Support the transformative work of The Storehouse of Collin County, help Collin County residents facing hardship, and be a part of the largest community-wide giving event in the nation 

David Huerta, 17, and a junior at Plano West, came with his parents Amital and Sorangel to Plano in 2016. They left the economic and political hardships they faced in Venezuela to start a new life in Texas. Before David's father could secure employment, David's family depended on The Storehouse of Collin County for support from the Seven Loaves Food Pantry and Joseph's Coat Clothing Closet. David has now transitioned from a client to a volunteer serving each week at the food pantry on Wednesdays to help with set-up and on Thursdays as a Spanish translator.  

“It was hard to be in a new country with a new language I didn’t know,” said David Huerta. “We had nothing and had to start a new life. At the beginning we found the Storehouse. I wanted to give back what I got, and I love volunteering and helping people. The volunteers at The Storehouse care about me even though I’m not fluent, and I care about them. At the Storehouse you always see someone smiling, and they are thankful. That really is the thing that keeps me going back. It feels like home.”

“David's journey from neighbor in need, to a self-sufficient member of our community, and finally to a volunteer serving others represents the mission of The Storehouse fulfilled,” said Candace Winslow, executive director, The Storehouse. “The Huerta Family is only one of the over 1,000 families we serve monthly. Your gift of $20 feeds a family, like the Huertas, for almost two weeks based on the food The Storehouse of Collin County is able to provide.”

Over 65,000 Collin County residents (6 percent) live in poverty; 1 out of 5 children (18.4 percent) in Collin County face food insecurity daily; and women ages 18-44 (23 percent) make up the largest demographic living in poverty.

“The number of those needing a helping hand in Collin County is more significant than most imagine and is on the rise,” added Winslow. “The Storehouse saw these needs when we opened our doors ten years ago. With your help we can continue our mission to serve the community by providing food through Seven loaves food pantry, clothing for families through Joseph’s Coat, and counseling and mentoring to women in crisis through Project Hope.”

Last year on North Texas Giving Day, Communities Foundation of Texas brought together 2,700 organizations and raised $48 million across DFW. The Storehouse raised a record-breaking $100,392 and has set a goal of $115,000 for 2019.

In 2018, funds raised on North Texas Giving Day helped The Storehouse feed 11,795 families, which equated to over 2 million pounds of food served; distribute 36,331 articles of clothing to our neighbors; and support 235 families in an ongoing relationship with counseling, financial benevolence and referrals to other agencies in the community.

The Storehouse’s Seven Loaves Food Pantry is the largest distributor for North Texas Food Bank in Collin County and serves over 1,000 families a month, providing over 75,000 meals. Joseph Coat Clothing Closet distributes over 4,000 garments a month, all at no cost, and provides professional attire and winter coats for families. The Storehouse’s Project Home program is a relational program tailored to support each individual woman who has been negatively impacted by generational poverty and violence.

On Thursday, September 19, 2019, visit https://www.northtexasgivingday.org, give to The Storehouse of Collin County, help those in Collin County affected by poverty, and be a part of the largest community-wide giving event in the nation.

The Storehouse of Collin County, a nonprofit organization housed within St. Andrew United Methodist Church, provides short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin County in need. The Storehouse provides support through its three programs: the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, serving 1,000 families a month; Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, providing an average of 4,000 garments each month; and Project Hope, a mentoring program supporting women in crisis. The organization first began in 2009 under the name of Seven Loaves which provided only food pantry staples and grew over the years to meet a variety of needs. An estimated 130,000 people in Collin County live below the poverty level, more than half of which are children.  In September 2018, The Storehouse received the North Texas Food Bank’s Partner Agency of the Year Excellence in Impact Award in recognition of its life changing services, meeting multiple needs for each family served. Visit https://www.thestorehousecc.org and watch this video https://vimeo.com/205134857.

Watch the Huerta Family story: https://vimeo.com/308094795, and see how the family used their newfound stability and gifts to help others facing similar hardships.

“Be Bold,” the theme of this year's trip, inspired students and adults to boldly step out in their faith as well as participate in St. Andrew’s new Kindling Ministry by implementing simple random acts of love at each worksite

“Be Bold, step out in your faith, and watch God boldly change lives,” said Michael Agnew, student ministry director, at the start of the 2019 St. Andrew United Methodist Church Mission Trip. As the group received t-shirts with the theme “BE BOLD” (based on the Book of Acts) and loaded the 18 passenger vans headed to Oklahoma City on June 9, little did they know the impact those two words would have on their lives and the lives of those they would serve throughout the week.

