Mission, Outreach, and Service
At St. Andrew, we believe mission isn’t a trip you take, it’s a life you live.
Each day offers a new opportunity to love our neighbors, near and far, as Christ first loved us. Whether it’s offering hospitality to families at the Food Market, tending vegetables in the Lettuce Feed Others garden, or joining our partners in Guatemala, we discover again and again that service transforms the giver as much as the receiver.
As a Matthew 25 church, we seek to share God’s justice, mercy, and compassion in tangible ways—feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for creation, and building relationships that cross boundaries of distance and difference.
You’re invited to find your place in this story of love in action. Explore the ministries listed below and in the menu above to learn more about how you can serve locally, nationally, and globally through St. Andrew.
Together, we embody Christ’s call: "You received these gifts freely, so you should give them to others freely."
st. andrew mission groups
| Deacons Fund: Gifts of any amount help St. Andrew’s Deacons address needs in our community. |
Food Market and Summer Lunch Bunch: Through partnership with HACAP, St. Andrew has been distributing food to nearly 500 families monthly. During summer, we also provide lunches for children at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center. |
Lettuce Feed Others Garden (LFO): Supports St. Andrew’s garden ministry, which provides fresh, organic food to local food banks. |
Mental Health Initiatives: Helps to increase mental health awareness in the Iowa City community. |
Minds Matter: Mental Health: This special mission focus for St. Andrew’s Mission, Outreach, and Service Team helps support local mental health organizations. |
Orchard For All: Heidi Schmidt-Rundell’s “Gold Award”-winning Girl Scout Project, planted on St. Andrew’s property, produces fresh fruit for local food banks. |
“Gift from the Heart” School Kits | St. Andrew’s new Advent-time project for collecting items to send to children in need around the globe. |
SFO (Sewing for Others): Provides clothing, blankets, and other items for people in need locally and through St. Andrew’s international mission partners. |
Team Guatemala: St. Andrew has long partnered with Impacto Ministry to help feed, educate, support, and shelter children and senior citizens in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala (impactoministry.com). |
LOCAL MISSION PARTNERS
| The Bird House | thebirdhousejc.org: A 4,300-square-foot house at 8 Lime Kiln Lane NE in Iowa City that serves as the hospice home for Johnson County. |
Center for Worker Justice | cwjiowa.org: In addition to its Big Table partnership with St. Andrew, the center unites low-wage workers across race, ethnicity, and immigration status. |
CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank | https://builtbycommunity.org: Provides immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food or financial crisis. |
Compeer Johnson County | compeerjohnsoncountyiowa.org: Matches community volunteers in supported friendships with adults receiving mental health treatment. |
Coralville Food Pantry: https://www.coralvillefoodpantry.org: Allows any community member to visit the pantry once a week to freely select food and personal care items. |
Crowded Closet | crowdedcloset.org: A non-profit thrift store in which all the profits go to benefit the Mennonite Central Committee’s world relief, service, and development programs. |
DVIP & RVAP (Domestic Violence Intervention Program & Rape Victim Advocacy Program) | dvipiowa.org: Provides support for victims of intimate partner violence in the region. |
Habitat for Humanity | www.iowavalleyhabitat.org: A non-profit organization that works to provide affordable housing solutions in the immediate four-county area. |
Houses into Homes | www.housesintohomes.org: Provides gently-used beds, furniture, and household items for anyone exiting homelessness, domestic violence, or other crisis situations. |
IC Compassion: https://www.iccompassion.org: Engages culturally diverse communities through hope, opportunities and partnerships. |
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic | freemedicalclinic.org: Provides the widest range of medical and dental services possible to people in the Iowa City and surrounding community. |
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County | http://ncjc.org: A community-based, family-centered, human services agency serving Johnson County. |
Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan | www.peb.edu.pk: Educates the poorest of the poor in Pakistan, irrespective of class, religion, or origin. |
Shelter House | https://shelterhouseiowa.org: A non-profit organization providing housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in the Johnson County area. |
SILT (Sustainable Iowa Land Trust) | silt.org: Secures, preserves, and stewards threatened farmland in Iowa, ensuring that future generations of farmers have access to Iowa land. |
Senéad Legacy Project | donate.mcc.org/registry/senead-melva-short-legacy-project: Provides opportunities for artistic expression and growth to disadvantaged children in Lebanon (in honor of the late daughter of St. Andrew members Kent and Joy Short). |
Table to Table | https://table2table.org: Stops wholesome, edible food from going to waste by collecting it from donors and distributing to those in need through agencies that serve the hungry, homeless, and at-risk populations throughout the Iowa City area. |
Ten Thousand Villages | www.tenthousandvillages.com: Provides Iowa City area residents with a way to shop with intention for ethically-sourced handcrafted wares while also sharing the joy of empowering makers in 10,000 villages across the globe. |
UAY (United Action for Youth) | www.unitedactionforyouth.org: A nonprofit organization that has been supporting young people and families in Johnson County and surrounding areas since 1970. |
Water for Life l www.wflhaiti.org: A mission to demonstrate God’s love by empowering Haitian communities. |
Act Justly
In line with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA), St. Andrew's Act Justly endeavors to educate our community about the injustices perpetrated on marginalized individuals. We believe that a deeper understanding will lead to actions of healing and restoration. We wish to highlight and garner support for the many local organizations already doing social justice work.
All Abilities Art Exhibits
Each year, St. Andrew’s Mental Health Initiatives and Access & Inclusion Ministries present the All Abilities Celebration Art Exhibit in conjunction with Celebrating All Abilities Sunday. The 2025 theme, “Unique Creation,”highlighted how art helps us recognize and rejoice in the individuality of every person—each one a reflection of God’s creative love. View images and learn more about past exhibits below.
Alternative Gift Market
Each year, St. Andrew hosts the Alternative Gift Market, transforming our Multi-Purpose Area into a marketplace of compassion. Visitors can support local and global missions, purchase fair-trade goods, and give gifts that change lives through the PC(USA) Gift Catalog. Join us in November 2025 to celebrate giving that gives back.
Food Market (Monthly)
St. Andrew partners with HACAP to host a free Community Food Market from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month (third in November and December). Food from HACAP and the Lettuce Feed Others Garden includes pantry staples, fresh produce, and occasional extras like diapers, frozen meat, and cheese.
Lettuce Feed Others Garden
The Lettuce Feed Others Garden grows fresh produce for St. Andrew’s monthly Food Market and local food pantries. Planted, tended, and harvested by volunteers, the garden reflects our call to nourish both body and spirit—transforming sunlight, soil, and service into healthy food and deeper community connections throughout the growing season.
Matthew 25 Movement
As a Matthew 25 congregation, St. Andrew seeks to live out Christ’s call to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, or struggling. Our Mission, Outreach & Service Team supports local and global partners, focusing on food security and mental health, and invites everyone to join in compassionate action and faithful service.
Summer Lunch Bunch
Each summer, St. Andrew volunteers serve free, healthy lunches to children at Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Centerthrough the Summer Lunch Bunch. During summer 2026, we’ll once again provide food, friendship, and fun—supported by HACAP and the Lettuce Feed Others Garden. Check back in spring for volunteer sign-up details!
