A Message from our Pastors                 Rev. Janet and Rev. Jerry Duggins

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Welcome to Westminster Presbyterian Church!  Thank you for visiting our website, which we try to keep current with information about what's happening in worship and in various other aspects of our church life.   We hope it will help to put you in touch with upcoming happenings and opportunities, whether you are a long-time participant in Westminster or just learning about us.  If you are just finding us, we encourage you to check out the calendar, read a sermon excerpt, learn something about Presbyterian beliefs, and see some pictures.  Hopefully, this will give you a little sense of who we are.  But even better - join us for worship or another event, and meet us in person.  You will be warmly welcomed!

Between June 2007 and October 2008, Westminster Presbyterian Church is celebrating 50 years of ministry in the Portage/Kalamazoo area.   June '07 marked the 50th anniversary of the very first worship service, and in October '08 we will celebrate the official establishment of this church as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  

During these 15 months, our theme is CELEBRATING OUR STORY, IMAGINING OUR FUTURE.   As you can guess, 50 years means that we have lots of stories of changes, people, funny happenings, accomplishments in mission, and God's faithfulness.  But we aren't celebrating nostalgia.  We are celebrating the fact that we continue the journey of following Christ in this place, inspired by the commitment of those who came before us but also looking for God's leading into a future we can only dimly imagine.  God's faithfulness through the years is what helps us to look to the future with trust and confidence.  We can't know how the world will change, or how we will change, but we do know God's love in our midst will not change.

We are not a very large congregation in numbers (we have about 300 members) but we are large in spirit, concerned about the world around us, caring and praying for each other, interested in learning and exploring new ideas.  We strive for worship that is lively, thoughtful, theologically sound, and welcoming to all.  We offer Christian Education for all ages from preschool through adult, and also a variety of other activities geared to specific needs or interests:  youth groups, choir, social outings, a womens depression support group, a knitting and prayer group, volleyball, and more.  We welcome lay participation in leadership in all areas of church life.  We put our caring about human needs into practice as we support both Presbyterian projects and local ministries that extend caring to sisters and brothers who are hungry, homeless, and hurting.   We represent a wide range of ages, interests, perspectives, and beliefs... and strive always for an openness of heart and mind, to welcome all in the name of Jesus Christ, who welcomes us to his table and his church.

We believe that a faith community is an essential in today's busy and sometimes disconnected world.  Sure, you can believe in God all by yourself, but it's better to have company and encouragement.  Sure, you can try and follow Jesus on your own, but when Jesus invited people to follow him, he invited them to be part of a community.  In his name, we extend that invitation.

Peace and blessings,

Pastors Janet & Jerry Duggins

P.S.  Either of us would be very glad to talk with you about the church or about any needs or questions you may have.  You can call us at the church at 344-3966