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September 23, 2025
Dear First Congregational Church,
At its September 17 meeting, our Church Council, in response to a request from our Racial Justice Ministry, voted unanimously to add our church’s name to the letter Declaration by People of Faith in Support of the Lives and Rights of Immigrants. Council discerned that this action is in keeping with the Covenants we have adopted as a congregation. The letter, an interfaith effort across Colorado, affirms the humanity of immigrants and calls on all levels of government to treat our immigrant neighbors justly and humanely. It comes to us from the Interfaith Immigration Network (IIN).
The letter begins:
We, people of faith and of good will living in Colorado, proclaim the dignity and worth of our immigrant friends and neighbors. Standing resolutely in our various faith traditions, we denounce the dehumanization and mistreatment of immigrants in our communities. We call upon our fellow Coloradans and our governments – federal, state, and local – to support laws, policies, and practices which recognize and protect the humanity, dignity, and lives of the immigrants among us.
We have added our Church’s name to the list of supporting organizations, and Council invites you to add your own name as well. You can find the full letter here.
Please read it prayerfully and, if so moved, add your own signature.
On Thursday October 16, people of faith from across Colorado will gather for a rally and press conference mid-day at a central Denver location where the letter will be read publicly. Additional details will be coming soon with an invitation for you to join in this witness if you are able.
We are grateful to Gina McAfee, active in the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Interfaith Immigration Network, for her leadership this past Sunday in our forum Immigration 101. You’ll find the handouts here and the slides from her presentation here.
Please also join us for the next two sessions in our Faith and Immigration Series:
September 28, 9:00 a.m., Standish Room
Crossing Paths: Stories from Our Immigrant Neighbors
Behind every policy are people who bear the impact. In this session, we’ll listen to the lived experiences of immigrants in our own community. Led by Kristen Aldretti and Allison Hamm.
October 5, 9:00 a.m., Plymouth Hall
Love in the Neighborhood: Local Advocacy and Action
What can we do? This final session explores concrete ways we can be engaged in immigrant justice and welcome, from local partnerships to national advocacy. Whether you’re passionate about accompaniment, policy reform, or offering other kinds of support, there is a place for you. Led by Kristen Aldretti and Allison Hamm.
As a congregation, we are called to live out our faith with courage and compassion. In this moment, when voices of fear and division grow loud, we renounce violence and listen for God’s call to another way – the way of justice, welcome, and peace. As we continue this journey together, may God’s Spirit strengthen us to see Christ in our immigrant neighbors and to walk faithfully in love.
With gratitude for your prayerful engagement,
Sarah Schulte, Matt Hess, Brad Sissom
Moderators
Rev Christina Braudaway-Bauman, Rev. Linda Kowatch, Rev. Lianna Campos
Ministers
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