Ministries was a two-man ministry that met in a shoe warehouse. The Lord has been good to us... to Him be the glory!

Meet the connect ministries Family

6 | www.connect-ministries.com

The Chick-fil-A connect race seriesConnect Race experienced an explosive year in 2012 as we hosted 24 events in our Chick-fil-A Connect Race Series network. This Race Series gave us the honor to partner with Chick-fil-A Owner/Operators across the country as well as strategic church partners. In almost every instance, our event served as a lightning rod for philanthropic awareness and financial giving. More than $100,000 will be raised this year within our Race Series network alone. We are humbled to be part of many great stories of charity and missional living. Next year, this event franchise will look to accomplish new goals and grow its young success from 2012.

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The Future for Connect Race As we look back at this year’s numbers we are excited about the future for Connect Race. Since 2011, we witnessed an overall increase in race event activations by 100%. By the New Year, we will have hosted more than 7,000 runners in 2012. From a numeric perspective this is humbling. Connect Race has truly emerged as a tried and true event property that fits into the overall vision of Connect Ministries— to resource and equip churches to intersect with people in the community. In 2013 we will host 45 or more race events, including our popular Chick-fil-A Connect Race Series. Please be sure to follow Connect Race in the days to come.

While some people run our races for fitness or pleasure, Amy Peavy-Smith runs for her son. Shortly after her son, Taggert, was born, doctors discovered that he had 4 defects to his heart known as Tetrology of Fallot, along with a special bone structure on his right foot. Amy’s family soon received more shocking news as they learned Taggert also had Tracheal Stenosis, a birth defect in which his airway was composed of cartilage rings instead of normal tissue that gave him an inability to properly breathe or grow. Taggert’s first six months began with open heart surgery, residence in ICU, and life support. More attempts were made to repair holes in his heart, collapsing lungs, and various struggles with side effects. During that time, running became Amy’s place of serenity, therapy, and prayer as she tried to be a mom to both her newborn and older son. As painful as it was, running helped Amy cope with the feeling of “having to see the staff ‘work’ on your child as they escort you out of the unit.” The 2011 Athens Chick-fil-A Connect Race Series was the first time Amy and her husband took Taggert out in public for a group event. To Amy, the Connect

races seemed like a great way to let him experience a group but still keep him in his stroller away from contact with other’s germs. Taggert is now over 3 years old and has grown through strokes, 40 surgeries, and is overcoming development delays and speech apraxia caused by the extended hospital stays. Now our spirit points leader, Amy explains, “Thanks to the way Connect is growing, we have had the opportunity to watch coping transform into celebration.” This year Taggert learned to walk, run, and frequently expresses his love for the Chick-fil-A mascot saying, "dance, dance cows!”

Amy Peavey-Smith's Story

8 | www.connectrace.com

Connect Race

in 2013• 35 Chick-fil-A races

• 10,000 runners

• $140,000 raised

connect 3ON3Basketball Update Connect 3on3 Basketball witnessed one of its best years ever in 2012. Our partnerships deepened and participation levels increased. Currently, our most successful events include The Rick and Bubba 3on3 Basketball Tournaments and Family FunZones. The Rick and Bubba Show are a syndicated radio variety duo out of Birmingham, Al., and broadcast in over 70 markets across the U.S. Also, 2012 was the introduction of the Chick-fil-A Connect 3on3 Basketball Tournaments. These events occurred in Athens, Ga., and Columbus, Ga., with the help of local Chick-fil-A restaurants and gave us great leverage in communities to advance our mission. In total, we partnered with nine churches to reach more than 6,000 participants and attendees.

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We have big goals for our basketball events in the upcoming year. In Alabama, we will launch the expanded version of The Rick and Bubba events into a four city tour. Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Montgomery will host our Connect 3on3 Basketball events in conjunction with Cox Media, Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Media. Additionally, each city will present an alliance of church partners that will of course create further intersections in their ministries. Next year will also bring an expansion of our Chick-fil-A Connect 3on3 Basketball franchise as we grow from two events to four or more. Sites are yet to be determined, but conversations are underway as we look to host in some exciting venues around the southeast. We are thankful for our partners and, most of all, thankful for a God who loves us.

