St. Andrew United Methodist Church invites the community to "United with Ukraine: A Benefit Concert"

 

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.”

Journey of Lights - outdoor, immersive Christmas experience (Dec. 11-19)

St. Andrew United Methodist Church invites the community to safely celebrate the season at “Journey of Lights,” a new outdoor, immersive Christmas experience, December 11 - 19, 6 – 9 p.m., 5801 W. Plano Parkway, benefiting the church’s new mental health initiative, a program that will be available not only to church members but also to the community.

At “Journey of Lights,” attendees will enjoy multiple immersive outdoor Christmas environments throughout the 21-acre campus, filled with photo opportunities, including a Christmas Village, featuring a magnificent oak tree filled with lights; a 3D snowfall lane; music with projection of Christmas carolers; holiday décor throughout the village with candy canes, reindeers, and snowmen; a larger-than-life advent calendar utilizing actual windows; costumed characters along the path; and visits by Santa and Mrs. Claus (Dec. 16 and 19); Light in the Darkness, a highly curated, immersive 30-minute light show experience throughout the trees and creek area, timed and synchronized with music of all St. Andrew Choirs and Imperial Brass, including visual projection, live Christmas vocalists, live handbells, readings, and actors sharing the Christmas story as guests walk through and savor the awe of the season; and culminating with a moving experience at Nativity at the Pond, with hanging lights, lanterns on the path, luminaries in the water, peaceful Christmas music such as Silent Night, and a live nativity on the island in the pond featuring Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Seating is available throughout all experiences for viewing and reflection of the season.

Paperless tickets sold in designated time segments are $5 each. Attendees may show their tickets through an App on their phones upon arrival at this timed event. Ages 2 and under are free.

https://www.standrewumc.org/christmas_lights#journey

St.Andrew United Methodist Church invites community to “A Service of Comfort and Hope"

Paula D'Arcy

St.Andrew United Methodist Church invites the community to “A Service of Comfort and Hope,” designed for those experiencing grief and loss, on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m., in the sanctuary, 5801 W. Plano Parkway. The service will also be livestreamed online, and there is no cost to attend in person or stream online. 

Featuring Guest Speaker Paula D’Arcy, an award-winning author, retreat leader and former psychotherapist, Harpist Barbara Biggers, music by the St. Andrew Chancel Choir Ensemble, and hymns, the service will be led St. Andrew pastors Rev. Jennifer Powell, Rev. Robert Hasley, and Associate Director of Music Phillip Haworth. Registration is required to attend the in-person service.

Guest Speaker Paula D’Arcy will share her message of hope and healing via livestream from Austin. D'Arcy survived the loss of her husband and young daughter in an accident in 1975. She was three months pregnant at the time. Among her bestselling books are Gift of the Red Bird, Waking Up to This Day, and the award-winning Stars at Night. D’Arcy serves as an adjunct faculty member of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. 

Dallas Harpist Barbara Biggers will perform live in the sanctuary. She has played with the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Symphony, and many others. Prior to coming to Dallas, she worked in the New York area, where she has performed at the Tony Awards and with headliners Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Jean-Pierre Rampal, the Irish Tenors, Diana Ross, Johnny Mathis, and others. Additionally, she was principal harpist with Broadway musicals Follies, Ragtime and Nine and has multiple other Broadway credits including Phantom of the Opera, South Pacific, The Producers, 42^nd Street, Wicked and many more. The St. Andrew Chancel Choir Ensemble performance will be pre-recorded and onscreen.

To register to attend in-person, visit standrewumc.org/news/ComfortAndHope. Each attendee, in person and online, will be invited to light a candle to burn throughout the service in remembrance of a loved one.

A St. Andrew Christmas

Put the true spirit in your holiday season with “A St. Andrew Christmas,” Sunday December 15, 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 “Winter Wonderland” and “The Nutcracker” to majestic settings of “Angels from the Realms of Glory” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” featuring 200 singers, soloist Jodi Wright, bells, a 45-member professional orchestra, a magnificent pipe organ, and the ever-popular carol sing.  

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

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.