Church Staff

- Lead Pastor
- Associate Pastor of Faith Formation
- Associate Pastor of Outreach/Pastoral Care
- Congregational Administrator
- Administrative Assistant
Anna and Brian Yoder Schlabach - Security
Arlen Hershberger - Music Director

Peace and Outreach Working Group

Mission Statement: The Peace and Outreach Working Group supports the purpose of FMC's Outreach Commission by identifying actions, providing leadership, and involving members of the FMC community in local, national and global peace and outreach efforts.

What is the Outreach Commission? It is the branch of the Leadership Council that facilitates the church's vision with regard to various outreach functions at the local, conference, church-wide and global level. It supports and fulfills the church's mission to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings; to walk in compassion with those who suffer; to seek truth; to wage peace and freedom through truth, love and action; and to promote wholeness of life and joyful, abundant living for everyone.

The purpose of the Peace and Outreach Working Group is to:

• periodically evaluate existing FMC Outreach programs and activities and recommend changes if necessary
• provide direction and support to the Outreach Coordinator and Community Minister(s)
• review Outreach budget and spending proposals and make recommendations to the Outreach Coordinator
• brainstorm and develop new peace and outreach initiatives
• provide avenues of involvement for members of the FMC community

Current projects include:

The Victim Offender Reconciliation Program is housed in the basement of FMC. It offers a structure, mediators and an opportunity for restorative justice to happen. Many FMCers have been volunteer mediators and/or contributed significant financial resources. Many VORP mediations, trainings and events take place in the FMC facility. www.findthegood.org/learn/issues/dvorp.htm

MEDA Project : The Colorado chapter of MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) is working with MiCasa Resource Center for Women to create a joint Mentoring Program. This new program will pair volunteer mentors with individuals aspiring to start small business who are going through MiCasa's Entrepreneurial Training Program. MiCasa is located just several blocks from FMC and FMC is supporting the startup of this joint effort with some outreach funds.

Housing Justice: There is an affordable housing crisis in Colorado. 200,000 households (20% of the population) are burdened by the high cost of housing. On any given day, 14,000 people in our state are homeless. Housing Justice is an interfaith coalition seeking to mobilize faith communities across Colorado to work for secure, decent, affordable housing for all. Its goal is to eliminate the affordable housing shortfall by 2022. First Mennonite Church is an official member of this coalition. Larry Leaman-Miller, Interim Community Minister, represents FMC on the Housing Justice Education Committee.

Westside Vision Coalition: Outreach Coordinator Craig Sommers and Interim Community Minister Larry Leaman-Miller represent FMC to the Westside Vision Coalition. This group is composed of residents and representatives from organizations located in the La Alma/Lincoln Parker, Baker and Sun Valley neighborhoods. Its mission is to combine neighborhood efforts in a way that increases the power and influence of these neighborhoods to effect positive change on common issues of concern. The Westside Vision Coalition is part of Making Connections Denver, an initiative to strengthen families in four lower-income neighborhoods of Denver.

Westside Ministry Alliance: FMC continues to play an active role in this effort to bring together churches from the Westside neighborhoods to jointly address issues of common concern.