Faith Presbyterian Church sits a couple of blocks off Cape Coral Parkway at 4544 Coronado Parkway, on the south side of the city. A congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a member of Peace River Presbytery, Faith describes itself with three words that appear across every page of its life: Welcoming, Inclusive, Evolving. That identity, drawn from its understanding of God's love, shapes everything from its Sunday worship to its food pantry to its preschool.
The church has grown into a multi-generational community with a full music program, a licensed preschool and daycare, an active food ministry serving Lee County families, and partnerships that reach as far as Immokalee and as close as the surrounding neighborhoods of Cape Coral. Worship is intergenerational, communion is open to all, and the doors are open at 10:30 on Sunday mornings.
Welcoming, Inclusive, Evolving
Faith Presbyterian's threefold identity is more than a slogan. The congregation welcomes all because it believes God's love is extended to everyone and that the church's mission is to extend that love to others. It is inclusive because it believes God created human beings as diverse, unique, and beloved individuals. And it is evolving because it believes God continues to call the church to grow in faith and in understanding through every season and age of life.
The Brief Statement of Faith of the Presbyterian Church (USA) frames that vision: with believers in every time and place, the congregation rejoices that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Faith's stated belief is that God is love and that the church's mission is to share that love, with grace and love seen most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the resurrection, members trust in life eternal and embrace the gift of abundant life here on earth.
Sunday Morning at 10:30
Worship gathers at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday in the sanctuary, and the service is also livestreamed. The order follows a familiar Reformed shape: Scripture readings, prayers, the sermon, a Time for Young Disciples when children come to the front of the sanctuary for a short interactive lesson, hymns, and anthems. After worship, the congregation moves to Fellowship Hall for coffee and snacks, a place to meet friends old and new.
Greeters work to make first-time visitors feel at ease. For those with mobility issues, an outdoor golf cart ministry circles the parking lot, and a flag marks the pickup point. Inside, a Welcome desk answers questions and offers information about the church's life. Friendship pads are passed during the service so members and visitors can share their contact information, and anyone who would like a follow-up can expect to hear from the pastor or a member of the congregation.
On the first Sunday of every month, the congregation gathers at the Table for Communion. Faith celebrates the open table: all are welcome at Communion, whatever their age, whatever their background, even those who may bring their doubts and their questions. The bread and cup are understood as symbols of the body of Christ broken and the blood of Christ shed, a meal that forgives, strengthens, and sends the church into the work of the world.
Baptism, Weddings, and the Memorial Garden
Baptism is offered as a sign and seal of God's grace, with the baptismal waters placed on the head to remind the church of God's faithfulness in welcoming all into the family of God. When Jesus was baptized, the voice of God spoke: You are my beloved, with whom I am well pleased. The same promise is spoken over every person baptized at Faith, and both parents and the congregation share the responsibility of nurturing the baptized in faith.
The sanctuary is also a setting for weddings, and a Memorial Garden provides a place of quiet remembrance for those who have chosen to have their ashes interred in the church's memorial wall.
Music That Fills the Sanctuary
Music is a vital part of worship at Faith. From the youngest singers to the oldest, the congregation rejoices in blending voices together to worship God. The Chancel Choir and a Bell Ensemble help lead the music, and the program is directed by Dr. Wojciech Wojtasiewicz, who joined the congregation on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Dr. Wojtasiewicz earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from The Juilliard School in New York City and is also a medical doctor, having graduated from the Medical University of Warsaw. A native of Poland and now a U.S. citizen, he has been an accomplished musician in both countries, and his daughters reside in New York State while his son and daughter-in-law live in New York City.
Children and Youth
Children begin in worship with their families and join the pastor at the front for the Time for Young Disciples before heading to Sunday School. Teachers and volunteers use the Think Orange curriculum to help children grow in faith, answer their questions, and show them God's love, and after class the children rejoin their parents in Fellowship Hall for snacks.
Youth gather on Sunday after worship to study and share together, also following Think Orange. They engage in service projects and, once a year, travel to Cedarkirk for a retreat that combines mission work and fellowship. Recent youth activities have included a car wash and other service projects in Cape Coral. The program is led by Theresa Tippins, the Director of Children and Youth Ministries, who joined the staff from Jacksonville, where her work included serving as a program director for emergency family assistance and a site coordinator and student advocate for Communities In Schools of Jacksonville. She is a graduate of Florida State University, holds an MBA from the University of North Florida, and began a three-year program at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary through the Ministry Leadership Center, combining graduate study with an internship at the church.
