Ray and Lidia Zirkel have lived in Costa Rica as missionaries for 24 years. On a Sunday in 2005, Lidia was walking with her daughters to church in the city of San Jose when she noticed some homeless children — just a few of the 1,500 — who were living and sleeping on the streets. “My girls were a...

Last week, we lost a man who gave his heart, soul, and entire career to Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC). Because of his relentless passion, Rev. Kenneth M. Dickson exemplified HPUMC’s commitment to helping people become deeply devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Ken Dickson joined t...

For over 20 years, Highland Park United Methodist Church has provided help and hope to the Dallas community through Carpenters for Christ. This servant organization is led by lay members of HPUMC, making us the largest partner of Habitat for Humanity of any church congregation in the world. While...

About three years ago, in Sunday School at HPUMC, my brother Wyatt and I heard about the work our church was doing as Carpenters for Christ with Habitat for Humanity. We both loved the idea and wanted to build a house with them, but we were too young and could not build. But our hearts said that ...

I recently got the chance to visit Haiti on a medical mission trip with Highland Park United Methodist Church. I must give my wife, Erin, all the credit for really pushing us to go, but I’m glad I listened. I spent several days working as a pharmacist at the Medical Clinic in Petit Goave. While m...

I’ve been on a lot of mission trips in my life. Every time before we leave, I’m asked what my expectations are for the trip or what I am seeking by going. The 2016 trip I took to Costa Rica with Highland Park United Methodist Church was no different. If I’m honest, I’m not sure I had any expectat...

Windshield wipers slap across the front of the van as our driver navigates choppy roads where his skill in maneuvering through mud is challenged by deep ruts caused by trucks hauling sugar cane. Deep in the sugar cane fields that provide the major industry for the Dominican Republic, our day’s mi...

I have never been one to dig deep on “knowing your why” or building my company for a “higher reason,” things I’ve always been told I needed to have in order to be successful in business. Instead, I’ve always just built because I enjoy challenges, overcoming obstacles, and feeling a sense of accom...

Four months have passed since Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti, creating a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished nation. The Category 4 storm whipped the country with winds of up to 145 mph, bringing heavy rainfall, deadly tides and resulting flooding. More than 500 people were killed and up ...

The first day that my wife, Karen, and I volunteered to build a Habitat for Humanity home was in August, 2008. By the end of the day, it was 100 degrees, and probably even hotter on the concrete slab! From that day forward, we became core volunteers with HPUMC’s Carpenters for Christ outreach gro...