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Seven Loaves asking community to drop off boxes of mashed potatoes, 16 oz., boxes of stuffing; fruit cocktail in 15 or 29 oz. cans; and yams in 15 or 29 oz. cans

 

 

 

1,016 Collin County families have received vouchers to return and pick up

Thanksgiving Dinner Items

 

The Seven Loaves Community is asking for help to feed 1,016 Collin County families this Thanksgiving.  Items needed to complete the Thanksgiving meal are boxes of mashed potatoes, 16 oz., boxes of stuffing; fruit cocktail in 15 or 29 oz. cans; and yams in 15 or 29 oz. cans.  Please drop them off at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Blue bins are located just inside the north entrance of St. Andrew United Methodist Church. 

 

To donate the cost of a meal for one family, visit www.7loavescommunity.org, or drop off or mail a check for $26 per family to Seven Loaves Community, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.

 

These items will be added to items already being provided to families by Seven Loaves which include green beans, corn, mixed veggies, cranberry sauce, rice and 16- to 18-pound turkeys.

“It is our hope that the community can provide the remaining items, helping these families to have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal,” said Terry Breedlove, COO and General Manager, Seven Loaves Community.   “There are indeed hungry people in Plano and Collin County, and each one of us can make a difference.”

 

For information and questions, call 469-385-1813

 

# # #

 

Seven Loaves Community was established in 2009.   The Food Pantry, the first initiative of Seven Loaves Community, serves over 1,800 individuals monthly (half of which are children).  It is estimated in 2014 over 750,000 pounds of food will be distributed.  The program now includes Joseph’s Coat, a clothing closet, which provides an average of 4,000 garments each month; Project Hope, a mentoring program to support women in crisis; and Plus One, a new initiative providing hygiene products to clients. An estimated 130,000 people in Collin County live below the poverty level, more than half of which are children.  www.7loavescommunity.org

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A St. Andrew Christmas Over 2,000 attend this glorious holiday musical celebration each year with 200 singers, bells, and professional orchestra and 2 performances

 

Take time to enjoy the season at this 6th annual event features two performances of Christmas classics performed by

200 singers, bells, and professional orchestra

Put the true spirit in your holiday season with “A St. Andrew Christmas,” Sunday December 14, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093 (corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista). 

This annual musical extravaganza will include traditional and contemporary holiday favorites from “Jingle Bells,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “The Nutcracker” to majestic settings of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” featuring 200 singers, soloist Jodi Wright, bells, a 45-member professional orchestra, a magnificent pipe organ, and the ever-popular carol sing.  

In between performances, from 5:45-6:45, there will be an outdoor Live Nativity complete with animals, shepherds, wise men, and the holy family.  The Nativity presentation will be located on the west side of the church.

 “We are thrilled to offer two performances and invite the community to share in this wonderful celebration of the season with us,” said Chris Crook, Minister of Music and Worship, St. Andrew UMC.  “If you are looking for one musical Christmas event for all ages that contains the classic favorites delivered at the highest quality by fine singers and professional orchestra, look no further.   In addition to the concert, we are excited to offer families a Live Nativity presentation this year between performances.”

 Tickets range from $8 to $18, depending on seating sections and are available beginning November 1 by calling 469-385-1810, or online at www.astandrewchristmas.org. 

 “This is your family’s affordable, one-stop Christmas musical treat,” added Crook.  “Join 2,000 others for what has become one of the area’s most popular December events. You will not be disappointed!”

# # #

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is a vibrant, growing, intergenerational church.  Begun in 1986, St. Andrew is located on a 21.214 acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista and includes a sanctuary, education, music and nursery wing, completed in 2003.  Nearly 2,000 come together every weekend through six different worship services: Saturday Night Alive!-5:30 p.m.; Sunday Early Service-8:00 a.m.; Teaching Service-9:30 a.m.; and Traditional Service-11:00 a.m.; The Well contemporary worship at 9:09 a.m. and 10:39 a.m.  St. Andrew is an outward-focused church striving to lift the world around us toward God and provides a number of local and global mission opportunities including the Seven Loaves Community Center, which provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle.  A number of caring ministries are in place to support members in all phases of life from support groups to career care in addition to ministries focused on each age group.  Additional ministries include a strong music program with choirs, instrumental groups, as well as the Academy of Music, offering private lessons.  St. Andrew provides each individual with opportunities to connect to the community and contribute their unique gifts to the congregation's spirit. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Additional information can be found at www.standrewumc.org