Adults Learning and Growing
Two regular offerings help adults grow in faith. The Wired Word: Faith Meets the News is a discussion-based class that meets on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the Faith Center, offered in person and online. The class tries to let the Bible shine a light on current events and lead the group into meaningful conversation about how to respond as people of faith.
Tuesdays Together runs several times a year, usually in four-week series. The group meets at 5:30 p.m. for a potluck supper and then gathers to learn, discuss, and grow. Past themes have included Elephants in the Room, conversations about issues usually avoided in church; The Gospel According To, looking for faith in the world; and Faith in Action, exploring what it means to put faith into practice in meaningful ways.
The We Care Food Ministry
The We Care Food Ministry has been supported by the congregation of Faith Presbyterian Church since 1980. Its primary purpose is to supply basic food items to individuals and families in Lee County who find themselves in personal distress, and it serves people regardless of religious affiliation. Food is sorted and packed on Tuesdays and distributed every Friday morning. Bulk items are purchased from Harry Chapin Food Bank and Midwest Food Bank, and other food is bought at local grocery stores. Both food and monetary contributions are welcomed at any time, and a TEFAP application is available in English and Spanish.
Faith in Action and Local Outreach
In 2025, members of the church created Faith in Action to respond to the growing poverty crisis in the country and to help neighbors in Cape Coral. Early efforts included a summer food drive supporting the Cape Coral Caring Center's Healthy, Not Hungry kids program and a hygiene kit project for the Cape Coral police department's Advocate for the Homeless program. The church also participates in Cape Coral Pride.
Book Buddies is another local connection, and the church maintains a network of Neighborhood Deacons, with Cape Coral and its surrounding areas divided into neighborhoods so that each family has a deacon who communicates, supports, and helps coordinate an Emergency Response Network during hurricane season.
Misión Peniel and Habitat for Humanity
Since 2006, Misión Peniel has offered food, clothing, fellowship, and emergency support to farmworkers in Immokalee while advocating for improved living and working conditions in one of the poorest communities in the nation. A covenant ministry of Peace River Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (USA), Misión Peniel is supported by Faith through annual diaper drives, quarterly work trips, and the Christmas Angel tree.
The congregation has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties for nearly thirty years, volunteering in the warehouse and on the job site and providing financial support. Each week a team of Faith volunteers heads out to hammer, cut trim, hang doors, and paint a new home alongside future homeowners.
Family of Faith Preschool and Daycare
Family of Faith Christian Academy is a licensed preschool and daycare that shares the church's campus. Its mission is to provide an early childhood education program of the highest quality, founded on the firm belief of God's grace, and to give every child a feeling of acceptance, love, and security as they begin their education. The school is led by Christine Mosley, who joined the staff in September 2012 and brings more than fourteen years of experience in early childhood education.
Led by the Session and the Diaconate
Faith is led by ruling elders, men and women called by God and elected through the voice of the congregation to serve three-year terms on the Session, the church's governing board. The Session gathers monthly to discern the movement of God's Spirit in its deliberations and to pray for the church's ministries, members, and friends.
The Board of Deacons oversees the ministries of caregiving, compassion, and service. The Diaconate gathers monthly to coordinate their efforts and pray for the church's members and friends, and the congregation's neighborhood structure is designed to make sure every member has a point of contact.
The Senior Pastor and Head of Staff is Rev. Dr. Gillian Weighton. A native of Scotland, she earned her Bachelor of Divinity with Honors in Theology and Ethics at the University of St Andrews, a Certificate in Ministry from the University of Glasgow, and a Master of Sacred Theology in Homiletics from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York on the Scottish Fellow Scholarship. She was ordained by the Church of Scotland in 1992 and served parishes in Ayr and Bridge of Allan, where she also served as a university and hospital chaplain, before being called to First Presbyterian Church in Racine, Wisconsin in 2013. In 2018 she was called to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Suffolk, Virginia, where she completed her Doctor of Ministry at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Her dissertation is titled, Responding to the Pandemic, the Church as a Vaccine Against the Pandemics of Trauma and Loneliness. A seven-member Pastor Nominating Committee reviewed seventy-seven candidates over a year-long national search before calling her to Faith.
Generosity and Giving
Generosity is described at Faith as an important part of membership: a real and meaningful way to express faith and gratitude to God. Members are invited to make an Estimate of Giving each year to help the Session and Finance Committee plan the church's ministry. Giving can be made weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly via cash, check, credit card, or through Realm, and the church also welcomes legacy gifts as a faithful response to God's gifts.
Members can also access the church directory, calendar, and giving through the Realm online portal, and a weekly email, Faith Forum, keeps the congregation connected to upcoming events, mission needs, and opportunities to serve.