At 5801 W. Plano Parkway, where Plano Parkway meets Mira Vista Boulevard in Plano, St. Andrew Methodist Church is known for two things given equal care: traditional and contemporary worship, and a practical commitment to forming people for service. Founded in 1986, the church has grown from 500 people at its first service into a 21.214-acre campus with a 1,600-seat sanctuary, Smith Worship Center, Hasley Chapel, family classrooms, music spaces, and ministries spanning childhood through later adulthood. St. Andrew is an independent Methodist church. Its life includes The Storehouse, which feeds and supports neighbors in Collin County, and 4 Corners Global Outreach, which operates a primary-care clinic for the Cabécar people of Costa Rica.
Two Worship Traditions, One Centered Message
St. Andrew gives substantial space, staffing, and musical leadership to both of its weekend worship styles. A visitor can choose a reverent service shaped by liturgy and hymns or an immersive gathering built around a live band, while hearing the same biblical message across the weekend.
- Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Traditional worship in Hasley Chapel
- Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Traditional worship in the Sanctuary
- Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Traditional worship in Hasley Chapel
- Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Contemporary worship in Smith Worship Center
- Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Contemporary worship in the Sanctuary
Every service is livestreamed, and archived messages can be watched or heard. The stream begins five minutes before worship, making watching services online straightforward for those joining from home.
Traditional Liturgy and Centuries-Old Words
Traditional worship at St. Andrew engages people through liturgy, the practice of singing, reciting, and praying together. Hymns, prayers, affirmations of faith, readings, visual art, and modern music are thoughtfully combined around a biblical message. Words used by Christians for hundreds or thousands of years take on new life through the creativity of the church's music and arts teams. The Saturday service in Hasley Chapel has a more communal and casual feel, while the Sunday services carry the tradition forward with greater formality.
Live Bands, Screens, and a Contemporary Language
The contemporary service is immersive from its live band to its oversized LED screens and theatrical lighting. Its music ranges across contemporary Christian music, Southern gospel, and reimagined traditional hymns. The atmosphere is described as safe, warm, and inviting, with presentations intended to challenge thinking while keeping Christ at the center. Both styles use dedicated pastoral voices and music teams, and a shared core message connects the traditional and contemporary services with the church's Bible-study groups.
From the Parking Lot to a Place in the Room
St. Andrew stands at the corner of Plano Parkway and Mira Vista Boulevard, between the Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road. The large Sanctuary and traditional worship are easiest to reach through the West entrance, marked by the steeple, columns, and covered driveway. Visitors arriving for the 9:30 a.m. contemporary service should use the East entrance and pass through the courtyard. People who park across Plano Parkway are assisted by the Plano Police Department as they cross the road.
A Golf Cart Ministry provides another way to move from the parking lot to the building. Drivers arrive before worship, greet guests and members, and can pick up visitors who have parked farther away. Greeters, ushers, and hospitality teams work throughout the rooms so newcomers can find seats and feel expected rather than uncertain.
A Sunday Shaped Around Children, Students, and Adults
Children's programming for birth through fifth grade runs at both 9:30 and 11:00 on Sundays. Families enter through the Children's Atrium, where volunteers greet them, help with kiosk check-in, and guide them to the appropriate rooms. Students in grades 7 through 12 also gather at 9:30 and 11:00 in the student space on the north side of campus. Adults can drop into The Root, a 9:30 Bible study led by Rev. Lauren Gerlach, or Something Else, an 11:00 class led by Dr. Scott Engle.
St. Andrew has a recurring rhythm for those considering membership. A campus tour departs from the Welcome Desk at 9:30 on the second Sunday of each month, the Get Connected class meets at 9:30 on the third Sunday, and a pastor hosts membership conversations in the parlor between services on the fourth Sunday. A relaxed Joining Day luncheon is held quarterly.
From Shepton High School to a 21-Acre Plano Campus
A Church Begins in Homes and a School Auditorium
The late Rev. Robert Hasley founded St. Andrew United Methodist Church in 1986 and served as its senior pastor for 36 years. The church was named for the disciple Andrew, described as the first evangelist because he introduced Peter to Jesus. After an organizational meeting at Shepton High School and subsequent gatherings in homes, 500 people attended the first service on September 8, 1986.
Building a Permanent Home
St. Andrew received five acres at Mira Vista Boulevard and Plano Parkway and purchased 16 adjoining acres, creating its present 21.214-acre campus. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in April 1990, and the first service in the original building, now Smith Worship Center, was held on May 19, 1991. Growth soon required more classroom and worship space; the Festival Hall addition was dedicated in 1997, bringing the facilities to 70,000 square feet. A later capital campaign produced a Sanctuary that seats 1,600 people across three levels and welcomes local choral and instrumental ensembles. Its handcrafted Letourneau organ contains 4,335 pipes made of tin, zinc, and wood and is among the largest in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Service Appears Before the Buildings
St. Andrew's outreach began before its first permanent building. Rev. Hasley's East Plano apartment ministry gave latchkey children a safe place to go after school in an apartment rented to the church for $1. When Hurricane Katrina displaced tens of thousands of people, the congregation provided housing, food, clothing, and worship opportunities for more than 300 people in Plano. That response included a partnership with Habitat for Humanity that produced five homes for displaced families. In 2009, the Storehouse of Collin County was founded to address hunger and poverty through food distribution.