 

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Seven Loaves Community

Joseph’s Coat, a program of the Seven Loaves Community that provides gently used clothing to registered food pantry clients, is holding its annual coat giveaway on November 8 and is in need of new or very gently used coats in all sizes with special emphasis on children’s coats for ages 5-14.  Visit 7LoavesCommunity.org for an Amazon Wish List on Joseph’s Coat Giveaway page.

Seven Loaves will also accept monetary donations so that they may purchase the coats. 

Coats should be dropped off by November 3 at the Seven Loaves Community Center, located on the St. Andrew United Methodist Church campus, 5801 Plano Parkway, just off of Mira Vista.  For information and questions, call 469-385-1813 or email info@7LoavesCommunity.org. 

Checks may be made out to Seven Loaves Community, 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.

Seven Loaves Community, which serves over 1,800 monthly through the Food Pantry, was established in 2009 to begin providing immediate food relief to the food insecure.  Seven Loaves Community now includes Joseph’s Coat, a clothing closet, providing an average of 4,000 garments monthly; Project Hope, a mentoring program to support women in crisis; and Plus One, a new initiative providing hygiene products to clients.  They are lifelines of hope and vital to Collin County.  For more information visit www.7loavescommunity.org.

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The Choir of Clare College of Cambridge, England

 

Tickets on sale for this diverse musical program, spanning five centuries,

and introducing St. Andrew’s new organist, Jonathan Gregoire, on the church’s 77-rank Létourneau organ

 

The Choir of Clare College of Cambridge, England, one of the leading choral groups in the world, will perform with the St. Andrew UMC Chancel Choir and new organist, Jonathan Gregoire, on the 77-rank Létourneau instrument, on Sunday, September 28, 7 p.m., in the sanctuary of St. Andrew, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas. 

“The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, is known as one of the finest university choirs in the world,” said Chris Crook, Minister of Music & Worship, St. Andrew UMC.  “When we received the call asking if we were interested in hosting them, it was a no-brainer. This is exactly the type of musical performance that flourishes in our incredible space. We built this sanctuary to share concerts like this with the community.”

Founded in 1971, the choir leads services three times a week in the college chapel and keeps an active schedule recording, broadcasting, and performing widely throughout the world including tours in the United States of America, Australia, Japan, China, Russia, the Middle East and throughout Europe. In 2000 it became the first Oxbridge mixed voice choir to perform at the BBC Proms, singing Bach’s “St. John Passion”. The choir has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in performances of Handel’s “Jephtha,” under the direction of René Jacobs; with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius,” under Edward Gardner; with the Israel Camerata in Bach’s “Weihnachtsoratorium”; and also with the Academy of Ancient Music, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, and the Schubert Ensemble. The choir gives frequent performances at many international festivals, including the Potsdam Sanssouci Music, Munich Opera, and Spitalfields Festivals and the Early Music Weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. The choir regularly contributes to the Choral Evensong broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. In addition to live performances, the choir has produced an impressive catalogue of recordings.

“The director, Graham Ross, was gracious in offering the St. Andrew Chancel Choir a chance to perform jointly with the Clare Choir,” added Crook. “We will be performing together William Byrd’s ‘Ave Verum Corpus’, Hubert Parry’s ‘I Was Glad’ and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘Antiphon.’”

Throughout the year, the choir performs a wide range of repertoire with an ongoing commitment to contemporary works. It has commissioned and premièred works by composers including Herbert Howells, Sir John Taverner, John Rutter, Jonathan Dove, Tarik O’Regan, Gabriel Jackson, Nico Muhly, and the College’s Composer-in-Residence, Giles Swayne.

“Another exciting feature of this concert is the introduction of St. Andrew’s new organist, Jonathan Gregoire,” added Crook.  “Jonathan has been asked to accompany the combined choir on the church’s  77-rank Létourneau organ but also be featured on a solo organ selection, Louis Vierne’s ‘Carillon de Westminster.’ Jonathan is completing his DMA at Arizona State University and officially joins the St. Andrew staff in mid-October. Folks can find out more about Jonathan at www.jonathangregoire.com. It is difficult for us to contain our excitement about his coming, so to show him off in this way makes us very proud.”