August 25th, 2012 Chick-fil-A hosted one of the most successful basketball tournaments in Connect’s history. With more than 100 teams and thousands in attendance, the streets of downtown Athens, Ga., were converted into 16 basketball courts. The day was full of memories, but there was one that stood above the rest. The $10,000 Hot Shot Contest. 4 shots. 24 Seconds. $10,000. Only twice in Connect’s history has someone won, and now we have three. Chris Braswell, 22, an Athens native, won the contest with class and style. After sinking all 4 shots, each with only 1 try, the crowd erupted and rushed the court. Newly minted with a winner’s glow, Chris was speechless as he embraced his mom who was overcome with emotion. It seemed difficult to find a dry eye in attendance. “It was one of my best days in the world,” Chris stated in an interview a few weeks later. “It was a memory that was kept and held and I’m going to cherish it forever.” Those memories leave a lasting impact. Our mission is to equip the church to connect with its

community. While creating a moment for someone to win $10,000 is incredible, we want to leverage it so that those same life-changing moments can be found inside the ministry of the church. Chris Braswell is unique. We run into him around town, we catch up on how he is doing and what life is like after the tournament. We continually learn that ministry is not limited to an event day. This mindset further challenges us to plan intersections, create resources, and train leaders to extend those connections after our events.

The $10,000 Hot Shot

The Future for connect Basketball

10 | www.connect3on3.com

Connect Basketball in 2013

• 8 Tournaments

• 4,000 Estimated Players

• $10,000+ Family Fun Zone

On May 31, seven teams departed from the Mount Berry campus armed with footballs, cooking aprons, pom-poms and faith that God would do amazing things in and through them this summer. And so He did. Spanning far and wide across this great nation, WinShape Camps for Communities experienced unprecedented numbers of churches, campers, and salvation decisions in 2012. We increased our teams from five to seven, allowing WinShape Camps for Communities to travel to 18 more cities than in previous years and help the message of Christ reach a grand total of sixty-three locations. Our camper numbers continue to grow as we finish our fifth summer season with 14,539 campers - an increase from 10,751 campers in 2011. From the Raving Fan Parking Lot on Thursdays to our Chick-fil-A Friday Family Fun Days, more than 9,000 families were able to connect with a church in their community. The super-hero theme for this year’s camp was “The Extraordinaires.” By relying on Ephesians 3:20-21, campers ranging from 1st to 6th grade learned that as God works in them, they are not just ordinary anymore. Children made real-life connections as they learned the theme of the day through camp skills and incorporated them into real-life situations. Chants such as “Don’t just talk it, walk it” not only echoed across recreation fields and gymnasiums, they also reverberated throughout homes as campers learned to make these statements apply to friends, family and their faith in Christ. This summer we were able to lead 549 campers towards salvation. When combining that number with summer 2011, WinShape Camps for Communities has seen more than 1,000 campers make decisions for Christ during weeks of camp alone. This figure does not include the number of families that were reached with the message of the gospel. As one parent wrote, “Camp is so much more than a week, it’s an impact for a lifetime on EVERYONE involved.” As we close our books on another camp season, we look at the numbers not to prove our success, but to show that God is faithful. We are humbled by God’s accomplishments and work with eager hearts towards what he will do next summer.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

An Update from Winshape Camps for Communities

WinShape Camps for Communities anticipates 2013 to be a record breaking year in many different ways. Here is a look at some numbers that we predict and hope to celebrate in the coming summer of 2013. We will be traveling to 72 cities across 13 states. With this many locations hosting camp, we anticipate more than 17,000 1st through 6th graders will attend our day camps. If past years’ trends continue, more than 42, 500 individuals will attend a Chick-fil-A Friday Family Fun Day and experience a camp day with their child. Providing this many opportunities for the local church to build relationships with parents and un-churched families is something that our team could not be more excited about. However, we know that we need the leadership to sustain excellence throughout such growth. Please be praying for the 188 college and seminary students that we hire to lead in those communities. We are also working diligently to prepare those communities and hope to raise more than one million dollars in scholarship money to get children, like the grandson mentioned earlier, to camp. When considering all of this work and potential, it is clear that the upcoming year will be very exciting for WinShape Camps for Communities.