This year, 202 students and adults worked at 17 different worksites, coordinated through Heartwork Missions. Sites included Habitat for Humanity, Operation Paint Brush (a federally funded program helping families in need with code violations by providing paint and supplies for volunteers), Reaching Our City (a nonprofit ministry providing community services), Pivot (an organization that helps people, ages 12-21, with overwhelming barriers in their lives and no resources to overcome them), the Boys and Girls Club, a food bank and a homeless shelter.

Each day following morning worship, teams arrived at their worksites by 9 a.m. and worked until late afternoon. While there, groups were inspired by St. Andrew’s new Kindling Ministry to find additional ways they could serve through random acts of kindness. Looking for projects that were small but immeasurable in impact, groups were encouraged to act in the moment, and St. Andrew would reimburse projects up to $200. Kindling projects were implemented at each worksite and included purchasing 50+ pairs of summer shoes for kids in the Pivot program; paying for the towing and repairs for a single mother’s car; purchasing supplies for a Vacation Bible School program; providing lunches for construction crews; mowing yards of neighbors near a worksite; providing solar panel lights for a wheelchair accessible ramp; and completing new landscaping for an elderly woman.

“It was powerful to see the middle schoolers serve lunch to residents of the homeless shelter and help others shop for groceries and load them into cars at the food pantry,” said Holly Blais, student ministry associate director. “At the Boys and Girls Club, I loved seeing both the middle school team and high school team making great connections with the elementary students. Additionally, our group serving at Pivot joined youths in the program for lunch and a tour of the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. It was great to see all of the kids discover how much they had in common.”

Not only did the students serve others, they were also served by others. At the Operation Paint Brush worksites in Midwest City, two groups scraped and painted two houses and replaced rotting wood. The code officer, who checked on them to make sure they had enough supplies, told the city manager that this was the most efficient and hardest working group of students he had ever seen.  A resident who owned a snow cone business stopped by and was amazed to learn the group came from Texas to help. He called the city to tell them what a great job they were doing and brought a snow cone trailer with free snow cones for all.  Additionally, Midwest City Mayor Matt Dukes and City Manager J. Guy Hansen came over to personally thank everyone for giving up a week of their summer to help others in need and presented each student with a nylon bag with the words, "Neighbors helping Neighbors.”

For Regan Chapman, 18, who worked at the Midwest City sites, this was her eighth mission trip, and she shared that it was just as incredible as all the others. “Mission trip allows me to serve others in different communities, putting them before myself and serving like Jesus did. On this trip we had the unique opportunity to meet and pray for one of the families we were helping. I would not be where I am today without my faith walk or, quite honestly, feel as deeply about my St. Andrew church community if I had never experienced mission trips.”

At another site in Oklahoma City, a group worked at the home of Jacquelyn Dubose, an elderly resident. They painted the inside of her home and landscaped the outside. She was overcome with joy and loved getting to know the students, who were also very fond of her.

“I enjoyed working with my friends on Ms. Dubose’s home,” said Ben Judkins, 18. “She was a very spiritual and comforting woman who gave it all to God.”

Others who worked at the sites shared their faith journeys with the students. A food pantry manager shared how his life was transformed from drug addiction into 16 months of sobriety. A staff member from the Boys and Girls Club joined the group on their final night of worship sharing the wisdom he gained after his freshman year in college nearly destroyed his faith.

 “Seeing God working through people in their darkest times impacted me the most,” said Bryce Farnham, 18. “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.”

 “Of all the things I volunteer for as a parent, Mission Trip is my favorite and the most impactful,” said Diane Farnham, leader of a group at an Operation Paint Brush site. Getting a group of high school students from different schools and grades to work together and accomplish a goal with joy is incredible. You can see God’s love exuding from each of them every day. They motivate, encourage, and appreciate one another always making sure no one is left out or behind. In this day and age, it is a rare thing to see.” 

“St. Andrew’s annual mission trip is so much more than hammers, saws or paint,” said Agnew.  “We had full days of serving, worshipping, laughing and singing in fellowship with one another. With boldness in mind, we heard of many students, staff and volunteers praying for strangers in and around work sites. In all of this, we came to understand that each of these moments are God moments. They may not all appear as miracles to us, but we know God is there and gives us the power to be bold.”

