Reaching Out

For Presbyterians, reaching out to provide a loving connection, volunteer time and/or financial support is a natural part of the spiritual process. In the book of Genesis, God blessed Abraham and his descendents so that they would be a blessing to others. Service to others is often called “enacted prayer,” meaning that our prayers to God on behalf of others also motivate us to do what we can for them. God fills us; we then share with others out of the abundance of our love, gifts and gratitude.

Westminster has a long history of mission work and giving. In 2012, the Mission Committee’s budget of over $75,000 will be distributed locally, nationally and globally. In addition, the Presbyterian Women support mission projects and our children raise money for those in need, including Presbyterian Disaster Services’ relief work in Haiti and the Heifer Project.

Our basic mission support through our budget is allocated on the basis of a congregational study conducted two years ago. Our support to both local and worldwide includes:

 Filling the basic needs of the poor: Cedar Valley Food Bank, Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Westminster Christmas Dinner, Feed My Starving Children, Samaritan’s Purse, Habitat for Humanity, Soles 4 Souls, the Overflow Homeless Project and the Stork’s Nest.

Disaster recovery: Samaritan’s Purse, Japanese earthquake relief, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. We have used a Presbytery Mission and Ministry grant to repair local homes and to make local homes handicap accessible.

Abuse prevention: House of Hope, Seeds of Hope, and Family and Children’s Council.

Theological education: The University of Dubuque theological Seminary and the Protestant University of the Congo.

Missionary support: Through the General Assembly: John and Gwen Haspels (Ethiopia) and Dan McNerney of Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship. Missionaries supported directly: Kelly and Duane Diener (Guatemala) and Roger and Julie Shirey Hederstedt.

Spiritual growth and salvation: Andy Iversen with Navigators, Quakerdale, Prison Ministries (Angel Tree) and the Jesus Video Project.

Additional organizations supported: Alternatives and medical scholarships for students at the Protestant University of the Congo.

Among the active mission projects that Westminster members and friends are currently working with are the following:

Twice monthly Special Needs Dances are held at Westminster for teens and adults with special needs so they can enjoy pizza & pop and dance the night away. Our Deacons and Youth Group help host, dance and mingle with our guests.

The Christmas Dinner has been an annual tradition at Westminster for 31 years. It’s difficult to determine who has more fun, our guests or the volunteers who make it possible. On Dec. 25, 2011, Westminster treated its largest group in history to turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

The Overflow Homeless Shelter is close to the heart of Pastor Tricia and many of our members who have helped rehab a formerly vacant downtown house. It’s now being used during the winter months by homeless members of the community who can’t find a bed at the Salvation Army. Westminster is responsible for finding teams of two volunteers each who would be willing to spend a night at the OHS. For more information, please call the church officer or e-mail Tricia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in both body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children for a cost of only 24 cents per meal. They’re then shipped to nearly 70 countries around the world. Westminster coordinates the effort in Black Hawk County. Every fall, our Shared Life Center becomes the production site where hundreds of volunteers pack thousands of individual meals from tons of rice, protein power, dried vegetables, and powdered milk.

Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build is an increasingly popular day-long mission opportunity. Lori Johnson coordinates this ministry. No skills are necessary for participants other than a willingness to learn.

Our Youth Mission Trips, open to all senior high students, head to different location each summer. The destination for 2012 is the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, where our young people and their adult chaperones will help build a church camp..  

Our monthly Junior High Dances have been part of the “tween scene” for three decades. For some families, we’re now hosting the second generation of middle school students.   With over two dozen adult chaperones, we offer a safe, fun environment in which to dance and hang out.

We also have special relationships with two institutions of high learning:

• The Protestant University of the Congo is a church-related university with four colleges: Business, Law, Theology and Medicine. More than 5,000 students attend the university, which is a century-long effort by various Protestant missions and the Congolese Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECT). The University seeks to educate its 5,000 students from Africa (primarily the Congo) in a Christian environment.       Pastor Tricia Jacobs was born in the Congo and recently returned as part of an Eli Lily grant. During her trip, she was impressed by the university and got to know Dr. Samuel Mampunza, Dean of the Medical School, who visited Westminster in the fall of 2011.
• The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary is the only Presbyterian Church (USA) seminary that’ss part of a university. Westminster has a long history of partnering with UDTS to provide scholarships for seminarians. In addition, our Interim Pastor, Rev. Cathy Young, is a UDTS graduate and serves on the University of Dubuque Board of Trustees.