When churches begin to get outside their walls, life begins to change for everyone. This summer, churches all over the country broke down barriers and reached people that others weren’t reaching. Children and families that were far from God were attracted into a community built around Jesus. When an Assistant Director met one particular camper that caused a stir during Team Time, she could have just had him sit quietly and re-think things. Instead, Sallie took it as an opportunity to learn about the camper’s life. The child lived in a local homeless shelter surrounded by brokenness, loss, and insecurity. Fear of the unknown and fear of losing his mother were scary realities. Rather than focusing on the leaves of the issues that arose during team time, Sally was able to listen and learn about the roots that fed his responses. She spent time with him, asked questions, and communicated the hope and security that Jesus embodies. Like any good camper, the child thought about the conversations, and then said, “I want to tell my mom about this.” One week later, that same child passed away in a homeless shelter pool.

When the local pastor visited the family, the grandfather told him that his grandson remembered everything he had learned at camp and had become a follower of Jesus. When the church is resourced to function as a community rather than a building, new relationships are formed, and more importantly, lives are restored. While it is just one of thousands of life-altering stories of from this summer, the experience reminded us that time is extraordinarily valuable. Thank you for praying for WinShape Camps.

Camps breaking barriers

Winshape Camps for communities in 2013

1312 | www.winshapecamps.org

The Future for WinShape Camps for Communities

• 72 cities

• 13 states

• 17,000 anticipated campers

• 42,500 estimated Friday Family Fun Day attendees

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We Need YOUr Help How to make a

cONTrIbUTION

As always, 2012 has been a year of very tangible needs for fulfilling the work God has called us to through Connect Ministries. Thankfully, it has also been a year of needs met.

Perhaps one of the most pressing necessities of the year was a new vehicle. While a generous family donated a Crown Victoria in 2007 (top photo), the automobile needed to enter retirement. However, because of your willingness to provide financial assistance we were able to invest in a 2010 Ford Taurus (bottom photo).

We are so excited that we can anticipate all aspects of Connect Ministries to experience continued growth in 2013. However, this also means that we will have additional needs. These are real requirements not just “nice additions.” We have thought through and listed a few of these needs below:

• An additional vehicle (we have many more people traveling and need additional transportation)

• Computers for new staff

• Additional equipment for Connect Race (computers, timing kits, etc.)

• New copier for the additional office space

• Office furniture for our new warehouse office

• Additional equipment in our warehouse to maximize space and increase efficiency

• Software to help manage our warehouse inventory

This list is just a sample of the items we are going to need in 2013. We are asking each of you to help us.

According to our calculations, we will need to raise $75,000 in order to purchase the items above (and others) in an effort to meet the coming year’s anticipated demands.

As you consider your end of the year contributions, please prayerfully consider financially supporting Connect Ministries. It will most likely take several large donations along with many smaller contributions to satisfy the needs presented above, and we hope that you can all help us advance the mission of resourcing churches to better connect with their communities.

Thank you for giving to Connect Ministries and for your continued prayers.

Your Teammates in Christ –

Ken Thomas Gabe Norris

ViSiT our website at

www.connect-ministries.com/donate for a secure donation using any

major credit card or Paypal.

RETuRN the enclosed envelope to

P.O. Box 453, Nolensville, TN 37135

Join us in PRAyiNg

for God’s continued guidance and provision for Connect Ministries.

14 | www.connect-ministries.com Connect Ministries is a 501c3 not-for-profit ministry

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Make your contribution today—visit www.connect-ministries.com/donate or return the enclosed envelope to P.o. box 453, nolensville, tn 37135.