A Traditional-Reformed Congregation at the Corner of Watson Road

Southminster Presbyterian Church sits at 10126 East Watson Road in Crestwood, Missouri, drawing members from across south and west St. Louis County who describe their congregation as a loving, welcoming community of believers. Engineers, teachers, musicians, artists, and salespeople make up the pews. The building itself is part of the draw: visitors step into a sanctuary noted for its mid-century modern architecture and a worship service built around a full choir, organ, and a blend of classic and contemporary hymns. The parish belongs to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the largest Reformed body in the country, and the life of the church reflects that heritage.

Sunday Morning at 10:00

The single Sunday service begins at 10:00 AM and runs long enough to allow time for fellowship, refreshments, and an optional Bible study afterward. Children are welcomed into the sanctuary for the start of worship, where the congregation sings and prays together as one church family before children are dismissed to Sunday school. A nursery is available for children five and under, with classes continuing through pre-K and high school. Youth Sunday School takes a break during the summer months, while nursery care continues year-round.

The worship style mixes a traditional feel with a contemporary edge. The choir, the organ, and guest musicians lead the music; the sermon carries an informal, conversational tone. Members describe it as warm rather than stiff, with hymns both old and new, and Pastor Karl's preaching marked by storytelling, questions, and an emphasis on connecting Scripture to everyday life. Each service is livestreamed on YouTube and remains available afterward, so members who travel, who are ill, or who want to revisit a sermon can watch or replay it.

What Presbyterians Believe at Southminster

The congregation describes itself as part of a connected and covenanted denomination committed to justice for the poor, mercy for the needy, and love for the stranger. Southminster stands with the global church in three core doctrines: that Jesus is the center of Christian faith and that his death and resurrection are the cornerstone of ministry; that the Bible is God's story about Jesus and humanity and contains everything necessary for salvation; and that God is to be understood as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God in three persons.

With other Protestant churches, the congregation affirms the five solas of the Reformation: faith alone, grace alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, and glory to God alone. As Presbyterians, members also embrace the distinctives of Reformed theology rooted in the teaching of John Calvin and John Knox: the election of the people of God for service as well as salvation, a covenant life marked by disciplined order according to the Word of God, faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation, the recognition of the human tendency toward idolatry and tyranny, and the calling to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to God's Word.

The local statement of bedrock beliefs is simple and direct. The Bible is the holy, true Word of God and the only guide for faith and life. All humanity is made in God's image and is precious. God delights in worship and is moved by prayer. Jesus Christ is God's only Son, fully God and fully human, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only path to the Father. All people are sinners in need of a Savior; Christ died on the cross to defeat death, pay for the sins of the world, and redeem creation; he rose from the dead that believers would have life now and eternally. The Holy Spirit transforms believers into the likeness of Christ, calls them to be a holy people, and gives every person gifts for ministry to be used for God's glory. The response to all of this is to love and serve one another as Christ first loved and served, and to share the Good News with everyone.

Pastor Karl and the Pastoral Voice

Pastor Karl Hauser leads the congregation from the pulpit and in pastoral visits, Bible studies, and family life. He lives in Crestwood with his spouse and two children, brings a love of the arts and a pastor's ear for listening, and writes a regular column on the church blog called the Pastor's Pen. Theologically literate but plain-spoken, Pastor Karl often grounds his sermons in everyday images, from camping trips and Yoda posters to the friendship of small children, and ties them to deep Reformed convictions about pressing on toward Christ and welcoming the child in Jesus' name. His messages frequently press the question of how the Gospel speaks to current events, civic life, and family life at the same time.

The Director of Music, Tom Hart, and Organist Paul Laubengayer shape the musical life of the church, joined from time to time by guest musicians and youth participation. The choir is a regular presence in worship. LaNita Vogt serves as the church's Volunteer-In-Mission, helping coordinate the congregation's mission outreach. The administrative side of the church is handled by an Administrative Assistant and an Assistant to Property and Finance.

The Session and the Deacons

Like every Presbyterian church, Southminster is governed by a Session of elected elders, who are described in the congregation's own language as the presbyters (from the Greek presbyteros) called to serve and lead all aspects of congregational life. The Session is organized into commissions that mirror the church's ministry areas. Sunday and Worship is chaired by Linda Barnard, with Sandy Frederich serving as Clerk. Growing Faith (children, youth, and families) is shepherded by Sarah Bock and Julie Jordan. Fellowship is led by Gary Honey and Patty Hassenmueller. Community Engagement is chaired by Marguerite Hammond, and Property and Finance is overseen by Marc Vander Tuig, Dave Greaves, Joe Penrod, Dan Bock, Mike Pogue, and Perry Boone.

