Twelve vans of 65 high school students, 33 middle school students, and 30 adult volunteers and staff headed to Oklahoma City on June 12 for a week of serving others as participants in St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s 2022 Mission Trip. Students were divided into groups that served through three organizations: Mission OKC, Reaching Our City (ROC), and Habitat for Humanity.

“All of the students felt a strong connection to this year’s theme, ‘The Rebuild,’” said Michael Agnew, director of student ministry, St. Andrew UMC. “The theme was tied to the story of Nehemiah who was tasked with rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. He gathered his people together, equipped them, and led them in rebuilding the city walls while ensuring all understood God’s Law. Our students came together in this same spirit of rebuilding not only with the physical building and tasks they completed but also with mental and spiritual rebuilding – reconnecting their lives in community while serving our neighbors in need. The pandemic impacted everyone, and after three years of not having mission trip, it felt so good to be together and watch the life-changing impact of this special week not only on those we served but also on our students.”

At Mission OKC, which provides hope to children and families living in poverty areas across Oklahoma City, students made 300 lunches a day for inner-city children and personally delivered the lunches while inviting the children to join them in the afternoon for Vacation Bible School and activities. The students returned in the afternoons to help pick up the children and take them to Mission OKC. On average, 150 children participated each day.

“We had seven groups working with Mission OKC,” added Agnew. “Our students were blown away at the thought that these children were willing to get on a bus with people they did not know because they knew it was their best option for a meal that day. It was quite a reality check for the students. As the week progressed and the students returned to the neighborhoods going door to door, the parents started coming out, hugging, and thanking the students. Our kids could not quit talking about how cool that was, and they went all in to make sure the kids had an amazing time each day. They set up the activities for the children, led them in worship, and played and connected with them.” 

“We packed tons of lunches, played basketball hoops, had a snow cone machine, and basically just spent each afternoon from 2 – 4 p.m. loving on these kids and having a blast,” said Blake Rossley, 20, a college intern on Mission Trip.

“My favorite part of the Mission Trip was making friends with two of the campers, Christian and Dimari,” said William Wonsmos, age 11. “I noticed that one of them wore the same shirt to camp every day, so on the last day, I gave him one of my St. Andrew shirts. It felt really good to help people and spread God’s love."

At Reaching Our City, a nonprofit that provides resources for impoverished and homeless communities, the students participated in landscaping, laying a gravel driveaway, painting, carpeting, repairing a fence, and laying epoxy on floor. They also worked in a local resale shop helping organize the retail space.

“On the day our students were tasked with laying a gravel driveway, ROC staff thought it would take them an entire day,” added Agnew. “They were done in a couple of hours, which amazed the organizers. These kids worked hard and made an impact everywhere they worked.”

At the two Habitat sites, the older kids worked on construction tasks, including weatherproofing, roofing, and putting up boards.

“You know when people think of mission trips, building projects like this are what they think of,” said Cody Meyers, 18. “But at night and in the mornings, when you get to sit and worship, sing songs, and hear a message, you get closer to God by serving others. There is nothing better than that.”

During mission trip, the group awakens at 6:45 a.m. and begins the day with a devotional at 7:15 a.m. and breakfast at 7:45 a.m. Everyone heads to their worksites at 8:15 a.m. and returns around 5 p.m. for dinner and worship.

“Starting and ending each day with a time of worship really helped set the tone for our group to put Jesus at the forefront of all we were doing,” said Jeff Wonsmos, who volunteered with his son William. “It was really inspiring to watch our kids step out of their comfort zones and befriend the children in the community we were serving.”

"I have always known and loved God, but by serving on the mission trip, I really felt connected to Him,” added William Wonsmos. “Since this was my first mission trip, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had the best week and can't wait to go back next summer.”

“Making earth as it is in Heaven is what we aim to do every day,” said St. Andrew Senior Pastor Arthur Jones. “These kids got a taste of that this week. One mother of a student shared with me that her child discovered on mission trip that there is a better way to live, and they want to feel on most weeks like they did on the trip. On mission trip, the students discover that there is hope and possibility, and we can change the world.”

St. Andrew mission trip participants share their thoughts about the 2022 trip in this video link:

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St. Andrew United Methodist Church began in 1986 in the spirit of its namesake, a disciple of Jesus. The life of the Apostle Andrew embodies the church's mission, which is to invite the Christian-ish and the unchurched to become passionate servants of Christ. The congregation of St. Andrew follows Jesus, lives in relationship, serves others, and takes risks in faith. Worship includes four services each weekend on a 21.2-acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista in Plano, Texas, where more than 2,000 people gather each weekend. Recent renovation allows the Sanctuary to host worship in both Traditional style, with the classic pipe organ, and Contemporary style, with a new LED center screen and lighting technology. Small groups and Bible studies gather on campus and throughout the region every day of the week. Mission opportunities serve our local area, neighboring regions, and global communities. The church has been repeatedly selected as a "Best Place to Worship in Plano” by the readers of the Plano Star Courier. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Visit www.standrewumc.org; call 972-380-8001.

