Education Missions

Blackburn College Chaplaincy
WPC provided $1,000 from the Support & Endowment Fund in 2023 to support the chaplaincy at Blackburn College, a Presbyterian school in Carlinville, IL.
 
Christmas Joy Offering
This special offering, which brought in $2,365 in 2023, brings assistance to church workers in times of need and provides leadership development and education at PC(USA)-related racial/ethnic colleges and schools. 
Compass for Kids
Westminster hosts this weekly after-school program of homework help, life skills, and hot meals for at-risk children from Graham Elementary, partnering with Central Baptist and providing numerous volunteers. Participating children are also supplied with nutritious food for each weekend. Compass meets weekly at Westminster to assist with children’s academic, social, and nutritional needs. Westminster provided $2,500 in 2023. 
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Get involved: Opportunities include the chance to be a Classroom Helper / Leader, Reader and Book Club Leader, or food and supplies delivery volunteer.
Kemmerer Village
Kemmerer Village is a Presbyterian Child Care Agency which helps children and youth facing stress and turmoil in their lives to attain skills and dignity and become well-adjusted members of family and society. WPC funded Kemmerer with $1,500 in 2023, and several members are directly involved with this ministry. We also collect box tops to contribute to their educational programming.
Ready 4 Success
WPC members donated approximately 200 backpacks in July and August, 2024 to this annual back-to-school giveaway of Contact Ministries.

Get involved: Bring new, child-sized backpacks for the summer collection.
Scholarships
From endowment funds designated for that purpose, WPC provides scholarships annually, usually for minority students. The 2023 Support & Endowment budget allowed us to provide $1,931 in such funds.
Westminster Cooperative Preschool
Westminster Coop Preschool is celebrating 50 years, offering a NAYC-accredited, safe, small preschool to our community. WPC hosts and shares many of its resources with the preschool, and offers funding to assist families who need help with tuition at our educational mission partner.  
YMCA / Matthew Project
The YMCA annually hosts summer programming for the Matthew Project, a Springfield agency serving homeless children. Westminster provided $1,500 in funding toward the Rise and Shine Initiative in 2023.
The Outlet
The Outlet works with young males ages 8-22 to help develop the capacity and skill sets to make responsible life-decisions, acquire and maintain spiritual and ethical values, explore their gifts, talents and recognize their dreams and aspirations through male role models/tutors. Westminster contributed $7,000 to The Outlet in 2023.
Word Up of Central Illinois
Word Up aims to provide language learning opportunities to the children ages 1-4 by giving books to young families through various partnerships in the Springfield area. 
Youth Mission Trip
Twenty youth and eight adults spent the week working together to rebuild following the devastating tornadoes in January. Additionally, the group visited the 16th Street Baptist Church, Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, the Equal Justice Museum in Montgomery, and cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Mission Trip Participants read and discussed Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy in preparation for their sojourn together. Attorney Stevenson was instrumental in the founding of The Equal Justice Museum in Montgomery. 
Westminster gave $19,824 to help sponsor the Youth Mission Trip in 2023.
Click here to learn more about Westminster Missions and Service