LOCAL MISSIONS
We believe that true missions work begins at home. St. Andrew's is committed to serving our local community through various church programs listed below and through the dedicated work of partnering missionaries and organizations to help spread the good news of the Gospel throughout the South Bay.
APRIL DEPRETIS
YOUTH WITH A MISSION
April De Pretis, a missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), has traveled and ministered in 23 nations since 1989. She has also been serving in the international office of the International Reconciliation Coalition (IRC) since January of 2000.
Youth With A Mission is a multi-cultural interdenominational global movement of Christians with over 20,000 full-time missionaries working in over 190 countries, dedicated to knowing God and making Him known. YWAM’s many ministries fit into three main categories: Evangelism, Training, and Mercy Ministry. The International Reconciliation Coalition is a worldwide network of individuals and organizations working towards healing the wounds of society in places of turmoil and broken relationships between people groups.
In January of 2015, April became a founding partner of the Ventura County Coalition Against Human Trafficking (VCCAHT), which was formed to combat human trafficking in Ventura County by partnering with other agencies and individuals to prevent, prosecute, properly identify victims of human trafficking, and provide victim services.
April oversees YWAM’s local anti-human trafficking efforts, sharing God's heart of love and justice through prevention and outreach for those exploited through sex and/or labor trafficking.
GALS STARTING OVER
SPRING & FALL WORKSHOPS | FAMILY LIFE CENTER
Gals Starting Over (GSO) is a career and leadership development organization. We empower and encourage women to build careers that match their talents and skills through training at our workshops. Our workshop training is both informative and interactive to help the participants better learn and use their skills to maximize their job search.
We have over 50 coaches, volunteers, facilitators, and speakers who participate throughout the year in the workshops and seasonal GSO events. We also provide gently-used business clothing through our partnership with Clothes the Deal to enable our graduates to dress for success. If you have business clothes in excellent condition to donate, please contact us.
If you have compassion for women starting over and a passion to mentor and support other women, we encourage you to volunteer as a job coach or facilitator. Join the GSO team!
For more information on our South Bay Program, please contact Deanna Wilbanks at (310) 486-5084.
Check back for upcoming workshop dates!
GRACE ELLIOtT CENTER
Grace Elliott Center is a faith-based pregnancy counseling agency that provides emotional support and practical resources to women facing unplanned pregnancies. By offering free services, including counseling, pregnancy testing, and baby supplies, Grace Elliott Center creates a safe environment where women can find hope and confidence in their pregnancies and future decisions.
Through the generosity of their donors, Grace Elliot Center provides baby clothing, formula, furniture, toys, blankets, and more to help mothers and families. On-site support groups and abstinence education are also available.
HIS NESTING PLACE
His Nesting Place in Long Beach, CA is a non-profit service for families in need. Whether you are a women of an unexpected pregnancy or someone who is homeless and needs the safety and security of God’s love, our arms are open to receive you into our worship community.
It has become one of the largest extended pregnancy care facilities in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. His Nesting Place has the capacity to accommodate up to 40 women and children. Since 1983 His Nesting Place has housed over 4,000 women and children. It is one of the only homes of its kind that will accept a woman who already has children.
In conjunction with the maternity home His Nesting Place operates a Crisis Pregnancy Center, located in Long Beach, CA. They offer free pregnancy tests, food, baby items, counseling and most importantly the Gospel of Jesus Christ to needy women who come to them. Many women are led to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through these centers.
conrad kusel
YOUTH WITH A MISSION LA
Conrad serves with YWAM Ships Kona, whose calling and mission is to serve the isolated through providing healthcare services and training free of charge. This includes dental care, primary healthcare, immunizations, ophthalmic services and many others. YWAM Ships Kona defines “isolated” as those islands or coastal/river communities that are remote and don’t have any airstrips or bridges connecting them to infrastructure. The vast majority of isolated islands are in the Pacific Ocean, and the only way to reach those isolated places is with a ship.
Conrad’s job description at YWAM Ships is that of “Ship Management Director.” A different way of describing his function would be as “Ship Operations Director.” This means that if it floats, he is responsible for it. Part of his function is to oversee Fleet Support, which ensures that all of YWAM Ships Kona's vessels are properly crewed, supplied, and compliant with multiple international oversight bodies. Another aspect of Fleet Support is to recruit medical volunteers for our clinics on board. When they sail to an island, they set up medical clinics and are able to offer things like dental work, ophthalmic work (eye cataract surgeries), immunizations, etc. The volunteer crew and medical volunteers are made up of multiple nationalities and give of their time and expertise to serve the isolated.
Conrad also serves as an Elder at YWAM Ships Kona.
LOVE INC
Love in the Name of Christ South Bay connects people in need with church ministries, caring Christians and community agencies to help meet their needs. By connecting people with the right resources for their unique situation and circumstance, Love INC provides hundreds of different types of services. Our goal is transformed lives, so our focus is not only providing needed services but also building relationships. Not only are physical needs met, but emotional and spiritual needs are met as well. People receive God’s love through caring Christians who serve in His name.