Annual trip gives students an opportunity to make a difference for others in need, make new friends while working together, and strengthen their faith 

St. Andrew United Methodist Church invites students, Grades 6 to 12 and recent high school graduates to sign up for the annual mission trip, Sunday, June 12 to Friday, June 17. More than 100 students and 20 adults will head to Oklahoma City to fix up houses for those in need and partner with multiple local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Mission OKC to serve the community. The week-long trip includes a variety of work projects, fellowship, worship, and fun social activities. The final day of registration is Monday, June 6.

“We are excited to be headed off campus this year as this will be our first out-of-town mission work since the pandemic,” said Michael Agnew, director of student ministry, St. Andrew UMC. “There is nothing like spending days and evenings together and seeing the impact that one week has on the students.  To meet the families that we are helping and see firsthand the joy and emotion in their eyes when our students complete a project at their homes is so rewarding. To see the students make new friends while working hard together at 10 worksites, caring for others, and worshipping together is powerful. This trip is life-changing for our students as much as it is for those we serve.”

This year, the construction projects through Habitat for Humanity will include painting, roof repair, flooring installation, landscaping, demolition, and more. Students will also enjoy working with children in an afternoon Vacation Bible School program with Mission OKC.

Buses will caravan from St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, to Oklahoma City at noon on Sunday, June 17, and will return to Plano by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 17. The cost for students is $550 for students and $350 for adults and college student helpers. The deadline to register is June 6. Register at https://standrewumc.org/students.

“Seeing God working through people in their darkest times is what impacts me the most on the multiple mission trips I have been on,” said Bryce Farnham, 21. “We always need to act and stand up for the faith we believe in. On mission trips you not only learn more about God in your small groups, you also get to know new people as you work together. Mission trips have allowed me to have amazing friendships with five guys who have shaped me into the person I am today.”

St. Andrew United Methodist Church began in 1986 in the spirit of its namesake, a disciple of Jesus. The life of the Apostle Andrew embodies the church's mission, which is to invite the Christian-ish and the unchurched to become passionate servants of Christ. The congregation of St. Andrew follows Jesus, lives in relationship, serves others, and takes risks in faith. Worship includes four services each weekend on a 21.2-acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista in Plano, Texas, where more than 2,000 people gather each weekend. Recent renovation allows the Sanctuary to host worship in both Traditional style, with the classic pipe organ, and Contemporary style, with a new LED center screen and lighting technology. Small groups and Bible studies gather on campus and throughout the region every day of the week. Mission opportunities serve our local area, neighboring regions, and global communities. The church has been repeatedly selected as a "Best Place to Worship in Plano” by the readers of the Plano Star Courier. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Visit www.standrewumc.org; call 972-380-8001.

THE STOREHOUSE OF COLLIN COUNTY’S INAUGURAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (YLC) GAINED VALUABLE AND UNEXPECTED LEADERSHIP SKILLS  AS GROUP ADJUSTED TO MEET GROWING COMMUNITY NEEDS

The Storehouse is now accepting applications for YLC Class of ’23 through April 22

The Storehouse of Collin County recruited 36 student leaders, 9^th – 12^th grades from ten different high schools across Plano and North Dallas, for its inaugural Youth Leadership Council (YLC), launched in 2021. The group began meeting monthly in September with a final meeting on March 26, 2022. Each YLC service day, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., begins with volunteering at The Storehouse’s Seven Loaves Food Pantry and concludes with a council meeting to discuss their experiences serving the neighbors. During this group’s one year of service, the number served at The Storehouse’s Seven Loaves Food Pantry doubled, providing the group with valuable and unexpected skills, enhancing their overall experience.

“Student volunteers have been a big part of The Storehouse’s volunteer base since we were founded in 2009, and our staff remains passionate about developing our next generation of leaders by providing them with important skills to address challenges in our community,” said Candace Winslow, executive director, The Storehouse of Collin County. “By formally establishing the YLC, we knew The Storehouse would be better positioned to provide high school students with leadership experience while fulfilling our mission to feed, clothe, and care as neighbors in one community. Little did we know the breadth of skills this group would learn during their year of service.”

When the YLC members began serving in August 2021, The Storehouse’s food pantry was serving, on average, 250 to 300 neighbors at each 2.5-hour food distribution. Since August, the food pantry numbers have been climbing steadily with the most recent distributions peaking at 550-650 neighbors served.

