ABOUT
CONNECTREE

Here's a little bit (okay, maybe a lot...) about our organization and our mission.

HOW

IT

ALL

BEGAN.

OUR DISTINCTIVES.

MISSIONARY CARE:

We believe caring for missionaries in a holistic manner is key to encouraging long-lasting ministry built on the foundation of an engaged, prayerful network of churches and individuals who all support the same missionary.

Philippians 4:18

EVANGELISM:

At the core of all our efforts is a heart for sharing the gospel with every nation, tribe and tongue. We endeavor to heed the Lord's command to go and make disciples of all nations, and we work with and support missionaries who are doing just that.

Matthew 28:16-20

SUPPORT FOR THE

PERSECUTED CHURCH:

ConnecTree prays for and supports our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, working with active ministries in Chiapas, Mexico, SE Asia, the Middle East and North Africa

Hebrews 13:3

MISSIONS MOBILIZATION

& DISCIPLESHIP:

We encourage followers of Christ, whatever their age, to engage in God's mission locally and internationally. We provide opportunities to explore missions through short-term trips and connecting people to mission organizations and missionaries to learn more. We also work to raise missions awareness in churches through our Missionary Advocacy Program (MAP).

Matthew 9:37-38

Cheryl Markowitz sharing the gospel with a Rastafarian in Grenada, West Indies when she was 18 years old. It was her first missions trip and it changed her life! Her passionate desire to share the gospel and see people come to know Jesus has never wavered and has culminated in what we do at ConnecTree!

OUR VISION.

To help missionaries have the care and support they need, financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually, to carry out the ministry that God has called them to do.

OUR MISSION.

One of the things missionaries often lack is a connectedness among their support network. Connectree helps take that network to the next level by connecting supporting individuals and churches to each other in an effort to better care for and partner with their shared missionaries on the field. We do this by:

Advocating for missionaries by communicating with and connecting their supporting churches to one another to best care for and support them.
Helping churches care for their missionaries by implementing our Missionary Advocacy Program.
Mobilizing prayer and resources for missionaries' special needs, projects and evangelistic outreaches.
Taking short term mission trips to support the work of long term missionaries.

RELIEF WORK:

(Food, medical, widow and orphan care, disasters)

ConnecTree participates in relief work when missionaries find themselves working in communities impacted by natural disaster, war, food insecurity and medical needs. We raise funds to help make a lasting impact through missionaries who are feet on the ground, hands extended, offering help and the hope of the gospel in times of distress.

James 1:27

Cheryl Markowitz

BOARD PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

Cheryl was saved by grace when she was 17 years old and immediately had a desire to study God’s Word and share the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness with others. She went on her first missions trip right out of high school to Grenada, West Indies with YWAM. That trip changed her life and gave her a desire to serve God in missions. She went on to study God’s Word at Calvary Chapel Bible School in Twin Peaks, CA and then Bible and Music at The Master’s College (now The Master’s University.) From there she served with Operation Mobilization for 1 ½ years in Quebec, Canada, sharing the gospel in French! She has gone on or led multiple missions trips in Mexico, Canada, Latvia, Tanzania, Moldova, Germany and France.

In 2012 she and Dawn Hamrick founded ConnecTree with the vision of advocating and caring for missionaries all over the world. She is currently the Executive Director of ConnecTree.

Cheryl serves at Redeemer Church in Apple Valley, teaching an inductive women’s bible study and is the Missions and Outreach Coordinator there.

Cheryl is a professed “foodie” who loves sushi, milk chocolate and playing ping pong! She has 3 super cute Doxie dogs, Gus Gus, Sadie and Emmie and they take a puppy break around 3:00pm every day piling on the couch for a snuggle! She also enjoys watching Survivor and having coffee dates with friends!

Email Cheryl at cherylm@connectree.org

Forrest Haskins

BOARD VICE PRESIDENT

Forrest is a blessed husband and father. Purity, his bride of 17 years keeps him grounded as they parent their 13-year-old son, Riley Dale, and 9-year-old daughter Crystal Grace. He grew up in Sonoma County attending Bethel Baptist Church with his family. After getting a B.A. in Biblical Studies at The Master’s College (now “University”) in 1992 he put the practical side of ministry to the test in Tanzania during the 90’s. He earned a M.A. in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Mission in 2000, and then one year later was ordained as a Baptist minister at his home church in Santa Rosa. For 21 years total he served as a missionary in Tanzania with Africa Inland Mission International involved in church planting, youth ministry, and leadership development. Due to some timely family needs he returned in 2015 to California and has continued to serve the local church as a pastor to children and families.