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and are available at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=47265.

# # #

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is a vibrant, growing, intergenerational church.  Begun in 1986, St. Andrew is located on a 21.214 acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista and includes a sanctuary, education, music and nursery wing, completed in 2003.  Nearly 2,000 come together every weekend through six different worship services: Saturday Night Alive!-5:30 p.m.; Sunday Early Service-8:00 a.m.; Teaching Service-9:30 a.m.; and Traditional Service-11:00 a.m.; The Well contemporary worship at 9:09 a.m. and 10:39 a.m.  St. Andrew is an outward-focused church striving to lift the world around us toward God and provides a number of local and global mission opportunities including the Seven Loaves Community Center, which provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle.  A number of caring ministries are in place to support members in all phases of life from support groups to career care in addition to ministries focused on each age group.  Additional ministries include a strong music program with choirs, instrumental groups, as well as the Academy of Music, offering private lessons.  St. Andrew provides each individual with opportunities to connect to the community and contribute their unique gifts to the congregation's spirit. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Additional information can be found at www.standrewumc.org

 

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"Salt and Light" choir of St. Andrew UMC - in the Truett Seminary Courtyard, Baylor University campus

The Salt and Light Youth Choir of St. Andrew United Methodist Church, of Plano, Texas, one of the premier church youth choirs in the state of Texas, consisting of 50 young men and women, ages 12 to 17 recently completed its annual choir tour, presenting musical worship experiences to more than 1,000 audience members in eight cities in five states.  Performances were held in Oklahoma City, Okla.; West Memphis, Ark.; Amory, Miss.; Tylertown, Miss.; Baton Rouge, La.; Waco, Plano, and Athens, Texas, where, on a Monday evening, the choir celebrated its highest attended concert in its history.

 

This year’s program, titled “Sometimes a Light Surprises,” focused on the element of light and how it is essential to life and hope and used throughout scripture to guide God’s people.  The choir utilized choral anthems, congregational songs and prayers to explore this focus.

 

“Summer tour is always the highlight of the year for these students,” said Chris Crook, Minister of Music & Worship and Director of the Youth Choir, St. Andrew UMC.  “They work so very hard to create beautiful, meaningful music, and the opportunity to share it with others along our journey is a real gift.”

 

Last year, the Salt and Light Choir was named the featured youth choir to perform at the 2014 Alleluia church music conference at Baylor University.  The Alleluia Conference is one-of-a-kind enrichment event featuring outstanding clinicians who re-energize and inspire over 250 worship leaders, music ministers, children's choir leaders, and keyboard ministers from across the state of Texas.

 

“Because of the choir’s special honor last fall, the tour ended with this conference performance in Truett Chapel on the Baylor campus, where they received high praise,” added Crook.   “These tour performances in churches and retirement communities are ways we live out our calling to be salt of the earth and light to the world.”

 

Two plaques were presented to the choir: one from Alleluia and one from YouthCUE, the organization that co-sponsored Salt and Light’s appearance at the conference.

 

“Randy Edwards, founder and executive director of YouthCUE, even made the journey to Plano to speak to the home crowd about the choir’s impressive performance in Waco,” added Crook.

 

Salt and Light Youth Choir rehearsals resume on September 14 at St. Andrew. There is no audition, and singers are not required to be members of the church. All students are invited to be a part of this award-winning chorus.

 

For more information on the Salt and Light Choir, call Chris Crook, at 214-291-8037, email ccrook@standrewumc.org or visit www.standrewumc.org