“The YLC Members have not only responded to the rising needs by serving as volunteers, but they have also learned valuable lessons on operational design and scaling processes to meet increased demand,” added Winslow. “These types of firsthand learning experiences requiring flexibility, adjustments, and problem-solving are ones they will carry with them throughout their careers.”

"One of the most important things I have learned is when you are serving this many neighbors in the same amount of time, every person in the system has to do their job with excellence,” stated YLC Member Noah Ziegelbein. “One mistake or accident, which may not seem like anything big, can influence the entire process. For example, if a bottle of juice falls off the cart and a new one must be retrieved, this creates a chain reaction which includes a backup and disruption for multiple people, affecting efficiency and altering the time it takes to complete service to neighbors.”

In addition to monthly volunteer sessions and council meetings, the YLC members also had the opportunity to flex their problem-solving skills by addressing a specific need for neighbors who visit The Storehouse’s Seven Loaves Food Pantry. The problem-solving project started with a month-long neighbor assessment surveying the most needed toiletries. Once the results were tallied, the YLC members worked on sourcing and distributing toilet paper to pantry visitors in January and February. In total, 4,846 rolls of toilet paper were distributed across four food pantry distribution sessions.

“I enjoyed being assigned a problem to solve, knowing that I am contributing, and being a part of a solution that helps our neighbors,” said YLC Member Nora Dufresne.

Groundwork for the YLC was laid by Plano West student Emmalee Mohler as part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award Project. From 2020 through 2021, during the midst of the pandemic, Mohler and her classmate David Huerta, worked on establishing YLC bylaws and expectations with support from The Storehouse’s Executive Director, Candace Winslow.

All 36 membership spots for the inaugural class were filled within two weeks. Student members were eligible to receive five service hours to accredit to other high school organizational requirements as needed for each completed session for a total of 35 service hours. The students were asked to complete seven monthly service days from September through March with all council meetings held on The Storehouse campus.

“After a year of classes on Zoom, it was great to get together with my peers and to also meet students from other schools,” said YLC Member Blanton Priebe.

Following each volunteer session, students had the opportunity to encourage their peers by nominating them with a note in the Hustle Bucket. Three notes are pulled from the Hustle Bucket, and the specific positive feedback and nominee is recognized.

“Encouragement is one of the core values of our organization,” added Winslow. “The Storehouse team was recognized as one of the top 100 Best Places to Work by the Dallas Business Journal last year, and we were very intentional about transmitting our work culture and values to these student leaders.”

The theme of “wanting to contribute” was a repeated theme in the feedback from members.

“Our students are hard workers and committed to serving with excellence at each volunteer shift,” said Sandy Weissinger, adult advisor for The Storehouse YLC. “During our meetings and discussions, they are insightful, curious and eager to contribute.”

Sign-ups for the YLC Class of ’23 are open now through Friday, April 22 or until all 40 spots are filled. Interested students may apply by completing the form on this page: www.thestorehousecc.org/ylc There is a $25 membership fee to cover Council t-shirt, nametag, and miscellaneous expenses during the year.  Membership fees can be waived if needed.  Student and parent signatures will be required on the application.

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The Storehouse of Collin County provides short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin County in need through the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, and Project Hope. The nonprofit was founded in 2009 under the name of Seven Loaves Community which provided only food pantry staples and grew over the years to meet a variety of needs. Over 1,600 families on average access the Seven Loaves Food Pantry each month. The Storehouse also provides an opportunity to receive clothing at no cost through Joseph’s Coat as well as holistic assessment, counseling, goal setting, and referrals to community resources through the Project Hope relational program. Visit www.thestorehousecc.org. The Storehouse EIN: 27-1883333

Featuring songs of solidarity from some of the finest orchestral musicians across the area as well as St. Andrew’s Chancel Choir

 St. Andrew United Methodist Church invites the community to come together for “United with Ukraine: A Benefit Concert,” on Monday, March 21, 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of St. Andrew, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, in Plano. The concert will feature songs of solidarity from some of the finest orchestral musicians across Dallas and Fort Worth, including members of the Dallas and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, as well as St. Andrew’s Chancel Choir.  All proceeds will go to UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which is actively serving internally displaced people and refugees within and from Ukraine with food, water, shelter, and other needs.

Opening with an orchestral performance of The Great Gate of Kiev, the concert will include music selections from Dmitri Shostakovich, Myroslav Skoryk, John Williams, John Rutter, and more.

“It has been said ‘when words fail, music speaks,’ and this conflict in Ukraine has us all speechless,” said Taylor Davis, Director of Music and Worship Arts, St. Andrew UMC. “My involuntary response, as director of music, is to gather musician friends and create unity and peace through art. Individually, we can’t change the world, but music can help change the molecules in the room, which can change hearts and minds across lines of division.”