Woven into the fabric of Love INC are God’s kingdom principles. Volunteers use their unique gifts and talents to serve people in need. As they experience the transforming power of God’s love in the lives of those they help, they too are transformed. As churches unite across denominational lines to become the Church – the Body of Christ – the community is transformed.
Bringing churches together to transform lives in the Name of Christ.
MOTHERS OF PRE-SCHOOLERS (MOPS)
MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, exists to meet the needs of every mother with children from birth through Kindergarten. Women from all backgrounds find support in MOPS as they focus on nurturing themselves through fellowship. Each MOPS meeting offers guest speakers on informative topics relating to women’s needs, family issues and spirituality.
Moms are encouraged to enjoy discussion time with peers, profit from wisdom and life experience from Mentor Moms and Table Moms, and take time to recharge through connections with other moms, while their children are nurtured by loving caregivers.
The St. Andrew’s MOPS group meets every other Wednesday morning and offers a Fall session and a Spring session.
To register, please contact Lori Chappell at LoriChapMops@gmail.com.
This fall, our MOPS group will continue to welcome MOMSnext members!
MOMSnext is for mothers of school-age children who are seeking connection and community within the MOPS setting. We will meet at the same time and in the same location as regular MOPS meetings. We'll also hear from the same great speakers, but our table discussions will be catered towards our particular stage of motherhood. New and previous MOPS members are welcome!!
For more details on MOMSnext, please contact Alexis deRosenroll at aderosenroll@gmail.com.
PREGNANCY HELP CENTER
Pregnancy Help Center is a non-profit association located in Torrance, California, that is committed to providing women and men with accurate and up-to-date information so they can make informed decisions about pregnancy and sexual health. They have a small staff, and their client advocates and nurses are all volunteers. They treat everyone who comes in to the clinic with the same level of attention, caring and compassion, with no pressure or judgment. All of their services are free and confidential.
We’re a licensed medical clinic and pregnancy helpline, offering confidential, free, accurate, early pregnancy testing, options consultations, ultrasound, STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing, and other free services that will help you make the best decision for your future. At the Center you’ll find evidence-based education, abortion options and alternatives, a trustworthy person to talk to, compassion, respect, and most of all, hope.
They are located at 1311 Crenshaw Blvd. Suite A in Torrance, CA 90501. Office: 310-320-8976 | 24-hour helpline: 310-787-4357
PART-TIME JOB OPENING
Pregnancy Help Center is currently seeking candidates for a part-time Development Manager position. Responsibilities include individual donor cultivation, grant writing, and coordinating fundraising events. A minimum of three years of development experience is preferred. Please email resumes to agross@phctorrance.org.
PRoject joy
Project Joy is a ministry of St. Andrew’s that provides canned goods, clothing and toiletry items to the needy in our community.
Your donations to Project Joy are always appreciated! The canned goods especially needed are 8- to 20-ounce cans of meat/meals (Spam, ravioli, etc.), soups, and canned fruit.
St. Andrew’s provides a donation bin on the church grounds to make it easy for you to give. Just ask someone in the church office if you need help finding it. You can also get a receipt for your donation from the church office.
sack lunch program
St. Andrew’s Sack Lunch Program provides a sack lunch for the homeless in our community each Tuesday and Thursday at noon. The program is led by Norma Carmichael and supported in part by Beach Cities Health District.
Volunteers are always welcome! Please contact the church office if you would like to help at (310) 540-5252.
WATTS POWERHOUSE CHURCH
In 2005 Todd and Jennifer Grant felt God calling them to plant a church in the Watts community of Los Angeles, near Imperial Courts, a government housing project. That church is now Watts Powerhouse Church, a growing body reaching out and changing lives through needed ministries with the love of Jesus.
Everything done at Watts Powerhouse Church is built around creating relationships with hurting people so that they might experience the love of God and be drawn into relationship with Him and His people—the Church. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church has partnered with Watt’s Powerhouse Food (WPF) which works to fight hunger in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts. Through cash and in-kind donations from both individuals and companies, WPF provides food to be served by Pastor Todd. Every Sunday morning, WPF’s food is used to prepare a complete breakfast for all local children who wish to attend.
After the noon service, volunteers serve a family style lunch to all in attendance. In addition, parents and grandparents receive an end of the month food box which is filled with food staples designed to last several days. This popular service is now administered by some who once depended on the meals and food boxes to survive.
Watts Powerhouse Church
2003 E. Imperial Highway
Los Angeles, CA 90059
FAITH st. andrew’s
Friends Assisting & Inspiring The Homeless
The goal of FAITH St Andrew’s is to house the homeless. We host a table on Tuesdays and Thursdays at our Sack Lunch Program in Fellowship Hall and conduct intake with individuals who want to take the next step in getting off the streets. We do these interviews to determine what services they are requesting. In addition, we pray with them and invite them to our church. St. Andrew’s provides a mailing address for the recipients, which further helps them get the services they need.
Following our meeting with them, we refer the homeless to PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) or Harbor Interfaith, who can help them get connected to the services they need and possibly get into housing. After they are housed, we provide a House Blessing Kit and a house blessing.