# # #

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is a vibrant, growing, intergenerational church.  Begun in 1986, St. Andrew is located on a 21.214 acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista and includes a sanctuary, education, music and nursery wing, completed in 2003.  Nearly 2,000 come together every weekend through six different worship services: Saturday Night Alive!-5:30 p.m.; Sunday Early Service-8:00 a.m.; Teaching Service-9:30 a.m.; and Traditional Service-11:00 a.m.; The Well contemporary worship at 9:09 a.m. and 10:39 a.m.  St. Andrew is an outward-focused church striving to lift the world around us toward God and provides a number of local and global mission opportunities including the Seven Loaves Community Center, which provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle.  A number of caring ministries are in place to support members in all phases of life from support groups to career care in addition to ministries focused on each age group.  Additional ministries include a strong music program with choirs, instrumental groups, as well as the Academy of Music, offering private lessons.  St. Andrew provides each individual with opportunities to connect to the community and contribute their unique gifts to the congregation's spirit. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Additional information can be found at www.standrewumc.org

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Micah Peacock - photo by Cal Knapp

 

Community Invited to a Musical Evening Celebrating the Release of Peacock’s First Album

 

Texas-based Singer-Songwriter Micah Peacock, worship leader of The Well Plano at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, will perform at the House of Blues at the release party of his new contemporary Christian album Shadow to Sunlight, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, at 7:30 p.m., (doors open at 7 p.m.), at 2200 N. Lamar St., in downtown Dallas.  Tickets are on sale for $16.33, general admission, at www.houseofblues.com.   Proceeds from ticket and album sales benefit the work of Project Transformation (PT), a Dallas-founded program to help low socio-economic children reach their potential, engage college students in the call to ministry and aid in the renewal of urban churches.  

“I chose Project Transformation as the beneficiary because the idea of ‘living into our potential’ as children, students, and as churches resonated with what this record is all about,” Micah shares.  “I come from a family of educators, I ‘cut my teeth’ with regard to ministry in college, and am deeply committed to renewing how churches engage the Lord and what He’s doing, so those three areas are close to my heart.”

Peacock’s inspiration for his album comes from the impact of music and worship that he witnesses each week as worship leader of The Well at St. Andrew United Methodist Church and a fresh spiritual awareness that began to surface in his own life.

“To see people embrace fresh ways of worshiping,” added Peacock, “and what that kind of encounter with Jesus can mean for our lives, is amazing.  I began journaling about this experience by writing songs which now comprise my first full-length recording.”

The album is produced by Michael Omartian, a GRAMMY® Award-winning producer/songwriter/ musician who has shaped iconic recordings by Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, among others.  Peacock had the opportunity to interact with Omartian several years ago, which proved to be significant when it came time to record Peacock’s project.

“Micah’s lyrics are steeped in prose and poetry,” said Omartian, “and transcend the more mainstream worship themes of today’s CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) market, which I find completely refreshing.  The themes are approached so creatively.”

“Omartian’s recording wherewithal, paired with his long-time mixing and engineering partner Terry Christian’s expertise and A-list players, accomplished the musical outline I desired for this journal of songs,” said Micah Peacock.  “I wanted the album to sound analog with classic rock band instrumentation, minimal programming elements, and limited overdubs. You can almost visualize the band playing the record together at a venue.  I’m proud of the dynamic journey each of the songs takes.”

“The track’s awakening anthem, ‘Shadow to Sunlight’ musically imprints the personal, yet corporate, cry of disciples eager to dive into the deep end of faith,” added Peacock.  “When light hits an object, a shadow is cast.  You can’t have one without the other.  “I want to see all the glimpses of God and His Kingdom that are infused throughout our day-to-day lives.  I think the Lord is ready to give us a new lens to look through.  We have a choice to participate and dive in.  That may not be comfortable, but I’ve found that it’s by far a more rich and dynamic way of living.”

The lyrics of “Mystery” follow the track’s musical transition from the verses’ four-on-the-floor, alt-country pulse to the chorus’ half-time backbeat, prompting movement from open-ended questions to openhearted surrender as we chip away at the incomprehensible character of God.  

“We, as the church, use our blocks of theology to build a framework for our understanding of who God is,” Micah explains.  “That’s natural and good.  But, sometimes we use these intellectual blocks to erect walls around our hearts that harden us to the truth that our thoughts are not His thoughts and that some things are meant to remain a mystery to be explored and enjoyed.”

As Micah waded through challenging emotions in his own life, the balladry of “Stop Your Striving” was born.  Gentle acoustics, tender mandolin and sweeping strings emphasize Micah’s newfound lesson in grace.  

