Get Involved with Community and World Service

The Community and World Service Ministries of Westminster are, as their names imply, involved in service- and mission-related activities locally and globally. While we believe that salvation comes by grace alone, we believe that our faith calls us to action through service. This service is carried out, not by reaching down to help someone up, but by reaching across to our fellow human beings. We are acting out our faith in a variety of ways and can use whatever gifts members of the congregation have.

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Matt. 25:37-40

This passage from Matthew sums up well why we do what we do. We do mission because we want to, not because we have to in order to earn our way into heaven. We don't try to solve all the world's problems, but we do try to make our community and globe God's kingdom.

Westminster crew at work on a Habitat for Humanity house

The Community and World Service Ministries are involved in numerous activities, both at Westiminster and in cooperation with other organizations. Our activities include the following:

• AIDS-care kits for Africa
• Bread for the World (world hunger) Bread for the World projects at Westminster
• Congregation of Promise in Knoxville's Promise (part of America's Promise, founded by Colin Powell)
• Financial aid for Presbyterian college and seminary students
• FISH ministry (food pantry, second Thursday)
• Florence Crittenton Agency (their homepage)
• Forums on issues and concerns
• Habitat for Humanity (national homepage) Westminster has been involved with building Habitat for Humanity houses nearly ten years (our first was in 1998). The 2007 build is approaching soon. This year Westminster is teaming up with Church Street United Methodist to build a house for a very worthy family, and once again we need your help. Blitz Day will be Saturday, July 14. These projects have been coordinated by the Knoxville Habitat for Humanity.
• Heifer Project International
• International mission trips
• Mission work camps
• One Great Hour of Sharing (Collected during Lent and on Easter Sunday, this annual ecumenical offering, which has been taking place since 1949, gives Presbyterians an opportunity to join symbolically with other Christians across the country in expressing compassion through gifts and prayers for world crisis relief, the self-determination of people, and global hunger relief.)
• PCUSA Christmas Joy Gift Offering
• PCUSA Medical Benevolence Foundation
• Peacemaking (exploring attitudes and actions that lead to peace)
• Presbyterian Student Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Prison ministry
• Two-Cents-a-Meal offering (This offering of pennies, two cents for every meal that each of us eats, is collected the first Sunday of each month. The money is used to purchase the food we use to prepare one breakfast and one lunch each month at the Volunteer Ministry Center)
• Volunteer Ministry Center (two meals monthly)
• Youth Camps (John Knox Center)

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Updated 6/22/2007