As you contemplate your financial commitment to Westminster this coming weekend I invite you to do so within the context of community. In the words of Desmond Tutu our "very humanity is caught up in each other," in fact he uses the words "inextricably bound up in each other." As we become more mindful of our dependence on one another, we grow in our realization that our financial commitment to Westminster is more than just a financial transaction; it helps cultivate authentic community and mutuality.

In contemplating your commitment I invite you to reflect on this past year and where the Westminster community has helped you "feel connected" to a bigger purpose and brought about some of your deep hopes for a better world.  In contemplating I want you to keep in mind the many ways Westminster reaches out to our community and world.  

One such example of the impact of Westminster's ministry can be seen in this article written by Emily Votaw and published in the Daily Record on Friday, November 6, 2015 entitled, "UKIRK MINISTRIES: SAFE PLACE TO EXPLORE FAITH, UKirk ministries at Westminster Presbyterian welcomes students of all faith backgrounds."

"We started UKirk when I was just a freshman, and I remember that the first meeting seemed like five very timid people meeting and talking about what UKirk could be," said Evangeline Smith, student ministry intern for the church and a College of Wooster senior pursuing degrees in religious studies and anthropology. Smith said now the group has grown to have a core group of students numbering at about 20. "I started attending Westminster because it's a radically accepting place, it's comfortable here. I was raised in the church, so I was looking for a place to attend, but for some students, they weren't raised in the church and UKirk and Westminster can serve as places for some students to reclaim their faith."

Beth Coetzee, coordinator of student ministries, echoed Smith's statement, emphasizing that Westminster strives to be a safe place for all people, regardless of their faith backgrounds.

"Sometimes students have experienced faith in a very damaging way, and Westminster provides a very unassuming, safe environment for them," Coetzee said.

"It's important for students to have a space where they can ask questions and build relationships," said Smith. "UKirk provides a place for students to have those challenging conversations about faith."

The group does more than meet over tasty meals, however. In fact, every year the group spends time doing service work, usually in the winter and oftentimes dealing with feeding ministries, homelessness or poverty. Last year, the students spent time with Board Street Ministries based out of Philadelphia, Pa., tackling all three of those issues within the city limits.

Coetzee said in addition to meeting once a month, the student ministries within Westminster also host a Monday night Bible study, which allows students to go over the texts that were covered during the Sunday service the day before.

Agape Latte, another youth program at Westminster, brings together the younger set of congregation members at 8:30 a.m. at the Old Main Cafe located in Kauke Hall, room 025, for conversation over caffeine.

"It's so great, because when I started going here, I knew all of the students who were coming on Sundays," recalled Smith. "But now I see people who I don't even recognize, and that's a really cool accomplishment, to have grown that much. There is a very diverse group of students here now."

Dries