Jesus made our purpose as his followers clear when he said, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21). Powered by the Holy Spirit working inside of us, we are sent to represent the love of Jesus in our everyday lives. Serving others is not merely one of the many important things a church does; it defines the church’s existence.

Local impact

Not only do we want to be a church of individuals who love and serve those in their neighborhoods, workplaces and schools; we also place a high priority on partnering with a number of local organizations and missionaries. Whether through our volunteer partnerships, our financial support, or our annual “Serve Day,” we have seen life change and societal impact through these efforts, and we look forward to seeing God continue making an impact through Westgate Church. 

For a full list of our partner organizations and missionaries or with further questions, please contact Mike at mike.brinkman@westgatemn.church. 

Featured local partner:
Every Meal

Every Meal is an organization dedicated to fighting child hunger. More than 300,000 children in Minnesota live with food insecurity. Every Meal fights child hunger by focusing on filling the food gaps children face on weekends, extended breaks, and summer when they’re not able to access school meal programs. When they don’t have consistent access to enough food, the risk of hunger is very real. One way to address this is to distribute bags of food to students at their schools, typically on Fridays, so they have a reliable, nutritious food source for the weekends. Volunteers are needed for food packing events and to distribute food to students. To learn more visit everymeal.org or email Mike Brinkman.

Global impact

Our church is committed to partnering with faith communities and gospel movements around the world. We focus our efforts on partnering with missionaries and their families who are living out their calling to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to all corners of the world. 

Click here for a list of our partner organizations and missionaries. If you have further questions, please contact Mike at mike.brinkman@westgatemn.church.

Featured global missionary:
Mama Betty

Betty Mahangu is founder of the Marangu School of Tourism and Vocational Training (MSTVT) in Tanzania. Betty trains youth from poor families, providing them with a two-year certificate in tourism and other occupations. She also partners with the pastor of her neighborhood and teaches Bible classes. We are grateful to call her a partner in ministry! Click here to listen to our podcast with Mama Betty. Click here to watch our video with Mama Betty.

Global missions opportunties

Mission trips are a great way to shape and expand our worldview as we serve, share God’s love with others and experience cross-cultural ministry. At Westgate there are several opportunities throughout the year to be a part of a trip as we join with ministry partners. These trips can be life changing so we encourage you to pray how God may be leading you to invest in a new serving and growth opportunity.

Trips vary in length and location and are led by a variety of people. Upcoming trips are listed below with a contact person to reach out to if you are interested in getting more details about the trip or to receive an application to be a part of the team.

For general questions, please reach out to Mike Brinkman at mike.brinkman@westgatemn.church.

Lima, Peru

Westgate has a long-standing partnership with Peruvian Partners. The local leaders in Peru prepare work projects that allow us to work alongside the Peruvians to improve homes and communities as we see firsthand their many ministries and hear their faith stories. What a wonderful example to show the neighbors what it means to serve together. Team members should be third grade or older.

Projects are identified by the Peruvians based on community need such as:

  • House construction, painting-indoors and outdoors

  • Vacation Bible School

  • Community carnival

  • Some projects are created based on the skills of the team members

Adults and Families

Saturday, July 26-Sunday, Aug 3 (estimated)
Information Meeting: Thursday, January 30 | 6:30-7:30 pm
Email Mike Brinkman

Poland

We host a Family English Camp in partnership with a church in Glogow, Poland that has been an annual trip for dozens of years. This camp provides an immersive learning experience for Poles and Ukrainians to practice and develop English skill while introducing them to Jesus and his life changing message.

Polish campers may be 8 months to 88 years old. Looking for individuals or entire families of all ages to join our team!

Adults and Families

Travel Dates: July 3 – 15, 2025
Information Meeting: TBD
Email Mike and Mary Snuffer

International Outreach Ministry

God blessed us with a unique opportunity to meet international students at the University of Minnesota and working professionals. Many who come through the ministry walk through a journey from having never heard of Jesus to becoming faithful servants of Christ. The International Outreach Ministry meets in groups throughout the week and here at Westgate Church on Sunday mornings. They are open to anyone curious about the Christian faith or interested in sharing faith with others from different cultures. 

To learn more, please contact Sai at sai.wang@westgatemn.church.