Currently he serves as the family pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Santa Rosa, California. His desire is to help young people and their families know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus as the foundation for a lifetime of faith.

He can often be found smashing a tennis ball, hiking a forgotten trail, or hanging out with his kids. Oh, and rarely is there a variety of chocolate he dislikes (Heath bars rule all.) Hot Fudge Sundaes aren’t bad either!

Email Forrest at forresth@connectree.org

Dawn Hamrick

BOARD TREASURER, SECRETARY & CO-FOUNDER

Dawn had the joy of being raised in a home where she was exposed to the gospel from childhood, and has had a wonderful family legacy of faith to follow from several in her family. Coming to faith in Christ at a young age, and reaffirming that surrender at the age of 16, Dawn has been following after Jesus ever since. Dawn studied Bible for one year at The Master's University, and 2 years through an intensive Bible program with Operation Mobilization while serving on the mission ship the Logos II.

She has been serving in ministry and missions roles for over 30 years. She has served in both short and longer term mission teams, has taught ESL, served in youth ministry and lay counseling, and teaches women's Bible Studies at Redeemer Church in Apple Valley, CA. She has experience planning for and training missions teams for short-term trips. And she has a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus and seeing churches come together to help their mission workers be more effective in the field.

In 2012 Dawn co-founded ConnecTree with Cheryl Markowitz, and currently serves as the Board Treasurer and Secretary.

Dawn drinks coffee like it's going out of style and enjoys working on house projects, dabbling at gardening, art and photography, keeping her fish tank looking lovely, and loving on 3 adorable dogs and a couple of tortoises.

Email Dawn at dawnh@connectree.org

Monique Koszty

BOARD ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Monique grew up in Apple Valley, CA, and attended Redeemer Church with her family. She graduated with a BA in Journalism and New Media and Public Relations from California Baptist University in 2016, after which she spent three months in Kenya as a communications intern with Kids Alive International. Upon her return, Monique moved to Illinois to serve with OneWay Ministries as a communications intern and, later, as a writer. She went on several short-term trips to Guatemala, Ethiopia, Ghana, Germany and Greece during this time. Monique also served with Connectree on mission trips to Mexico. Currently, she lives and works in Madrid, Spain, as a Language Assistant and is taking classes toward a Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Bilingual Education degree. She is passionate about partnering with and serving missionaries worldwide as they seek to share the gospel of Jesus Christ while caring for those in need. In her spare time, she can usually be found at a local CrossFit gym or putting in kilometers at one of Madrid’s public parks. Email Monique at moniquek@connectree.org

Chuck Rushing

BOARD MEMBER

Chuck, and his lovely wife Valerie, have been married for twenty-five years this April, 2024. They have five children and eight grandchildren. Chuck and Valerie share the gift of hospitality and enjoy having company over for meals and show their love through their food. Chuck enjoys cooking, whether it is on the smoker, the pizza oven or the stove. Chuck and Valerie spend one Saturday a month cooking for a local non-profit food truck that partners with their church, Redeemer in Apple Valley, CA. Chuck spends his workday working on a public safety radio system for a large county in Southern California and has worked on communication systems for over thirty years. When not working on communication systems, Chuck and Valerie also own a catering company. Between work and catering they are often washing dishes! Chuck was the former men’s ministry leader at Redeemer Church, and they hosted a small group in their home for six years. Chuck loves the Lord and is excited to serve on the Board of ConnecTree.

ABOUT
CONNECTREE

HOW

IT

ALL

BEGAN.

OUR DISTINCTIVES.

MISSIONARY CARE:

EVANGELISM:

SUPPORT FOR THE

PERSECUTED CHURCH:

MISSIONS MOBILIZATION

& DISCIPLESHIP:

OUR VISION.

OUR MISSION.

RELIEF WORK:

(Food, medical, widow and orphan care, disasters)

MEET OUR BOARD.

Contact Us

ADDRESS

EMAIL

PHONE

ABOUT CONNECTREE

HOW

IT

ALL

BEGAN.

OUR DISTINCTIVES.

MISSIONARY CARE:

EVANGELISM:

SUPPORT FOR THE

PERSECUTED CHURCH:

MISSIONS MOBILIZATION

& DISCIPLESHIP:

OUR VISION.

OUR MISSION.

RELIEF WORK:

(Food, medical, widow and orphan care, disasters)

MEET OUR BOARD.

Contact Us

ADDRESS

EMAIL

PHONE

ABOUT
CONNECTREE