West U Methodist 90 News

October 1, 2026

A Place to Belong: 
90 Years of Growing Up at West U UMC

When the church’s longest-attending member, Jayne Allums, looks back at a Sunday night in the early 1950s, she remembers a front lawn completely packed with students. There were so many teenagers gathered that they had to eat their dinners in shifts, waiting for food cooked in a tiny, second-floor kitchen.



While the landscape of youth ministry and the rhythms of family life have evolved significantly since those days, the heart of the church's mission remains unchanged. For nine decades, West U UMC has quietly served as a neighborhood anchor—a safe, welcoming second home for young people seeking purpose, connection, and faith in an ever-changing world.

As the church celebrates its 90-year milestone and looks toward a full century of community life, the focus isn’t just on the history housed in the archives—it’s on the living, breathing legacy continuing today.

West U UMC Youth at 2026 Midwinter Camp

“I think the core identity of West U UMC Youth is simply belonging,” says current Director of Youth Ministries Hanna Bowker. “This has always been a place where students can walk through the doors exactly as they are and know there is a place for them here. Programs change, youth directors change, and generations of students come and go, but the heart of our ministry stays the same: creating a community where young people are known, loved, challenged, and given room to grow.”

That legacy of love has taken many forms over the decades. In 1959, the youth rallied to fundraise for the very first West U UMC bus under the guidance of Billie Jean Sanford. In the 1980s, youth director Karen Jackson let the students paint and decorate their own upstairs space, and filled the program by taking the whole group to Senior League baseball games. The 1990s and 2000s saw the ministry expand its footprint globally, with leaders like Rusti Moore, Josh Arrington, and Shelby Smolen guiding students on life-changing mission trips—from Belize and Costa Rica to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Whether they were distributing rice and beans or selling baked goods to fund a winter ski trip, the common denominator has always been the consistency of showing up. Bowker points to the weekly Youth Group as the one tradition that has truly stood the test of time.

“So much about being a teenager has changed over the years, but their need for genuine community hasn’t,” she explains. “There is something really special about having a space where they can put everything else aside for a little while and just be themselves. Youth Group gives them peers who know them, care about them, and continue showing up for them week after week.”

That consistent space changes lives. Bowker notes that one of the most rewarding aspects of her role is watching students transform from being unsure of where they fit to truly finding their place.



“I’ve watched their faith deepen, their confidence grow, and the way they care for others change,” she shares. “They’ve begun taking ownership of their faith and stepping into leadership for younger students. It wasn’t one big moment; it was the result of consistently showing up, being surrounded by a community that loves them, and having a place to grow.”

A Legacy of Leadership 

1940s - 1950s: Rev. Leroy Stanton, Billie Jean Sanford 

1960s: Cindy Elliot 

1970s: John Hassler, Kathy Kunkle 

1980s: Karen Jackson, Vicki Vance 

1990s: John Schallaci, Rusti Moore, Brad Cauley, Kelly Kerr 

2000s: Vicky Savage, Josh Arrington, Mandy Jones 

2010s: Shelby Smolen 

2020s: Hanna Bowker

West U UMC Youth at UM ARMY this summer

Decades of Youth Milestones 

Over the years, the youth raised money for their summer trips, camps, summer interns, ski trips, and backpacking ministry trips by selling baked goods, washing cars, and hosting large service auctions, flea markets, and golf tournaments.

1948-1954: The front lawn is packed on Sunday nights, requiring students to eat in shifts from a small second-floor kitchen. Young assistants are hired to help with worship, food, and games.

1954: Rev. Leroy Stanton is hired full-time to train leaders and organize youth programs.

1959: Billie Jean Sanford steps in as full-time leader. The youth undertake massive fundraising campaigns to purchase the first West U UMC Bus.

1971: Under Rev. John Hassler, youth continue participating in Lakeview summer camps and other district activities.

1980: Karen Jackson makes her mark before her first Sunday even begins, organizing the students to completely repaint and redesign the upstairs youth area. She revitalizes the calendar with Senior League baseball outings, new fall and spring retreats, and internships for high school and college students.

1991: Rusti Moore expands the thriving youth programs. Students co-lead the 11 AM Chapel service and praise band alongside Missy Cunningham and Bev Taylor. The expansive program supports four high school Sunday School classes, Mid and Senior High Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF), fully mentored Confirmation classes, and a Senior reception on the lawn. Through fundraisers, students pay for winter ski trips and Big House work missions to Belize, Mexico, New York, and New Mexico.

2003: Vicky Savage continues the strong tradition of Sunday School, MYF, and summer service camps.

2004: Josh Arrington organizes the Costa Rica summer work camp. Youth also lead rice and bean distributions and travel to New Orleans with UMCOR for Hurricane Katrina relief. In the aftermath of the storm, some of our youth spend their days working alongside adults to comfort and support displaced children—efforts that ultimately blossom into the nationally touring Children’s Art Project.

2015: Shelby Smolen adds a second week to the Costa Rica Mission Trip, enabling entire families and other church members to join the youth in service. She organizes separate Bible studies for high school boys and girls to keep students engaged outside the main Youth Group; she also leads a weekend Breakthrough Retreat in May for worship, learning, and building community.

2020: The COVID-19 pandemic forces a pause on in-person youth gatherings and travel. Smolen, however, works hard to keep the youth connected to one another and the church through Zoom Bible studies and scavenger hunts.

2024: Hanna Bowker is hired, and the youth attend their first summer camp since COVID. They attend Big Stuf in Florida.

2025: The calendar starts filling up again as students attend summer camps at both Lakeview and Big Stuf. The youth kick off a new tradition of participating in UM ARMY and Lakeview’s Midwinter Camp, while Bowker relaunches the high school Bible Study. 

2026: Bowker expands weekly gatherings by starting a new Mid-High Bible Study. The youth also pack their schedule with a dedicated Mid-High retreat and a special Christmas UM ARMY mission trip.

This Sunday, stop by the Church Parlor to view photos of our Youth Ministry through the decades.

Special thanks to:

Logo Designer, Kathy Meyn Chauvin

90th Anniversary Committee