Mission is at the heart of Second Presbyterian Church. We believe in wrapping our arms around our congregation, city, state, country and world. As our mission statements says, "The mission of Second Presbyterian Church is to be a family of faith making Jesus Christ our way of life ... through service, to put our arms around God's world."

Local Missions

• Souper Bowl–February: A canned food drive including a collection of monetary donations. Food collected is given to the Westminster Food Pantry and Lighthouse Mission. Monetary donations are used to reimburse Westminster Presbyterian Church for food pantry purchases throughout the year. Donations are also used to purchase foodand McDonald’s vouchers for the food closet at Second Presbyterian Church.
  

• Blood Drives–February and September: Blood drives are held biannually at Second Presbyterian Church. Organized through the Indiana Blood Center.
  

• Operation Easter–March/April: The congregation is asked to donate filled Easter baskets for pre-school and elementary school-aged boys and girls. The baskets are given to the Westminster After-school Program and several local social service agencies who serve children and families with children.

• Back to School Benevolence–July/August: The congregation is invited to supply backpacks filled with school supplies. The backpacks are donated to Westminster and other agencies that assist underprivileged children in the community.
  

• Crop Walk–October: Our church members are invited to participate by walking or supporting walkers in this annual event to raise money for various hunger relief programs in our community and throughout the world. Winter Warmth–October A drive to collect hats, gloves, coats, blankets, towels, sweaters, socks, shoes, and toiletries. These donations are then given to agencies in and around Indianapolis who serve the homeless community.

• Bible Ministry: Through our Bible Ministry, we donate Bibles to social service agencies and to other groups or individuals who request them in Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, across the country, and around the world. Bibles are distributed also with our donations of food, clothing, and monetary and physical aid to the needy.
  

• Westminster Food Pantry: The Deacons maintain bins at the North Entrance of the church to collect food and other items to help support the Westminster Neighborhood Ministries. The items are delivered to Westminster monthly.
  

• Westminster Unlimited Kids: The Deacons support and encourage members of Second Presbyterian to serve as mentors to young students who participate in the after-school program at Westminster Neighborhood Ministries.
  

• Westminster Legal Ministry: Lawyers who are members of Second Presbyterian are encouraged to participate in this program that offers legal advice to those needing assistance. Attorneys are available each Monday evening to answer questions for those who live in the Westminster neighborhood.
  

• Youth Job Preparedness Program: Formally a ministry of Westminster, YJPP is now part of the Shepherd Community Ministries. The deacons support this program which encourages and mentors young people of the inner-city, giving them the skills necessary as preparation for joining the work-force.
  

• Second Church food Pantry: The Deacons maintain a small food closet, including items for infants, for walk-ins who come to our church seeking aid. Awards For Excellence This is a program to recognize non-Presbyterian churches having memberships less than 150 persons that excel in ministry outreach. Programs that exhibit excellence community outreach are given a one-time monetary award.
  

• Habitat for Humanity The Deacons help organize and recruit workers to participate in this annual event of building homes for persons who could not otherwise afford to buy a home.
  

• Gulf States Hurricane Relief: Second Presbyterian Church is responding to the crisis in the Gulf States as a result of hurricane Katrina in a number of significant ways.
  

• Christmas Benevolence: Beginning in January of each year, the Christmas Benevolence Committee of the Board of Deacons begins the year-long project of receiving gently used winter clothing for our clients. On the third Monday of each month, the committee meets for a pitch-in dinner, and then it’s off to the unfinished room for sorting box after box after box of clothing. Each piece is inspected carefully for cleanliness, properly working zippers and buttons and overall good condition. It is then sorted by size and placed in to the appropriate box for storage. We collect everything from infants to plus size items.
  
  In addition to the gently used clothing we receive, the committee also shops for new socks, new under clothes, hats, gloves, coats and any other items we need. Christmas in July is celebrated by wrapping around 8,000 pairs of socks and underclothes.
  
  In December, it’s show time! We spend the first two weeks of December helping with clothing selection with our clients. They arrive at the church and visit the ‘CB Store’, where they can ‘shop’ for clothing for their family. Delivery day takes place around the middle of December. Our CB Elves and Helpers deliver wrapped gifts, groceries and smiles. You can’t describe the look on a child’s face when they receive presents from the CB Team!

• SAWS (Second at Work) A group of men and women from Second works to build ramps for those who are physically challenged.
  

• Feed the Children: On the third Sunday of each month a group from Second Presbyterian Church goes down to Shepherd ministry to serve breakfast to children.
  Second Shift Is a group which works to support Westminster Neighborhood ministries by upgrading the facilities. They work on Saturdays during the year to fix or upgrade the facilities.
  