Contemporary Worship, Pandemic Adaptation, and Independence
Contemporary worship began on September 9, 2012, under new associate pastor Rev. Arthur Jones. Attendance growth led to the ChurchOne capital campaign and a proposed 30-year master plan organized around worship, connection, service, and giving. A $6.5 million Sanctuary renovation introduced new lighting, video, and sound systems, while a second phase improved areas for students and children, parking, missions, and The Storehouse.
When the pandemic interrupted worship, St. Andrew began streaming sermons, hosting online Bible studies, and making pastoral calls. An outdoor Christmas program, a screening of Handel's Messiah, and Easter worship at Riders Field offered new ways for the community to gather. The Storehouse also moved to an outdoor distribution model that remained in use. Arthur Jones became senior pastor on July 1, 2021. Rev. Hasley died on July 21, 2022, and Hasley Chapel, which he had planned for the church's Second Act ministry, was completed in 2023. It now hosts traditional services, weddings, memorial services, and conferences beside the pond and woods.
St. Andrew announced its disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church in October 2022. The congregation approved the terms of settlement on February 21, 2023, and disaffiliation became final on March 31, 2023. The church describes itself as an independent Methodist church and has continued exploring relationships with mission-focused Methodist and Wesleyan communities.
What Choosing Christ Means Here
St. Andrew's motto is Choose Christ. Discover Joy. Its convictions begin with God as creator and sustainer of everything visible and invisible, working for the redemption of the world. The church affirms God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with love as God's defining characteristic, most clearly shown in Jesus' willingness to die so that people might live with God and one another.
The church is centered in Christ and grounded in the Bible as the inspired Word of God. It interprets Scripture through reason, experience, and tradition and seeks to apply that understanding to a life following Jesus. Eternal life begins in the present, which makes St. Andrew's commitment to real and active faith central to its identity. The church also believes God renews people into the likeness of Jesus and calls them into abundant life as participants in the transformation of the world.
Joy has a specific meaning here. St. Andrew understands it as a tangible expression of the Holy Spirit's work in the community and a sign of the future feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. That theme joins the church's desire for deeper learning, stronger relationships, generous service, and a faith that changes daily life.
Formation for Every Stage of Childhood
Three Truths for Younger Children
Children's ministry is designed to make faith engaging and memorable for different ages. Nursery and preschool children from three months through pre-kindergarten learn three simple truths: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever. Elementary students in kindergarten through third grade focus on treating others as they want to be treated, making wise choices, and trusting God. Preteen ministry for fourth through sixth graders combines age-appropriate lessons, small-group discussion, activities, and relationships with peers. Vacation Bible School and summer camps use interactive games, crafts, and lessons designed for different age groups.
Student Ministry That Extends Beyond Sunday
Students in grades 7 through 12 meet every Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11:00, and the student lounge opens at 9:00 with coffee and doughnuts. Home Days open the student center every Monday from 4:00 to 7:00 for studying, arcade games, basketball, and free pizza. The Harbor gathers students for worship on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30, with the doors opening at 4:00 and pizza provided.
Community outreach is part of that rhythm. During the school year, volunteers serve a free Lunch Bunch to about 150 students every Wednesday from noon to 1:30. Small groups, special events, and trips provide additional settings for students to build friendships and explore faith. Eighth-grade students participate in Confirmation, a program of instruction and reflection intended to help them take ownership of their Christian faith.
A Preschool Rooted in Worship and Learning
St. Andrew Preschool provides age-appropriate opportunities for worship, learning, loving, serving, and inviting. Daily prayer, song, and Christlike examples reinforce faith as the center of relationships. Classes meet Monday through Thursday from 9:05 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Friday until noon. Enrichment programs include music, motor movement, chapel, library, Spanish, and early literacy. The school's calendar follows the Plano Independent School District calendar, and children generally bring their own lunches and snacks.
Adult Learning, Congregational Care, and Music
Classes, Communities, and Small Groups
Adult ministry includes communities, classes, activities, recreation, independent studies, and small groups for people at different ages and stages. Communities combine relationships with social, service, and learning opportunities. Small Groups meet on Sunday mornings and during the week to explore Scripture and do life together, while The Root and Something Else offer two regular Sunday Bible-study settings with drop-in participation.