St. Andrew is located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano. Visit standrewumc.org or call 972-380-8001 for more information.

As Lent draws to a close, worshipers turn their thoughts to Jesus' final days before his resurrection on Easter Sunday. For Christians who observe it, Holy Week is a solemn time of worship. But at the end of it comes Easter Sunday — the celebration of Jesus' rebirth and defeat of death. This week of mourning tells a story of immense loss, but it leaves worshipers with the message of hope and Easter’s joyful celebration.

Maundy Thursday | April 18 | 7:00 p.m., Sanctuary
We remember the Last Supper with bread and cup. Begin reflecting on Jesus' path to the cross, and see our Salt & Light Youth Choir students serve in a mighty capacity, leading us in worship.

We remember the sacrifice on the cross with a service of darkness. We will interweave musical compositions from our worship directors with spoken meditations prepared by our pastoral leadership to illustrate the anguish of Jesus' crucifixion.

April 20

5:30 p.m., Traditional, Sanctuary

April 21

Sunrise | 7:00 a.m., Meditation Garden | Led by the youth of the St. Andrew Students Department

Traditional | 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 a.m., Sanctuary

Contemporary | 9:30 a.m., Smith Worship Center | 11:10 a.m., 12:10 p.m., Sanctuary

ˆChildcare is available for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and all Easter services except sunrise.
 

In the Parlor, Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday | Prayerfully reflect upon Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection through this powerful experience. Use your senses and imagination at each of 14 stations that illustrate Christ's unconditional love for us.

We hope you will come celebrate this very special week at St. Andrew United Methodist Church. Join us!

St. Andrew United Methodist Church
5801 W. Plano Pkwy
Plano, TX 75093

For services in the Sanctuary, use the West entrance (W on the map). For Smith Worship Center, use the East entrance (E).

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is Hosting the 11^th Annual PROM CLOSET (no cost and open to any girl from anywhere!) on Feb. 19, 20, 21, and 23, and there are multiple 2-hour volunteers spots still available that need to be filled.

Would you enjoy helping a girl select the prom dress of her dreams or helping her accessorize it with a selection of jewelry? How about helping her select that perfect wrap or handbag or pair of shoes? Yes, you can be a fairy godmother as a volunteer at the Prom Closet. Do you have a talent with sewing or mending? We are still in need of volunteers in a variety of positions throughout the run of the Prom Closet:

Volunteers may choose from the 6 specific areas to work:  

a) Check In  

b) Shopping Area Greeter  

c) Dressing Room Assistant / Re-assembly / Runner / DR Stage Assistant - volunteers must be able to walk up / down steps  

d) Accessory Area Assistant  

e) Check Out

f) Mending.  

All available positions and instructions as well as sign-up via Sign-Up Genius are on the St. Andrew website.  Go to http://www.standrewumc.org/promcloset and select volunteering to review open positions and sign up. 

Volunteering at Prom Closet is a joyful experience and one that you will not forget. Watch the attached prom closet video! And if you know of anyone who needs a dress for prom, please spread the word!

Here are more details on the 11^th Annual St. Andrew Prom Closet:

WHAT:  St. Andrew United Methodist Church is hosting the 11^th Annual Prom Closet, which has grown from serving 35 young ladies in 2009 to 1,207 in 2018. (2018 shoppers represented 76 school districts and 204 schools.) Girls from ANYWHERE in need of a prom dress are invited to come select a dress and accessories, all at no cost. There are 4,000 dresses, sized 0 to 28, available to choose from, many of which have never been worn. The only requirement is that girls must be present to select their dresses/ accessories. Additionally there are 4,000 pieces of jewelry, 150 handbags, and 400 pairs of shoes.

Church and community members, businesses, organizations, and local groups donate dresses, shoes, wraps, jewelry, handbags, and other accessories for this annual event, organized and operated by The St. Andrew United Methodist Women.  The Prom Closet was created to provide a unique shopping experience for young ladies who because of finances would be unable to attend prom.  Area school counselors have been provided information on their campuses. Prom Closet organizers and volunteers confirm that not only is the need great, but the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable.