Tickets are $50 and $25 and may be purchased online at https://www.standrewumc.org.

“Please join us for this special evening to lift up our brothers and sisters of Ukraine,” said Rev. Arthur Jones, St. Andrew UMC. “This is a unique opportunity for us to come together and raise funds for so many in harm’s way as we hold a vigil with music of hope, peace and comfort.”

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St. Andrew United Methodist Church began in 1986 in the spirit of its namesake, a disciple of Jesus. The life of the Apostle Andrew embodies the church's mission, which is to invite the Christian-ish and the unchurched to become passionate servants of Christ. The congregation of St. Andrew follows Jesus, lives in relationship, serves others, and takes risks in faith. Worship includes four services each weekend on a 21.2-acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista in Plano, Texas, where more than 2,000 people gather each weekend. Recent renovation allows the Sanctuary to host worship in both Traditional style, with the classic pipe organ, and Contemporary style, with a new LED center screen and lighting technology. Small groups and Bible studies gather on campus and throughout the region every day of the week. Mission opportunities serve our local area, neighboring regions, and global communities. The church has been repeatedly selected as a "Best Place to Worship in Plano” by the readers of the Plano Star Courier. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Visit www.standrewumc.org; call 972-380-8001.

A year-long labor of love, providing warmth and comfort to those coming for assistance at The Storehouse of Collin County 

In January, a group of ladies who enjoy knitting and crocheting joined together to form a group called “Scarves for Christmas” to benefit neighbors of The Storehouse of Collin County during the holiday season. Organizers Elizabeth Thomas and Patti Hoff, who are members of St. Andrew United Methodist Church, recruited a group of 40 women from all over DFW including some who were outside of Texas. Because of the pandemic, the group connected over Zoom for the first half of the year to share crocheting and knitting techniques while working on the scarves. They knitted and crocheted a grand total of 621 scarves – each taking about 4-6 hours to craft.

Once all were completed, the scarves were sorted, individually wrapped, and tied with a bow. Each packaged scarf also included a Christmas card with a prayer of encouragement in English and Spanish. On November 10, the group came together for a special blessing of the scarves, led by St. Andrew Pastor Jennifer Arnold.

During The Storehouse of Collin County’s food distribution on Dec. 2 and 4, the ladies placed one scarf on each food cart to give to each family. St. Andrew’s music department provided Christmas carolers, adding to the merriment of the event.

The volunteers who took the food carts out to the neighbors’ cars returned with many stories of gratitude and joy. Many neighbors became very emotional as they received their special hand-crafted gift. According to organizers, one woman teared up and said that wrapping up in the scarf would bring her much comfort and warmth. A man who received a red and green Christmas scarf immediately opened it, put it on and expressed so much joy in this gift that it was infectious to all around him! 

These 40 ladies gave the gift of hope, love, warmth, and joy. Organizers Patti Hoff and Elizabeth Thomas cannot express into words how wonderful this experience was, nor can they adequately express their gratitude to all who spent many hours crafting the scarves. The group plans to organize another Scarves for Christmas project for distribution in 2023!

Blessing of the Prayer Scarves

We remember all those who will receive these scarves:

Those who are lonely and need to know they are loved

Those who are ill and yearn for healing of body, mind and spirit,

Those who face challenging decisions and search for guidance,

Those who are grieving and welcome comforting words and actions,

Those who are celebrating newness of life and rejoice in the warmth and richness surrounding them.

May they find comfort

from all that appears too much to bear at this moment

from all that feels as if it might be the breaking point

from all that seems to threaten their peace of heart.

May this prayer scarf be

A shelter for time of overwhelming grief

A shade in times of sorrow too deep for words

A shield from times of unimaginable loss

May they be sustained

By the presence of those who love and support them

By faith in the eternal Loving One

By the memories of what they hold most dear.

Prayer of Blessing:

May God’s grace be upon this scarf,

Warming, comforting, enfolding and embracing.

May it be a safe haven…a sacred place of security and well-being

Sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones.

May the one who received this scarf be cradled in hope.

Kept in joy, graced with peace, and wrapped in love.

The Storehouse of Collin County provides short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin County in need through the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, and Project Hope. The nonprofit was founded in 2009 under the name of Seven Loaves Community which provided only food pantry staples and grew over the years to meet a variety of needs. Over 2,000 families on average access the Seven Loaves Food Pantry each month. The Storehouse also provides an opportunity to receive clothing at no cost through Joseph’s Coat as well as holistic assessment, counseling, goal setting, and referrals to community resources through the Project Hope relational program. Visit www.thestorehousecc.org. 

ALL PHOTOS BY BEN SKYE