Missions

Of Wekiva Presbyterian

When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.

Matthew 25:35-36

Missions We Support

Wekiva Presbyterian Church is moved to serve and support others who are moved to serve. Here are some of the mission programs that we support.

Food and Hunger Missions

The congregation collects and donates large amounts of food to Loaves & Fishes, the Altamonte Elementary Food Pantry, and the Lake Brantley High School Food Pantry. Our Presbyterian Women (PW) organization also donates food to local food pantries.

We also contribute to PATH (Presbyterians’ Answer to Hunger). In this program, church members are encouraged to make a monthly donation of 5 cents per meal to support organizations that provide food to the hungry.

Educational Missions

Wekiva Presbyterian Church provides financial postsecondary education support to youth members through the Patricia Swain-Kathy Hood Scholarship fund. The congregation also donates school supplies to Altamonte Elementary School. Presbyterian Women (PW) provides financial support to Sharp Musical Experiences, which provides free concerts and musical events for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other forms of developmental disabilities and their families.

PW also provides recognition gifts of homemade food to the staff of the Endeavor School, a local school for students with special needs. PW also collects school supplies and food for Endeavor School students.

Clothing, Furniture, and Support Missions

Periodically, Wekiva Presbyterian Church holds a church-wide yard sale for our community. Money from the yard sale is used to support our missions. Unsold items are donated to organizations such as St. Vincent De Paul Orlando. Presbyterian Women (PW) provides personal care bags for the family members of the patients at the Advent Health Hospice Center in Longwood. The congregation provides Christmas gifts for children through the Christian HELP and Loaves and Fishes charitable organizations.

In addition, the Anne Kaufmann Memorial Fund provides Christmas gifts to families through Christian HELP and the Farmworker Association of Florida. The church also provides financial support to Cru Military representatives, Joe and Kimmi Emerys, who work with military families at the Great Lakes Naval Station. Cru Military is a missionary organization that works to help military service members, veterans, and their families build a relationship with Christ, grow in their faith, and engage in ministry.

Cuba Mission

In 2013, the Central Florida Presbytery formed a partnership with El Presbiterio Centro de Cuba, the Central Presbytery of Cuba. In 2014, the Presbytery began annual mission trips. Representatives from Wekiva Presbyterian Church have participated in every trip. In 2017, Wekiva signed a partnership agreement with Iglesia Presbiteriana-Reformada “Everisto Collazo”, the Presbyterian Church in Remedios, Cuba. The church is in the El Centro Presbytery. We agreed to provide support to the Remedios church.

Our main goal is a mission of presence, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow Christians, showing that we are friends, and giving members hope in the life of their church. We have taken over-the-counter medicines, Sunday School supplies, and other needed items to Everisto Collazo. In 2024, we partnered with Myers Park Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, NC to begin the process of installing a Living Waters for the World water purification system in the Remedios church. The complete installation of the system is planned for December 1, 2025. When installed, it will be the only source of free, safe drinking water in Remedios.

Denominational Missions

The congregation also provides financial support for our denomination’s missions, such as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Peace and Global Witness. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crises and catastrophic events. Peace and Global Witness enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of conflict and injustice throughout the world.