We at Southminster Presbyterian Church believe that serving the community and world is a vital part of our Christian life. We partner with several missions in order to serve others. 

Family Promise of Gaston County is committed to helping homeless families of the surrounding area to achieve lasting independence. They do this by providing safe shelter, meals, day care and support services for these families. We host Family Promise every 3-4 times a year for a week, providing housing and dinner for the families during their visit with us. 

Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County specializes in helping families in need of housing. Over 90 Habitat homes have been built in the county. Gaston area Presbyterians (GAP) has help build 14 Homes over the last 14 years. 

Crisis Assistance Ministry (CAM) provides emergency assistance to families and individuals who are experiencing a financial crisis or who are suffering under the continued burden of poverty. CAM offers help with the essential life needs of food, rent/mortgage, utilities, heat, and prescription medicine. 

Off the Streets Ministry is a program that provides shelter, rehabilitation and counsel for women struggling through situations of abuse, addiction and hardship.

Weekend Backpack Food Program is an opportunity to help local students with food insecurities and uncertainties. It ensures that students in Gaston County will have food over the weekends and other school breaks. At Southminster we sponsor students, sort food and pack bags to be distributed to students.

Camp Greer is a Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center in Old Fort, North Carolina that provides students and groups from across North Carolina the opportunity to enjoy and experience the glory of creation in a camp setting. Through outdoor recreation activities, participants can “unplug” and experience this beautiful setting.   

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is an emergency and recovery program that cares for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance focuses on the long term recovery of disaster impacted communities and provides training and disaster preparedness.

Black Mountain Home For Children is a residential care facility in Black Mountain, North Carolina for children with no other options for residence and care. Our members travel to the home during the summer and for Christmas. We provide a Christmas party complete with fun, food and presents for each of the kids at the home. The consistent visits have made lasting relationships between church members and the children at Black Mountain Home.

Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritans Purse that packs shoe boxes each year for less fortunate children around the world. We participate in Operation Christmas Child by packing boxes at Southminster and by going to Charlotte to work in the distribution center and help in the process of packing and delivering these shoe boxes around the world.

Guatemalan Ministry: Southminster was partnered with Camino de Santidad by the Presbytery of Western North Carolina.  Many PCUSA churches in our area have a sister church in Guatemala.  Through a variety of trips to Guatemala members of Southminster have developed relationships with many people in the region and work with local agencies to improve the living conditions and break the cycles of generational poverty in Guatemala.

Guatemalan Scholarships:  Southminster provides scholarships for 25-30 children in the Camino de Santidad community.  Not all are from our sister church and there is a balance between boys and girls who receive the scholarships. Parents are not required to send their kids to school in Guatemala, so many young people do not receive an education.  These scholarships provide tuition to good schools, uniforms, and backpacks.  This is a life changing blessing for these children.

Ebenezer School and Nkohma Hospital in Malawi: Every year members of Southminster have the opportunity to join a team from the Presbytery of Western North Carolina to travel to our mission partners in Malawi. The purpose is to create and sustain Ebenzer School and Nkohma Hospital, two vital programs bringing education and healthcare to an impoverished region of Malawi.