Growing up in a musical family in Friendswood, Texas, Peacock performed together with his father at local churches and other venues, learning to play guitar.  He studied music at the University of Houston and upon graduation set off on a journey that has led to worship positions in Kansas and Texas, national touring opportunities with Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter Matt Brouwer, and the release of three EPs: 2010’s What Surrounds Us; 2011’s Anywhere But Home; and last year’s love song collection, Unnamed Shades.

 “This is an exciting time for Micah and The Well at St. Andrew United Methodist Church,” said Rev. Arthur Jones, Associate Pastor and Lead Pastor of The Well.  “Shadow to Sunlight is an extraordinary musical journal from a passionate singer/songwriter, worship leader, and follower of Christ. We hope the community will come and experience the power of Micah’s music during this very special evening at the House of Blues.”

Shadow to Sunlight will be released on Sept. 2, 2014, and is available for pre-order on micahpeacock.com.

# # #

 

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144 youths and 30 adults traveled to Moore, Oklahoma for this year's mission trip to help those devastated by the 2013 E-F5 Tornado.

Mission trip to help families devastated by the 2013 E-F5 tornado also marks one-year anniversary of Reese Popst

 as Youth Ministry Director of St. Andrew United Methodist Church

 

As school begins again, a youth group from St. Andrew United Methodist Church will have some summer stories to share as they catch up with their friends.  On June 15, 144 youths, grades 6 – 12, and 30 adults headed to Moore, Oklahoma, for a memorable week of working together in teams to help the community in the rebuilding phase from the deadly E-F5 that ripped through the town on May 20, 2013.  Partnering with IMchange, an organization that coordinates customized mission trips both stateside and internationally, the group divided into 14 teams to tackle a variety of projects which included roofing, fencing, building, planting, and painting, including re-painting more than 200 fire hydrants.

"We painted the fire hydrants because after a year, the firefighters still had not had time to do it,” said Wells Lofgren, 12, one of the middle school children on the mission trip.  “Painting them, in a way, washed away the bad memories that the tornado caused.  It was a yearly task of the fire department, but since the tornado and all of clean-up process, they hadn’t had time to paint them. It was hard and messy work, but my team alone painted 90 of them, and it felt good to help the firefighters and end those reminders of the tornado.”

Many of the families now have newly rebuilt homes but no fencing yet.  Six foster children of one of the families whose home was destroyed by the tornado were taken away from the family after the tornado and placed back with their parents.  This put them in a dangerous situation, which proved deadly for the 2-year-old boy.  The foster parents had now been in the new home for two weeks, but in order to continue with the adoption of the children, a fence had to be constructed. 

“This family shared their tragic story with us and allowed us to love on their children, making this such a special and important project,” said Cheryl Kool, an adult volunteer with St. Andrew United Methodist Church who was on the trip with her daughter.  “This was an important job for everyone, and we had a large group working on the fence, and many of our youth played with the children. Everyone was impacted by their story which gave us the energy to work hard and never complain.  When we were finished, the family came out and hugged each one of us and cried saying how much it had meant to them that the youth had taken the time to love on the kids through games of soccer, chase, and piggy back rides.  This is not a project any of us will ever forget.”

Other families needed old sheds demolished and new ones built while others needed sheetrock or roofing assistance as well as landscaping.

“The kids worked very hard on a variety of projects and did a great job,” said St. Andrew United Methodist Church Youth Ministry Director Reese Popst.  “They couldn’t believe all the devastation as we drove along and all the property still with nothing but a slab left. They also learned some very valuable lessons including that you can’t always judge a situation from what you see on the outside.  The foster family’s home was nice and new on the outside, but on the inside, the family itself was dealing with tremendous struggles.  Our youth were very happy they could help, and many of the recipients throughout the trip expressed their appreciation with kind deeds including ordering pizzas or providing cookies for the kids at the sites.”

“It was an amazing week watching all different ages and experience levels work together for the common good,” added Kool.  “Not for any other reason other than it is what Jesus would do – help those in need.  Why?  Because we could.”

The trip also marked the one-year anniversary of Reese Popst joining the staff of St. Andrew United Methodist Church as Youth Ministry Director.  A long-time member of St. Andrew, Popst first came to know the Lord in a personal way while in 9th grade on a trip and knows the impact that experiences such as this can have on young lives.

