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FCMF: Authentic, Compassionate, and Inclusive!Here at Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship (FCMF), we practice the "radical inclusivity" of Jesus. This means working with, having compassion for, and getting to know people who, as Jesus said, are the “least of us” and are often on the margins of society.
Whether it’s welcoming sexual and gender minorities in to our community, hosting homeless families in the Faith Family Hospitality program, helping immigrants, or working for a healthcare system that benefits all, we try to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as best we can. We use our hands to do God's work, focusing on issues of social justice, peace, and helping those in need. |
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Sunday, April 22: "We're in Hot Water ... and Lots of it!
Service at 10:00 am 
Water appears throughout the Bible as a symbol of life, refreshment, power, cleansing, and the greatness of God. And our new on-demand hot-water heater is certainly something to celebrate as we affirm our commitment to the most vulnerable in our community!
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.“ — Lao Tzu “I am like a drop of water on a rock. After drip, drip, dripping in the same place, I begin to leave a mark, and I leave my mark in many people's hearts.“ — Rigoberta Menchu. 
Get Involved: Fight the Criminalization of Homelessness!
We take our cue from Jesus’ statement: "What you do to the least of us, you do to me." How do you feel about people without homes being prevented from sitting and resting without getting fined? Not having access to adequate public water fountains or bathrooms? Not having access to safe shelters? And being treated like criminals? If you feel this is wrong, consider getting involved with the Fort Collins Homeless Coalition. The organization is looking for new members who want to participate and get loud! Today our City seems to be working to criminalize homelessness, one ordinance at a time, to preserve the "image" of our Old Town. However, we want to live in a city where ALL members of the population are treated with respect and dignity. Not just those who are fortunate enough to be able to rent an apartment or buy a house. Not just those who have the money to go to the hair dressers or barbers and get a haircut. Not just those who can afford to buy new clothes online or at a store. Not just those with high-paying high-tech jobs and spiffy new cars. But everyone! Fort Collins Homeless Coalition meetings are Monday at 2 pm in the glass-walled Collaboration Room in the Old Town Library. For details, contact Cherly Distaso: info@fccan.org or (970) 419-8944 We're Published Again! An in-depth article about our involvement with the Faith Family Hospitality program just appeared in the April online issue of The Mennonite, a print and online publication of Mennonite Church USA. It provides an excellent forum for the voices withing the denomination. Click to read the article: Eradicating homelessness ... one family at a time We've Got Photos! Check out our new Photos page. We've got an ever-changing photo collage plus links to our Facebook Photos and our brand, spanking new Google Photos album. Welcome Sign
Buy one from our church. The suggested donation is $7 to $10. Contact Pastor Steve at: stevemramer@yahoo.com 
Stop the Haters …
Spread the Love! It seems we are constantly bombarded by hate-filled messages from the media and from the Administration. Every day it seems someone or something is under attack: the earth, wildlife, women, minorities, immigrants, the poor … the list goes on and on. What can we do? We can do our part – whatever we define that to be -- whatever thoughts, words, and actions resist hate, nurture others, and take care of ourselves. One way to do this is with physical signs that everyone can see. Signs that say, “I am NOT a hater” – signs that remind people that we are all connected. Put the signs up in a prominent place for ALL to see. Here are two great signs and HOW to get them: 
Love Your Neighbor Sign
This sign is available from www.northernsun.com for $9 (add shipping costs) 
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The Little Church that Could ... Did!
Yes, we did it. We reached and exceeded our initial Go Fund Me goal of $8,000 for lockers!
So many people have already been telling us they can't wait for a locker! Some have contacted us in person and others via Facebook to share their gratitude and excitement! We will be installing the first 13 large-size lockers for our homeless brothers and sisters. These lockers and locks were donated with a value of at least $1,800! We will use our collected Go Fund Me funds to purchase the rest of the lockers. We are still waiting on some additional funding from various grants to pay for security lights, cameras, and an enclosure to make the lockers safe to access late at night. We will keep the Go Fund Me site up and running in case the grants fall through! And if we do receive the grant money, we will put the extra Go Fund Me money to good use helping our homeless brothers and sisters. There are SO many projects we hope to accomplish. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all who donated. You are making a huge difference in the lives of all those who are without homes. So please press the Donate button if you have not yet done so! When the City chose not to fund our locker project for the homeless, we decided to raise the money on our own. We now have our own Go Fund Me site. Click the button to learn more and donate today!
Why Lockers for the homeless? The 2015 Fort Collins Homeless Coalition Survey found that lockers are a high priority among the homeless. 40% of those surveyed said they were NEVER able to store their belongings securely. 75% experienced harassment, discrimination, difficulty with employment, were told to move or sit elsewhere, and were banned from stores because of their backpacks. All had to stash their belongings outdoors, resulting in a high rate of theft. 90% said they would use a free, large-sized locker if available.
Our Commitment to Serve the Homeless Lasts All Year!
This season we celebrate and affirm our commitment to a ministry of love and hospitality for the most vulnerable in our community. Let us experience an even deeper understanding of the racial and social divides that still hold back the pounding waterfalls of justice!
Our focus is establishing relationships with those who are experiencing homelessness so they begin to feel like they are part of our community. Relationships are the most important factor in life transformations! We have three exciting new initiatives to help the homeless: (1) we hired an outreach specialist (Michael Ranieri) for young adults and people who are homeless, (2) we are raising money to install lockers for people who are homeless to use to store their possessions, and we are (3) opening our doors early to the homeless on Sunday mornings and providing a breakfast service -- so far, we usually feed about 60-100 people each Sunday morning! We are busy submitting grants to fund our various projects, running our Go Fund Me campaign for lockers, and planning a Fundraising Banquet to raise money for a scholarship for deserving students volunteering at our Friday evening and Sunday morning meals for the homeless. Join us as we do God's work! |
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Services and Activities
Sunday Service: 10:00 am
Sunday School: During service Wednesday Potluck: 6:00 pm Womynfolk: 1st Monday, 6:30 Mennonpints: 1st or 2nd Friday, 4:30 |
Recent Sermon
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Donate
We're the "little church that could" ... small in size but mighty in action. If you'd like to help us financially, please make out a check to FCMF and mail it to the address listed to the right. --Thanks!
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Our pastor is Steve Ramer:
(970) 412-7510 stevemramer@yahoo.com Our address is: 300 East Oak Street Fort Collins, CO 80524 |
