After a year impacted by wildfires and the pandemic, one Longmont church and its members have turned their focus to giving back to the community.
As the pandemic hit in March, Faith Community Lutheran Church, or FCLC, embraced its focus on giving to the community by starting a Pandemic Relief Fund, originally helping non-essential workers furloughed or laid off get through the pandemic.
The fund began because FCLC’s outreach committee felt it was important to help those impacted by the pandemic. The committee encouraged members to give by promising to match the first $2,000 donated, said Lucas Kinser outreach and next generation pastor at FCLC.
Faith Community Lutheran Church has had a long history of what Kinser calls “radical generosity.” Since the church’s inception over 30 years ago, it has dedicated 20% of every dollar to outreach for the community, even before staff and bills are paid, Kinser said. Recently the church increased the percentage to 21%.
“Within a couple of weeks we had raised around $20,000. It kind of blew away our expectation,” Kinser said of the Pandemic Relief Fund effort.
FCLC has since raised more than $50,000. The church averages weekly attendance of 525 people in person or online, many of whom are facinging economic uncertainty because of the pandemic and are still giving beyond tithing to the church, Kinser said.
“For a church our size, to be able to do the things we have been able to do … it is only by the grace of God, it’s only by the fact that our members continue to have faith in the church and God to bless their gifts to help people who desperately need it in the world today,” Kinser said.
In its creation, the fund was designed to help members of the church or people nominated by members of the church. Since, FCLC has branched out to help others in the community.
“One of the reasons we wanted our members to apply on behalf of other people is so that the people who need the money aren’t just getting money but they are also connected to somebody who cares about them and is praying for them,” Kinser said.
In order to receive the funds, people have to fill out a form and a check is mailed to them along with a note of encouragement “to let them know that we are praying for them,” Kinser said.
The Pandemic Relief Fund has been established differently than other forms of help offered by FCLC. In the past, the church has paid utilities or rent in the name of the person being helped.
“I love that we were able to create a fund where there aren’t a bunch of hoops to jump through in order for people to get some financial help … For us to be able to quickly bless people and support them has been great. Some might see that as reckless but for us it is radical generosity,” Kinser said.
The small donations have helped around 65 families in Longmont impacted by either the pandemic or the wildfires that skirted the edges of Longmont in July, including 17 restaurant employees.
One day Bridget Nannen, owner of Greens Point Catering and member of FCLC, visited Kinser and expressed her empathy for the heartbreaking stories being told by restaurant owners concerning their inability to maintain staff and the resulting suffering of local families, Kinser said.
The pandemic has halted Nannen’s catering business but not her wish to help others. Through connections with local restaurants such as The Roost and Cyclhops, she compiled a list of restaurant employees who needed financial help after being laid off or being forced to stay at home with their young children.
Nannen and FCLC worked together to make sure each person on that list received a modest amount of money just in time for the holidays along with a card and prayers, Kinser said.
“I think there are a lot of people who knew that restaurants were closing and opening and had smaller staff but if they knew the amount of people lost jobs … there’s people that their whole life comes from that paycheck,” Nannen said.
Kinser said, “We have received some really nice letters back from a couple of the families so far. It has been touching to see how (the donation) was able to bless them and give them hope in the midst of so much uncertainty.”
Beyond connecting restaurant employees with FCLC, Greens Point Catering also has sought corporate sponsors to provide meals since the beginning of the pandemic, starting with inventory the catering business had on hand in March, Nannen said.
“Looking at all that (the impact of the pandemic on restaurants), I said ‘we can do something else with this kitchen. We don’t just need to lock the door,’” she said.
The church was encouraged by the generosity of its members to the Pandemic Relief Fund and sponsored another match, this time for $5,000. Kinser hopes people will continue giving so it can help many more people impacted by the pandemic.
“Faith Community is so giving. They don’t question, they just really want to help the community,” Nannen said.
Kinser said, “It’s a big part of who we are as a church and who we are called to be, not just a church that is inwardly focused but outwardly focused as well.”