The weeklong mission trip included worksite projects as well as worship time each morning and evenings, at which Reese preached.

“In my new position, I now have a different perspective, and I wanted to replicate for the kids what I had gained from mission trips where I helped build houses in Mexico,” said Reese Popst.  “How do I replicate my experience for them?  This was always top of mind throughout my conversations with them and during the worship services.”

 “Reese is an amazing youth pastor, not only because he is so incredible in sharing the Gospel but mostly because God shines in him through the love and genuine concern he shows each person around him,” added Kool.  “He did a fabulous job on the mission trip and always knows how to make everyone feel comfortable no matter what happens.”

“In just my one year at St. Andrew, I have seen growth in these amazing young people,” added Popst.   I love preaching and teaching and have been excited to see that there is not a divide among the kids in the different grades.  They work together well and understand the value of what they are doing.”

Prior to joining the staff at St. Andrew, Popst worked as a CPA, but always stayed connected to ministry, looking for the right opportunity to respond to what he has always loved and feels called to do: teaching others about Jesus.   He is a graduate of Texas A&M and while in college served as a youth pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Caldwell, Texas.  His love for teaching has grown from a passion into a calling into ministry, and he plans to start seminary in January.

“I tell people that my job now is so different from being a CPA,” added Popst.  “I feel very lucky to be doing something I’m passionate about for a living.  I get to read my Bible for work and teach kids why Jesus is important in our lives.  The Bible is not just some old storybook.  The stories in it happened a long time ago, but God is still doing the same things in our lives.”

# # #

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is a vibrant, growing, intergenerational church.  Begun in 1986, St. Andrew is located on a 21.214 acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista and includes a sanctuary, education, music and nursery wing, completed in 2003.  Nearly 2,000 come together every weekend through six different worship services: Saturday Night Alive!-5:30 p.m.; Sunday Early Service-8:00 a.m.; Teaching Service-9:30 a.m.; and progressive traditional Service-11:00 a; The Well contemporary worship at 9:09 a.m. and 10:39 a.m.  St. Andrew is an outward-focused church striving to lift the world around us toward God and provides a number of local and global mission opportunities including the Seven Loaves Community Center, which provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle.  A number of caring ministries are in place to support members in all phases of life from support groups to career care in addition to ministries focused on each age group.  Additional ministries include a strong music program with choirs, instrumental groups, as well as the Academy of Music, offering private lessons.  St. Andrew provides each individual with opportunities to connect to the community and contribute their unique gifts to the congregation's spirit. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Additional information can be found at www.standrewumc.org

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Seven Loaves Community Needs 1,000 backpacks and school supplies to serve its Collin County pantry residents.

 

Seven Loaves is in need of almost 1,000 backpacks and school supplies, prior to the start of school

 

Seven Loaves Community is collecting backpacks and school supplies for pantry clients through August 6 and is in need of additional donations to provide for approximately 1,000 children prior to the start of the school year.

“Now that stores are starting to put out school supplies, we are hopeful that more community members will come forward to help us meet the needs of all the children we serve at Seven Loaves Community,” said Terry Breedlove, COO/General Manager, Seven Loaves Community.  “Every child will receive a backpack this year.  This is a generous community, and we want to thank everyone in advance for their generous contributions.  We could not do all that we do without the help of so many caring people.”

Seven Loaves Community is asking for new generic backpacks (black, dark blue, or red) that can be used by any age or gender child and school supply items as follows:

For Elementary School Age: 1 pkg. notebook paper (wide ruled); #2 pencils; 1 pkg. colored pencils; 2 black ink pens; 2 red ink pens; 1 eraser; 1 yellow highlighter; 2 spiral notebooks (wide ruled; yellow, blue, green, or red)

For Middle/High School Age: Same as elementary list but notebook paper and spiral notebooks should be college ruled

Please drop off at St. Andrew UMC at the Mission Center or Food Pantry donation drop off in the Youth rotunda.   For those who would prefer to make a monetary donation instead of shopping, those donations can be used to offset the cost of backpacks and supplies that will need to be purchased.  Please make out your check to Seven Loaves Community with a notation for backpacks in the subject line and mail to Seven Loaves Community, 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093 or visit our website www.7LoavesCommunity.org/give.