St. Andrew needs donations of dress sizes, 0-2 and 12 and up.  All donations of dresses and accessories such as jewelry, handbags, shoes, and wraps, may be brought to Room 133 at St. Andrew (east side of church, M-Th, 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.) Tax receipts are available. A link on Amazon is available for purchasing items shipped directly to church: https://tinyurl.com/PromClosetWishList

Hotline: 469-385-1810PROM CLOSET INFORMATION:

Website: www.standrewumc.org/promcloset

Email: standrewpromcloset@gmail.com

Facebook: PromCloset:St.AndrewUMC

Instagram: promcloset.standrewumc

Twitter: @promclosetsaumc

Video for donations: https://www.vimeo.com/285139252

Promo video: https://www.vimeo.com/285139116

PHOTOS from 2018: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rlqsexfg99zci6m/AACLwDBIa1rB9BWDeTRfrMd_a?dl=0

Special thanks to our PROM CLOSET partners:  Chico’s and Ulta for providing shopping bags, Dry Clean Super Center/Signature Garment Care and Macy's for garment dress bags; and Market Street for food and water donations.

WHEN:  Feb. 19, 20, 21 (Tues.-Thurs., 4-8 p.m.) and Feb. 23 (Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon)

Note: Prom Closet is closed on Friday, Feb. 22.

WHERE:  St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX, 75093, in Smith Worship Center. (Please look for Prom Closet directional signs due to construction.)

St. Andrew United Methodist Church began 32 years ago 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. St. Andrew is a congregation of people who follow Jesus, live in relationship, serve others, and take risks in faith. Worship includes 4 services each weekend on a 21.2-acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista in Plano, Texas, where around 2,000 people gather each weekend. The church has been repeatedly selected as a "Best Place to Worship in Plano” by the readers of the Plano Star Courier. Groups gather on campus and throughout the region seven days a week, including small group and Bible studies; a renowned music ministry; service through missions such as The Storehouse of Collin County, providing services to qualifying Collin County residents to help escape the poverty cycle; 4 Corners Global Outreach, reaching remote villages needing medical care; Career Care, a workforce assistance program; and more. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Visit www.standrewumc.org; call 972-380-8001.

Bishop Scott J. Jones and his son Rev. Arthur Jones discuss their second book together:

Scripture and the Wesleyan Way: A Bible Study on Real Christianity

Bishop Scott J. Jones, bishop of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, and his son, Rev. Arthur Jones, a fifth generation Methodist minister and senior associate pastor at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, have co-authored their second book, Scripture & the Wesleyan Way: A Bible Study on Real Christianity. The community is invited to a discussion about the book at “A Night with the Authors: Wesleyan Way,” on Sunday, January 13, at 5:30 p.m. in Smith Worship Center, St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano.  Admission is free.

“This book helps us to rediscover a way of following Jesus taught by 18th century English pastors John and Charles Wesley, which is itself a return to methods used by the earliest Christians after Jesus’ ascension,” said Bishop Scott Jones.  “This way holds the key to unlocking a renewed and vibrant church, and is our best hope for healing the division in our culture today.”

The Bible was central to John Wesley’s faith and the Christian movement he founded. Scripture and the Wesleyan Way provides a Wesleyan approach to the Bible and the Christian life through a Bible study using Wesley’s own words. In this study, authors Scott and Arthur Jones use John Wesley’s sermons to illuminate the Bible passages at the heart of Wesley’s understanding of what it means to be a real Christian. Each chapter explores a key Scripture text and one of Wesley’s sermons on it. Bishop Jones and his son Arthur show how the teachings of Wesley address questions that many of us in the 21^st century still struggle with today.

“John Wesley discovered a challenging yet hopeful message in the Bible, which profoundly shaped his personal life and the Methodist movement he founded,” added Rev. Arthur Jones.  “As you study the Bible with John Wesley, you will hear his call to live a real Christian life and will be inspired to respond to this call with faith and boldness. We hope you can join us on January 13.”

Rev. Jones is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, and Bishop Jones previously served on the faculty at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University as well as pastor of three congregations in North Texas. Their first book together, published in 2015, was titled ASK – Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age. Bishop Jones is the author of several previous books including The Evangelistic Love of God & Neighbor, Staying at the Table, and Wesley and the Quadrilateral, also published by Abingdon Press.  

Bishop Scott Jones stands in a line of Methodist ministers stretching back to his maternal great-grandfather.  His father, Jameson Jones, was a national United Methodist leader and served as dean of Duke Divinity School, as would Bishop Jones’ younger brother, L. Gregory Jones.  His son Arthur Jones joined the staff of St. Andrew UMC in 2010 as an associate pastor.

Following the discussion, there will be a Q&A session.  Books will be available for purchase at the event.