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Sun. Service: 10:00 am (in-person or Zoom) | Womynfolk: 1st Mon, 6:30 pm | Mennopints: 1st or 2nd Fri, 4:30 pm | Office: (970) 658-2623
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Sunday, August 9, 2026
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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 into our community, helping homeless families in the Faith Family Hospitality program, welcoming homeless individuals who visit us for warmth, food, and fellowship, 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.
Many people pass by our church on 300 East Oak Street and see an abandoned building, forlorn and lonely. Rumors swirl. People wonder why the building is still closed, 6 months after it was shut down on December 9, 2026 and we were evicted from the building. Others wonder what really happened and what Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship (FCMF) has been up to since December 2026!
Read the article below to find out everything you might want to know about:
The Event On December 9, 2025, a number of FC City staff and police officers arrived and on the direction of Larimer Co Health Department directed made us to move out all individuals staying in our building. This was due to suspected methamphetamine contamination. We were in a bit of shock and had to suddenly relocate a number of folks who were legally residing in the church at that time. One woman who had been staying we us, was recovering and still bleeding from recent abdominal surgery. After failure to find any kind of respite care she decided to intentionally relapse so as to get into the Crisis Stabilization Unit at Longview. Another woman was still in a recovery boot from a broken foot and she had to return to the street. Five men returned to the living on the streets; one managed to find space in the overflow shelter and another had was able to couch surf. Finally, three other individuals, one dog, and one cat were housed by members of the church. All of this occurred with minimal assistance by the Homeless outreach team and with no help from the Fort Collins Police Department HOPE team. What Happened Next? We immediately began the City’s recommended process for addressing suspected meth contamination. On December 10 and at our own expense ($4,500) we had a private environmental testing company test the entire building. The tester found no evidence of meth paraphernalia or manufacturing on site. So, anything you might have heard or read about there being a "meth lab" onsite is patently UNTRUE! Later, on December 18, we received the results of the testing process and learned that a number of rooms in our building were over the limit for meth contamination in Colorado. Unfortunately, Colorado’s limit is set unrealistically low; California’s limit for contamination is 3x higher than Colorado’s, while Australia’s and New Zealand’s limit for contamination is 40x higher! In fact, some states do not even have meth contamination laws. We also discovered that over the past few years many public buildings in Colorado (for example, the public libraries in Arvada, Boulder, Englewood, and Arvada) have been found to be over the state’s limit. The current Colorado law is 20 years old and is outdated. In fact, a strong case has been made by experts that there are no real health risks for meth contamination in public buildings. For more information, follow this link to read an article written by a CU Anschutz public health expert who helped set the regulations: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stories/what-is-the-health-risk-of-meth-contamination The Aftermath Suddenly our congregation was in exile, with nowhere to meet. The first Sunday we met via Zoom and later found a community room where we have been able to meet in person, but we felt adrift. Then, in the midst of our shock, disbelief, and grief we began to research what we could do to remedy the situation. We got bids from mitigation companies recommended by the Health Department and were shocked at the costs – anywhere from $60 K - $100 K. That is more than our entire annual budget! We also looked at possible State grants to pay for mitigation. We even researched the possibility of selling the property to a developer and moving elsewhere. Our Legacy Over the past two decades, the City of Ft Collins personnel, as well as their sponsored shelters, often requested our help in housing folks. The reasons were varied: either the overflow shelter was full, or the night-time temperatures were extremely cold, or an individual or family could not be accommodated by other shelters. We have provided shelter and assistance to thousands of people at our location. Since COVID our building was open nearly 7 days a week offering folks showers, clothes, advice on finding resources, and most importantly, a nonjudgmental place to rest, be accepted, and build relationships. Dozens of folks have entered their recovery journey with our help. And dozens have found permanent housing. Many have become part of our church family. For example, in 2025 alone we year we hosted 5,400 overnight stays, provided 3,200 showers, did 1,800 loads of laundry, and provided 3,500 snacks and meals for our homeless brothers and sisters. We also provided employment assistance to 30 people, helped 40 people find permanent housing, and encouraged 50 people to complete professional training in various fields. We encouraged 25 people to begin their recovery journey, 23 of which completed their programs, and 3 of which are now employed as recovery coaches. We also attended 30 court hearings, provide 10 bonds, and accompanied individuals to 19 parole hearings. Most importantly, we collaborated with 9 other organizations serving the homeless! In Exile We continue to exist as a worshipping family at another location. Our community outreach worker continues to work with those who once sought our help when they stayed at the church. Healing, sobriety, and the building of new lives still occurs. Old relationships continue to grow and new relationships also emerge. We may not be able to use our building right now but as we can attest to the old adage, “real church is far more than a building,” as we continue the work that a church is supposed to do. What’s Next? Over the past six months we have held lots of meetings to pray, grieve, and consider our future with or without a church building. Those meetings have often involved tears, questions, and spirited discussions and arguments. We are now looking at the path ahead of us through the lenses of optimism, grief, and clarity gained from our past mistakes. We have researched selling our entire property for development, selling the building for another use, or partnering with other organizations that serve the marginalized. Through it all, we remain committed to serving those our society considers of “little or no value.” The Decision! At long last, we decided to sell the property for development. The title papers are signed, the deal is done, the property will be demolished. There is both joy and pain in the decision. The proceeds of the sale go toward our ongoing mission of homeless outreach . . . whether that will be in another building that we buy or another property that we build on. Although we may not know exactly where we are headed, we do remain confident that God’s loving presence will be with us. Please keep FCMF in your prayers in this time of transition. Help Us Celebrate our Faith and Service by Donating!
UPDATE (18 April 2026) - We surpassed our goal! Can you believe it -- our donors have raised $16,850, surpassing our goal of $15,500. But we still face lots of challenges as we sell our church building after its forced closure and look for a new location to continue our work with the marginalized. So, please keep on giving. And stay tuned for more news! Please visit our 50-500 GoFundMe site to contribute: https://www.gofundme.com/f/celebrating-500-and-50-years-of-faith-and-service Here's The Scoop . . . This year, Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship (FCMF) celebrated a monumental milestone: 50 years of faithful service and compassionate outreach to our community in Fort Collins. This celebration was made even more special because 2025 also marked the 500th Anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, which inspires our commitment to peace, justice, and service. History For decades, FCMF has been a beacon of hope, dedicating itself to helping those experiencing homelessness and advocating for systemic change. Our small congregation has always done more than people thought was possible! Through meal programs, shelter initiatives, essential hygiene resources and a ministry rooted in compassion, we have tirelessly lived out Christ’s call to love our neighbors in both word and action. What We Believe FCMF believes that everyone deserves a safe place to call home, a meal to share, and a community that cares. The people we connect with are treated as valuable human beings, not "projects" or "causes." With your support, we can continue to live out our values and mark this significant anniversary with gratitude and hope. More Organizations Are Involved In 2025 even more organizations have been using our church to hold 12-step programs, share meals and clothing to the homeless, provide recovery counseling, and legal counseling. These organizations include:
Where Your Money Goes Your contribution will be used to:
Want to Know What We Accomplished in One Year? Click to download information about us Continue to visit our GoFundMe page to contribute: https://www.gofundme.com/f/celebrating-500-and-50-years-of-faith-and-service Our True Sanctuary program also made the cover of Anabaptist World Magazine: https://anabaptistworld.org/blessed-with-new-friends/ To learn more about what we do, go to our Homeless Outreach page or read our special sermon. |