# # #

Seven Loaves Community provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle. The Food Pantry is working with the North Texas Food Bank. Seven Loaves Community works closely with other Collin County agencies and schools to provide relief to the families seeking assistance with a particular focus on children in need.  Seven Loaves Community currently provides supplemental food; free, gently used clothing; “Food 4 Kids”; assistance in accessing available county social services; referrals to pursue limited primary medical care for children through Plano Children’s Medical Clinic; and seasonal and periodic needs such as school  supplies (for existing pantry clients).  Eligible individuals and families may receive healthy food as a grocery supplement once a month. One time emergency food distributions are available without regard to residency.  Funding is provided from individual donations, grants, and corporate support. For more information, call 214-291-8038 or email: info@7Loavescommunity.org.

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Bill Brewer, CareerCare, St. Andrew UMC, Plano; Total Career Makeover Winner Chuck Baugh of Arlington; Abby Kohut, a.k.a. Absolutely Abby; and Total Career Makeover Winner Tracey Mutz of Hurst

St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano’s CareerCare Group Hosted the Reveal of the Winners,

Which Also Included a Presentation by Kohut, Providing Tips and Strategies to Job Seekers

 

Tracey Mutz of Hurst and Chuck Baugh of Arlington were announced on May 21 as the winners of nationally known Absolutely Abby’s  North Texas Total Career Makeover Contest at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, in Plano.  The church’s CareerCare Group, a free, weekly support/coaching group helping those who are out of work or “mis-employed” and seeking a career change, hosted the event.  Both winners have found themselves unemployed for the second time in the last few years, which has been difficult on them, their families and their confidence. As the winners of the Total Career Makeover Contest, they have now received physical makeovers provided by Smith and Abbey Salon in Dallas and will have a private career consulting session with Career Guru Abby Kohut.

Tracey Mutz is a marketing manager specializing in event management of large corporate events. Chuck Baugh’s career has included sports marketing and health care sales, and he is now concentrating on finding a health care marketing position.

Over 180 job seekers attended the reveal and presentation, during which Kohut shared her tips on interviewing and dressing for success and also conducted an interactive mock interview with the audience.  Kohut,  widely known for her website AbsolutelyAbby.com, one of Forbes.com’s “Top 100 Websites for Your Career” in 2013, sold her home and spends her days traveling across America with her husband to reach and teach 1 million job seekers how to stand out in a crowd of over 14 million unemployed.   This is her third Total Career Makeover Contest with the previous two held in California and New Jersey.  Job seekers across North Texas entered the contest, 10 semi-finalists were determined by a committee, and then America voted.  One male and one female winner are selected in each contest.

“In 2012 my husband and business partner Ken and I left our home in New Jersey in an RV to embark on an 8,000 mile journey to help job seekers,” said Abby Kohut.  “We do not earn an income from speaking and do not have a sponsor for the tour.  It is truly a labor of love!”

Since then she has educated more than 200,000 job seekers in libraries, schools, YMCAs, military bases, and houses of worship in 27 states how to stand out in a crowd.  Kohut launched her national Total Career Makeover contest in 2011 and plans to do them in many of the other cities she travels to.    The winners receive a new look including a physical makeover, an individual consulting session with Kohut and copies of her books and teleseminars. 

“St. Andrew’s CareerCare Group was delighted to welcome back Abby Kohut as she always has wonderful advice for anyone seeking new employment,” added Bill Brewer, Ministry Director, CareerCare, St. Andrew UMC.  “It’s also been great to be a part of her North Texas Career Makeover contest.”

Kohut was rated by Fast Company magazine as one of the Top 100 Influential People Online and was one of the “Monster 11” according to Monster.com in 2011.  She has been highlighted as a job search expert on Fox 5, NBC, CBS, ABC, LinkedIn, Monster, Real Simple, The Ladders, Bloomberg Radio, and now Forbes. She is also the author of “Absolutely Abby’s 101 Job Search Secrets.”