• Take It to Town: MAKE AN IMMEDIATE, AUTHENTIC IMPACT BY JOINING OUR ONE DAY LOCAL MISSION EVENT! Join hundreds of your fellow church members in a truly unique one-day mission event, you will use your unique gifts and talents in improving the lives of area agencies and residents around town. You might find yourself building a wheelchair ramp. Or, you might find yourself sorting clothes, painting walls, or planting flowers. Or, you might find yourself on your hands and knees cleaning. Regardless of your skill level and interest, there is a place for you! Families and children are welcome!
  

• Domestic Violence Ministry: The Domestic Violence ministry was formed to address the ongoing problem of domestic violence in Indianapolis. By working with partners organizations like the Julian Center, Dayspring, and Coburn place we seek to create awareness about domestic violence and support those who are victims of domestic violence.

International Missions

• Nicte-Ha/Playa Del Carmen: Are you or your family interested in sharing a life-changing week?  Manases, partner in ministry at Monte de los Olivos Church, invites you to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for spring break anytime during  March 29-April 12, or for summer Vacation Bible School July 12-19.  Fun and spiritual growth are guaranteed. No Spanish-speaking ability is needed.  For more information, please contact Rosalyn Beatty at the church office @ 253-6461 ext. 332. Or you may contact the Nicte-Ha ministry team:

  Kathy Aitchison, kaitchison@pike.k12.in.us
  Don Buckley, dbuckley@indy.rr.com
  Charles M. Clark Jr, chclark@iupui.edu
  John Giesel, jngiesel@hotmail.com
  BJ Green, bjmcgreen@hotmail.com
  Renee McClindic, rwm1004@sbcglobal.net
  Tave Reser, tave@semint.com
  Bill Sando, bsando@comcast.net

• House of Abraham: The House of Abraham is a partnership project coordinated by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis (HFHGI) that celebrates the common heritage between the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. Coming together for the common goal of building a home with a neighbor in need has proven to be a successful way for bringing healing to divided communities and creating a sense of unity.
  

• Yupik Outreach: In partnership with Chukotka Native Christian Ministries, Presbyterians and the Presbytery of Yukon reach out to native Yupiks of the Russian Far East. A particular focus is on teaching evangelism and training Yupik leadership so that churches can multiply in Siberia. Second Presbyterian Church contributes $6,000 which assists the Yukon Presbytery, in ecumenical partnership with four other denominations, in preparing and sending Yupik (Eskimo) evangelists to the native peoples of Siberia. New believers from Siberia after rigorous training are encouragement to serve as house church leaders and Bible study leaders in their home villages. The goal is to establish an indigenous, self-sustaining church among the native peoples of the Chukotka Peninsula of Siberia. For more information click on link.

• Witnessing Ministries of Christ: Witnessing Ministries of Christ spreads the Good News among the 135 million Dalit (or Untouchable) people of India. Second Presbyterian Church contributes $7000 a year to this ministry. A mass evangelism movement is underway among the Bhangi people in Uttar Pradesh. An average of 10,500 people come to Jesus Christ a month. In order to welcome these new Christians and nurture them in the faith 260 pastor-couples have to be trained each year. The Rural Presbyterian Church requires that both husband and wife commit to work as pastors together. This insures that women receive full pastoral care, which a male alone is not able to do under the rules of the culture. Over the last 10 years 1,329 pastor-couples have been trained who are serving 16,171 village congregations. Each couple serves 12 villages within a radius of five or ten miles The Witnessing Ministries of Christ promotes six ministry branches of evangelism, pastoral care, education, health, economic development and reconciliation.
  

• Baale Suri Project Ethiopia (PCUSA missionaries John and Gwen Haspels) Second Presbyterian Church contributes $7000 a year to the Baale Suri Project the goal of this mission is to establish a first generation church in the southern region of Ethiopia. There are approximately 3500-4000 people in the region. The people in this area cultivate small gardens and depend on honey gathering and panning for gold as their primary income generating occupations. There are no roads into the area. The people have no access to health facilities or schools. Potable water is a significant problem with many having to collect water from 3-5km away. In 2000, three Baale chiefs came to the Surma Project headquarters in Tulegit and spoke with the project coordinator. They said, “We see that the Suri people here have the light. We Baale are still in the darkness. We want the light. Please come and bring us light.” The priorities of this mission project as presented by the village elders are first to provide health care services. The second priority of these elders is water and thirdly education. The forth priority is construction of a road for health and trade reasons.