Rev. Ellen Brantley, M. Div.
One of our young adult members recently challenged the congregation from the pulpit to GET SERIOUS about our faith and our church. We have taken that challenge to heart and we have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. You can see it and feel it in our worship and in the regular buzz of activity around the church all week long.
One of the wonderful things about Westminster is that, even when we are working hard to meet the challenges of the world, we have serious FUN doing it! Many members would say that they appreciate the “family feel” here and the genuine, warm welcome that we share with all who enter the building. We are quick to make friends out of strangers, young and old. And we live out the belief from the Westminster Shorter Catechism of the 18th century: The chief end of [humanity] is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
Westminster is a beautiful church – not only the people, but the building as well. The stained glass windows that you see scattered through this website are photos of the actual windows that adorn our sanctuary. We have lots of space, most of which has been updated over the past six years, partly to house our state-licensed, successful Parents’ Day Out and Preschool. We have an 80-plus year history of sponsoring Boy Scout Troop 16, we also host a weekly AA meeting, a Neighborhood Watch group and the Ozarks Whittlers and Woodcarvers. The building is accessible to the physically challenged.
Some of the local missions we support include: Council of Churches of the Ozarks, Well of Life (food pantry), Regional Girls’ Shelter, United Ministries in Higher Education (at Missouri State University), and we are a Partner in Education with Delaware Elementary School (right next door to the church). Our church calendar is always full of activities and there is plenty of opportunity to serve and be served.
As we celebrate 125 years of ministry in 2010, we are also dreaming and envisioning the future church. No matter how the world may change, my prayer is that we will continue to greet challenge as opportunity, to be serious about our commitment to God and church, and to know joy in loving and serving God and one another.
Grace and Peace,
Ellen Brantley, Pastor