Care Through Practical Support
Congregational Care includes counseling and referrals for people who are troubled, ill, facing life changes, or feeling lost. Career Care is open to the community at no cost and meets online on Mondays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. It offers job postings, networking, speakers, résumé and interviewing instruction, career assessments, and one-on-one volunteer coaching. Finance Care provides confidential individual budget and debt counseling without selling financial products. Grief Care classes and other support gatherings are also part of the care ministry.
St. Andrew treats weddings as worship services and requires premarital counseling for couples who marry there. Memorial services can be held at the church, a funeral home, or graveside according to the family's wishes. The ministry's wider expression of care extends through special-needs support, the Prayer Room, and volunteer roles such as greeters, ushers, golf-cart drivers, and communion servers.
Choirs and Bells at the Center of Traditional Worship
The Chancel Choir rehearses Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Choir Room, with childcare available through advance reservations. It provides musical leadership for the 9:30 traditional service and performs major works with a professional orchestra. The choir has appeared at Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and numerous cathedrals and performance halls across Europe. Children's choirs serve kindergarten through sixth grade and rehearse Sundays between services. Bells of St. Andrew, an advanced adult bell choir, also participates regularly in traditional worship.
The Storehouse: Feeding, Clothing, and Caring
St. Andrew calls The Storehouse Community Center its charity of choice. Its mission is to feed, clothe, and care for neighbors as one community. The idea grew from Sharon Hasley's concern about severe poverty she witnessed in a local grocery store and a conversation with the North Texas Food Bank about distributing food through houses of worship. With St. Andrew's organizational backing, Common Unity, a separate 501(c)(3), was founded with the Seven Loaves Food Pantry. Seven Loaves served one family on its opening day in September 2009.
Four connected programs now shape The Storehouse. Seven Loaves provides food pantry services. Joseph's Coat, added in 2010, distributes new and gently used clothing free of charge to families in need. Project Hope began as a mentoring initiative for women and families seeking to break the cycle of poverty and developed into neighbor care with case management and referrals. The Academy, introduced in 2022, provides language, life-skills, and job-skills training. Together, the programs move beyond immediate necessities toward relationships and practical preparation.
4 Corners: Care at the Edge of the Map
4 Corners Global Outreach is St. Andrew's international mission ministry. Working with local governments and agencies, and at the invitation of communities with inadequate access to basic medical services, it helps establish primary-care clinics. Its first operating clinic, Clínica Emanuel, serves the Cabécar people of the Tayni Reserve in the Talamanca mountains of southern Costa Rica.
A St. Andrew vision team hiked two hours to reach Jabuy, the closest of 17 Cabécar villages; some of the most remote communities are a three-day walk away. Clinic leaders described the need for primary health care and emergency support. Clínica Emanuel opened on September 3, 2013, and its doctor and nurse work closely with Costa Rica's Minister of Health. The clinic is designed as a model that can be adapted in other places with critical health-care needs, while St. Andrew's mission teams connect with the local people through repeated trips.
Beacon of Light, Invite, and Leadership Development
Beacon of Light began in 2021 as a mental-health ministry serving North Texas residents as well as churches and centers of faith. It provides confidential services in partnership with The Center for Integrative Counseling, located across the street from St. Andrew. The ministry's clinical program manager and executive director lead a service that extends beyond the congregation into the wider community.
Invite is a Christian publishing ministry founded by St. Andrew in 2020. Its imprint, Invite Press, produces practical and theologically grounded books that help readers grow in faith and relationship with Christ and one another. Invite Press titles take a Wesleyan and Arminian perspective, emphasize the lordship of Jesus Christ, minimize partisan politics, and favor innovation over institutionalism.
The Resident Leadership Program is a 15-month, full-life development experience for recent college graduates interested in ministry or nonprofit leadership. Its curriculum moves through discernment, theological depth, leadership development, and deployment into a calling. Residents receive classroom instruction, mentorship, coaching, community, practical experience in St. Andrew's ministries, and a capstone project. The program also provides a living wage so participants can devote themselves fully to the experience.
Worship, Connect, Give, Serve
Four practices organize St. Andrew's shared life. Worship brings people together to connect with God as a church and as individuals. Connect takes shape through Bible studies, small groups, communities, children's and student ministry, adult classes, and congregational care. Give is understood as a faith practice that supports the church's daily ministry, while Serve calls people to share their time and talents locally and in distant places such as Costa Rica.
St. Andrew describes tithes, equal to 10 percent of income, as the primary way its ministry happens. Annual gifts support daily operations and worship; special gifts extend ministry into the local community and around the world, respond to crises, and fund capital projects such as the Hasley Chapel. Its Permanent Endowment, established in 2011, offers another way to support future ministries, scholarships for pastors and leaders, and long-term facility needs. One-time, recurring, and current giving can all be managed through online giving.
At its Plano campus, St. Andrew remains an independent Methodist church centered on Jesus and committed to worship, formation, generous giving, and service. Its two musical traditions, extensive ministry network, and long-running neighbor care express the same conviction in different forms: faith is lived in community and carried into the world.