Connect Newsletter – Note From The Pastor (01-25-2025)
January 25, 2025 / Connect UMC / Comments Off on Connect Newsletter – Note From The Pastor (01-25-2025)
A Message From Pastor AdamHello Church Family!It has been a while since you have heard from us in the newsletter format. We are excited to be reaching out to you again in this way so you can stay up to date with what is happening at Connect Church. I hope you will take the time to scroll through this newsletter and see what is happening! Tomorrow is our annual chili cook off/dessert bake off. This is always a fun event, be sure to bring your appetite and prepare to vote for your favorite. All proceeds raised will go to benefit those who are in need.
Speaking of need, the fires in California continue to cause unprecedented damage to property and lives. The United Methodist Church has a strong connection with our churches in California and around the world. It can be tricky to know where and how to give to be most helpful. The United Methodist Church has a long and reliable history of responding to disasters around the world. If you feel led to contribute to the recovery efforts in California, be sure to click on the link found below.
In addition to our cook offs tomorrow we are also launching a new sermon series titled “Building Bridges.” We all know that marriages, friendships, and family all suffer from brokenness. However, bridges can be built and wounds healed. I hope you will join us tomorrow at 10:30 AM to take this journey with us.
My Christ bless you all, and I hope to see you soon!
Pastor Adam Ricks
* What’s scary about a group of women throwing axes? Absolutely nothing! This event is always such fun, great exerise, and lots of laughter throughout. All adult women of ConnectUMC are invited to join us for this month’s event. * Where: Urban Tomahawk Axe Throwing, 14402 N. Lincoln Blvd., Edmond, OK 73013 Pizza provided. * Please bring your own non-alcholic beverage and snacks to share with the group. (Facility does not have any food/beverage options available) * Cost: $27.00 plus sales tax per person, paid at venue – 1 Hour Event * Please RSVP to Sasha Dinkins (sasha@connectumc.org) before Saturday so she can reserve enough lanes.
Current Sermon Series, click image for more details
Sundays January 26th – February 16th, 2025 at 10:30am Marriages, friendships, and family all suffer from types of brokenness. But bridges can be built, and wounds healed.
Join us at Connect Church, in person or online, for Sunday worship at 10:30am as we learn to bridge divides and heal wounds together.Already attend Connect? Be sure to invite your friends, neighbors, and associates for this impactful sermon series.Special after worship event on January 26th (approx 11:30am), Connect UMC will be hosting our 6th annual “Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Bake-Off” Competition! Help taste test, cast vote, and see who will have bragging rights for 2025 as our Chili and Dessert making champions.
6th Annual Competition! – January 26th, 2025 ~ Click image for full details
January 26th, 2025, our 6th Annual Connect Chili Cook-Off and Great Bake-Off! It’s back! Have you been planning and gathering ingredients for your special or secret recipes? Great “trophy” (Our own “Championship” Wooden Spoons) PLUS winners get bragging rights for a full year!
Don’t cook? You can still participate. Taste test and cast your vote for all your favorites. (Vote for one, for more than one, heck, vote several times for all the ones you like…..That’s right….you don’t have to vote for just one, it’s a fund raiser after all!) $1 per vote. Starts at 11:30 am (after worship)
How the Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Bake-Off Works: Find out your Mom or Dad’s Secret Chili ingredient is because there are some serious bragging rights at stake! You decide what kind of Chili you want to make: hot and spicy, home style, with beans or without beans, beef, pork, chicken, vegetarian, and so on. The choice is up to you. Must be homemade. Dig out Grandma’s super-secret recipes and join in the fun! You decide what type of dessert you want to make: cake, cookies, brownies, cupcakes or pies. You choose! Must be homemade. It’s free to enter, but please don’t tell which one is yours. All names will be hidden until we announce the winner! All chili entries must be pre-cooked (fully done on arrival) and brought to the cook-off in a crockpot. All Bake-off entries must be complete and ready to serve. Please have entries at church no later than 10 minutes BEFORE the start of worship. Upon entry, contestants will be assigned a numberonly known to the contestant and the cook-off/bake-off organizers. Attendees can test all the different varieties of chili and baked goods and then vote for their favorites. Tasting cups, spoons, forks and napkins will be provided. We will also have all the fixin’s for the perfect bowl of chili! We will have a ticket station to purchase voting tickets. A minimum of $1.00 to vote. Vote as many times as you like! You can also pay for tickets online through church giving link. (Please show any online payment receipt email at the event to get your voting tickets) There will be one 1st place winner for each category (Chili and Dessert). Winner(s) determined by most cash votes received. Online payment link for voting tickets: 2025 Chili-Dessert Competition Online Vote Tickets All money raised will support the Missions’ future events.
Winter 2025 Study Groups – Click Image for details
Interested in short bible study groups? Three new Adult Winter Study Groups are starting January and February 2025 Sign-up information for Short Term Study Groups: Love To Stay – Sunday evenings starting January 26th: 4 sessions, lead by Larry & Dana Dallman The Character Of Love – Thursday evenings starting January 30th: 4 sessions, lead by Susan Grove Lunch With Luke – Sunday after worship starting February 2nd: 6 sessions, lead by Pastor Adam Ricks
Full class information/details are available in brochures found at our “Invitation Station” table or online on our church website (https://connectumc.org/connect-study-groups/ )
If you would like to sign-up for any of these groups, or need more information, please contact our Growing Team chairperson, Dana Dallman at growing@connectumc.org and Pastor Adam Ricks at adam@connectumc.org. Please advise childcare needs at time of registering for study group.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM OKLAHOMA METHODIST BISHOP LAURA MERRILL Friends, As folks in Oklahoma and Arkansas have been staying warm in the snow–and helping neighbors in need do so as well–we know that friends in California are in the grip of terrifying, relentless wildfires. Two churches have been burned, with many others evacuated; California-Pacific Conference Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank was evacuated from her home as well.
We know the power of the connection in these moments, with folks coming alongside those in trouble, through prayer and giving. This crisis is still unfolding, as the fires have yet to be extinguished. Then as always, the road to recovery will begin its long and winding way.
Refer to the links below to stay advised of the situation with our United Methodist family in the California-Pacific Conference. Give to the links they provide–to UMCOR, or to our annual conferences–who will refer donations on. And pray. When we do not know what to think or do, this must be our first step. Pray for those in harm’s way, especially the first responders, and pray for wisdom and willingness to learn and act in healing ways.