CareerCare is a free, weekly support/coaching group helping those who are out of work or “mis-employed” and seeking a career change. Career Care provides comprehensive support: job postings; networking to build job leads/contacts, including LinkedIn group; speakers teaching search skills (resumé, interviewing, etc.); free, volunteer coaches to assist one-on-one with resumés, etc. (by appointment for those attending our weekly meetings, and who don't have professional outplacement package); career assessment testing; private budget/debt counseling at no charge.  Over 500 jobs were landed within this group from 2010 to 2013.

For more information on the CareerCare, visit the CareerCare Website at http://www.standrewumc.org/connect/ministries/learning/career-care/ or call the church office at 214-291-8082. To schedule an interview with the winners or with Absolutely Abby, please call 917-209-2973.

 

# # #

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is a vibrant, growing, intergenerational church.  Begun in 1986, St. Andrew is located on a 21.214 acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista and includes a sanctuary, education, music and nursery wing, completed in 2003.  Nearly 2,000 come together every weekend through six different worship services: Saturday Night Alive!-5:30 p.m.; Sunday Early Service-8:00 a.m.; Teaching Service-9:30 a.m.; and progressive traditional Service-11:00 a.m.; The Well contemporary worship at 9:09 a.m. and 10:39 a.m.  St. Andrew is an outward-focused church striving to lift the world around us toward God and provides a number of local and global mission opportunities including the Seven Loaves Community Center, which provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle.  A number of caring ministries are in place to support members in all phases of life from support groups to career care in addition to ministries focused on each age group.  Additional ministries include a strong music program with choirs, instrumental groups, as well as the Academy of Music, offering private lessons.  St. Andrew provides each individual with opportunities to connect to the community and contribute their unique gifts to the congregation's spirit. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Additional information can be found at www.standrewumc.org

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Free, patriotic, musical celebration with picnic on the creek before the concert, games provided for kids

ST. ANDREW UNITED METHODIST CHURCH INVITES COMMUNITY TO

“A SALUTE TO AMERICA” FAMILY PICNIC AND CONCERT

Memorial Day Weekend – Sunday, May 25

 

St. Andrew United Methodist Church invites the community to “A Salute to America” Memorial Day weekend FREE concert and family picnic, Sunday May 25.  Picnic begins at 5:30 p.m. near the creek, and the concert begins at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary, located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas.

Attendees are invited to bring a picnic supper, and St. Andrew will provide lemonade as well as games for children, including duck races at the creek.  The concert will feature the St. Andrew Chancel Choir and Imperial Brass, performing a variety of patriotic and Americana music.  A military honor guard will provide the presentation of the flags, and a special invitation is extended to all veterans as each branch of the military will be recognized during the program.  Children will be invited to come forward during one of the concert pieces, waving American flags that will be given to them.

"A Salute to America has gained a reputation as one of the area's most beloved musical celebrations of God and country. It is our pleasure to offer it once again this Memorial Day weekend as a gift to the community," said Chris Crook, Minister of Music and Worship. "We clap along with Sousa marches, sing along with the great national anthems and hymns, honor our military, and then close the program with a plea to God for peace across the world. Dress comfortably and enjoy the evening with us!"

         

For more information call Scott Ayers at 214-291-8002 or email sayers@standrewumc.org.

# # #

St. Andrew United Methodist Church is a vibrant, growing, intergenerational church.  Begun in 1986, St. Andrew is located on a 21.214 acre campus at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista and includes a sanctuary, education, music and nursery wing, completed in 2003.  Nearly 2,000 come together every weekend through six different worship services: Saturday Night Alive!-5:30 p.m.; Sunday Early Service-8:00 a.m.; Teaching Service-9:30 a.m.; and progressive traditional Service-11:00 a; The Well contemporary worship at 9:09 a.m. and 10:39 a.m.  St. Andrew is an outward-focused church striving to lift the world around us toward God and provides a number of local and global mission opportunities including the Seven Loaves Community Center, which provides a myriad of services to qualifying residents of all Collin County zip codes directed at improving lives and breaking the poverty cycle.  A number of caring ministries are in place to support members in all phases of life from support groups to career care in addition to ministries focused on each age group.  Additional ministries include a strong music program with choirs, instrumental groups, as well as the Academy of Music, offering private lessons.  St. Andrew provides each individual with opportunities to connect to the community and contribute their unique gifts to the congregation's spirit. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093.  Additional information can be found at www.standrewumc.org