A Board of Deacons is elected to a ministry of care and compassion, comforting and encouraging the members of the community. Diane Ounanian, Lucia Oswald, Teri Schoenberg, Russell Toler, Jennifer Boone, Karen Scott, Margo Knuepfer, Wendy Vander Tuig, and Jean Crawford share in that work. The church's Reformed structure means that the Session, the Deacons, and the congregation together discern the Spirit's leading.

Preschool and Mother's Day Out

The Southminster Preschool and Mother's Day Out program serves children from age two through pre-K, providing partial-day coverage in classrooms built around an age-appropriate curriculum. Toddlers two and three attend in a loosely structured setting where they encounter new social situations, different craft mediums, and the chance to grow more independent from parents. Pre-School classes for three-, four-, and five-year-olds use hands-on learning to prepare children for kindergarten, working on letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and character traits each week. Each month introduces a new Bible story; blessings are said before snacks and meals; and once a week, Pastor Karl leads a special Bible Story Time. Tuesday is gym day for the older classes, and Thursday is music day. A Mystery Reader visits to share a favorite story. The program is directed by Cindy Heinlein, who can be reached through the church office for registration details.

Bible Studies, Lent, and the Calendar of Faith

Bible study is woven through the life of the congregation. An optional Bible study follows the Sunday service, and Tuesday Morning Bible Studies open each February, walking through the gospel texts in a literary fashion and comparing how Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the same story. Mid-week Wednesday programming during Lent pairs a soup dinner in the gym at 6:00 PM with meditative worship in the Parlor at 7:00 PM, and the Stations of the Cross give the season a tactile, walk-through shape. In Advent and Lent, the sermon series asks questions like "Why?" and traces the story of Jesus from his betrayal to Golgotha, giving worshipers a fresh angle on familiar passages.

Fellowship, Boomers, and the Women's Association

Fellowship at Southminster is intentional rather than accidental. The Boomers, a social group of roughly boomer-aged adults, meets monthly around food and friendship. The Women's Association is an active and long-standing group of Christian women who meet to study, eat, and pray together, and who also participate in fundraising and benevolence missions for the surrounding community. The association has been part of the congregation for decades; longtime members have served as treasurer and have chaired the annual Rummage Sale that helps fund the church's outreach work.

Youth and Children in Worship

The youth program gathers middle and senior high students for studies, outings, and service events throughout the year, encouraging them to build relationships, deepen their faith, and serve the community. Children's moments in worship begin in the sanctuary before children move to Sunday school, with age-appropriate stories, crafts, and activities taught by experienced leaders. The congregation has talked openly about making at least one Sunday a month a family-friendly service with children's songs and kid-friendly language, an effort that reflects the pastor's recurring theme of welcoming the child in Jesus' name.

Isaiah 58 Ministries and the Mission of the Congregation

Southminster's primary mission partner is Isaiah 58 Ministries, a St. Louis nonprofit that has existed since 1970 to meet the needs of low-income individuals in the surrounding community. Isaiah 58 operates a food pantry, a clothing room, and rent and utility assistance, and offers job placement help. Southminster members volunteer with the ministry, including members of the Mission Commission, and the church has carried Isaiah 58's work as a regular focus of its outreach. The mission impulse also reaches the wider church: members have engaged with the PC(USA) General Assembly's work on mental health, recognizing Presbyterians' long history of supporting those with mental illness, and have supported short-term mission trips through partnerships like the Spiritual Orphans Network.

Building a Family of Faith in Crestwood

Members often describe Southminster in familial terms, and the pastor writes about the church as a household knit together by something deeper than blood or marriage: a shared faith in Jesus. Longtime members tell of raising children in Sunday school, marrying in the sanctuary, and burying loved ones from the same pews. Members like Bill Hufnagel, who was baptized at a different Presbyterian church and whose family transferred to Southminster when its building opened, point to small markers of belonging, like the choir that came to sing Christmas carols to his mother in her final years. Connie Hoff, who has taught Sunday school for a decade and served as a deacon for three terms, calls the congregation a place where people and relationships matter more than possessions. Sandy Freeman, who joined after moving to Crestwood in 1990 and was baptized with her three daughters on Palm Sunday, lists choir singing and bell-ringing among the threads that have tied her to the place. Carolynn Boehmer, who joined in 1979, has served on the Session in three terms and currently chairs the Worship Commission. Together they sketch a church that is both rooted in Reformed theology and grounded in the ordinary habits of a neighborhood congregation.

Getting Involved, Giving, and Staying Connected

Visitors and members who want to get involved can begin by attending worship on Sunday morning at 10:00, where they will be greeted warmly and offered time after the service for coffee, conversation, and questions. Bible studies, fellowship groups, and hands-on mission projects run throughout the year, and the church welcomes inquiries through its email or by phone during the week. Giving is available online through the church's giving partner, and sermons remain accessible online after each Sunday. For young families, the Preschool and Mother's Day Out program is often the first doorway into the wider life of the congregation.