Forty-Plus Years on Ute Highway
Faith Community Lutheran Church has been part of the Longmont community since 1979, when a small group of dedicated believers gathered to plant a Lutheran congregation in northern Colorado. Over more than four decades the parish has grown from a small building into a multigenerational church on Ute Highway, weathering challenges and celebrating countless blessings without losing the core values that drew its founders together. The congregation is known in Longmont for blending contemporary and traditional worship, sending a quarter of every general-fund dollar out the door to missions and outreach, and cultivating the kind of family-like atmosphere where every person who gathers feels known.
Blended Worship on Saturdays and Sundays
FCLC offers three weekly worship services that share a common approach: a blend of classic hymns and contemporary songs, sermons that draw from Scripture read aloud together, and an open communion table. The Saturday evening service meets at 5:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall with a more relaxed, acoustic feel, designed for those who prefer a quieter gathering or who work on Sundays. Two Sunday services follow at 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM in the main sanctuary, both intergenerational, with families, students, and adults of all ages worshipping side by side.
For those who cannot attend in person, FCLC livestreams Sunday services on YouTube and Facebook every week. Members and friends can make one-time or recurring gifts online by credit card or set up automated giving. Visitors can expect a warm greeting at the door and the strong likelihood that one of the pastors will introduce themselves.
The Wonder Outpost: FC Kids
Children's ministry at FCLC centers on The Wonder Outpost, the congregation's newly renovated kids' space on the north side of the building. Families check in starting at 9:50 AM before the 10:00 AM FC Kids Church hour. The space is designed as a warm, winding path of adventure where visitors of all ages can rediscover wonder.
Babies through 2-year-olds meet in the nursery, which doubles as a family room during the 8:30 AM service so parents can stay with younger children. Three-year-olds through kindergartners gather in the Pre-K room for Bible stories, songs, and hands-on activities. Elementary-age children meet at 10:00 AM in The Wonder Outpost, where monthly themes build character, teamwork, and friendship while helping kids carry a real relationship with Jesus into the world around them. Families can also stay connected through the FC Kids Facebook group.
FC Students: Grades 6 through 12
Middle and high school students meet most Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for games, food, small groups, and Bible teaching led by a team of trained and background-checked leaders. Confirmation for seventh and eighth graders happens during the 10:00 AM Sunday service. Youth Director Kylie Stewart and Family Ministry Assistant Stacie Francis coordinate the ministry, and a text-message update line keeps parents and students informed.
Each summer, FC Students heads out for service. Recent trips have taken high schoolers to Puerto Rico for a week of work with YouthWorks, while local mission weeks have included leading Kids Adventure Camp and assembling care bags for people experiencing homelessness. Year-round fundraising, including donut sales between Sunday services and a Palms and Pancake breakfast, helps offset the cost of trips.
Adult Groups and Bible Studies
Adults at FCLC have many options for going deeper. Pastor Bruce leads a Sunday morning Bible study at 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall, held alongside the second Sunday service so families can attend together. On weekday mornings, a Women's Bible Study meets Thursdays at 9:30 AM in the Main-Level Youth Room, while Thursday Mornings with Max reads books by Max Lucado at 10:00 AM in the Sunset Room. A Men's Bible Study with Pastors Dan and Lucas gathers Thursdays at 7:00 AM in the Youth Room, and a second Men's Bible Study with Pastor Bruce meets Wednesdays at 7:00 AM via Zoom.
Evening groups include a Women's Evening Bible Study on Wednesdays at 6:15 PM in the Sunset Room and a mixed-adult Bible study on Thursdays at 6:30 PM in the Sunrise Room. Monthly gatherings add more rhythm: the Men's 4 B's (Bible, Bros, Brats & Brews) meets the third Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall, and "Piecemakers," a quilting group, gathers Mondays through Wednesdays during quarterly three-day retreats to produce quilts for Lutheran World Relief. An annual Veterans Lunch in November welcomes active-duty military, veterans, and their immediate families to a meal and time together.
Women's Ministry and the Seasons of Sisterhood
FCLC's women's ministry is anchored by "Seasons of Sisterhood" and an annual fall retreat at a mountain venue, with worship, speakers, small groups, and free time together. The retreat has become a beloved tradition, with partial scholarships available. Other rhythms include a monthly book club, weekday Bible studies, Wine, Women and the Word (a fourth-Tuesday evening devotion with conversation), and Second Saturdays, a casual morning meet-up at local spots such as the Buc-ee's in Berthoud.
Walking Through Hard Times
Care ministries are woven into the life of the congregation. Stephen Ministry offers confidential, one-on-one Christian care for those going through difficult seasons. The Visitation Team visits people who are homebound, hospitalized, or in nursing facilities, praying and bringing communion when welcomed. The Prayer Shawl Ministry wraps recipients in handmade shawls made by church members, and the Card Team sends encouragement to those who are hurting. The Caring Meals team provides food during transitions like a new baby or recent surgery.
For those who have lost a loved one, FCLC offers a Grief Support Group and personalized funeral or memorial services that honor the unique life and spirit of the deceased. The church also maintains a columbarium on the east side of its property, with a garden, fountain, and views of the surrounding mountains, where cremated remains can be inurned in engraved niches.
First Fruits Giving: 25% Out the Door
A defining practice at Faith Community is its First Fruits giving model: 25% of every dollar given to the general fund is donated to outreach and missions, both locally and around the world. Over the past decade the Outreach Team has facilitated more than $1.35 million in grants. In 2025 alone the congregation gave more than a quarter of a million dollars to outreach, with almost $200,000 held in reserve for the following year's grants and missionary support.
First Fruits dollars have supported emergency assistance for over 100 families facing housing and utility crises, allowing them to stay in their homes and keep their lights on. The funds have also supported 26 local and global partner organizations, including Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley, Longmont Meals on Wheels, Recovery Café Longmont, Safe Shelter of Longmont, the Veterans Community Project, and Life Choices Pregnancy Center. The congregation continues to support nine missionary families, with their collective work now spanning 15 countries. Members can also enroll in the King Soopers Community Rewards program to direct a portion of their grocery spending to FCLC at no extra cost.
Quilts, Food Drives, and Global Partnerships
Locally, FCLC regularly collects food for the OUR Center food pantry, which has distributed more than 7 million pounds of food since 2009. The Quilting Ministry gathers four times a year for three-day retreats, producing nearly fifty quilts per cycle that are prayed over by the quilters and distributed through Lutheran World Relief or given locally. FCLC also hosts a Missionary-in-Residence who serves the Longmont community and beyond.
Globally, FCLC members sponsor children at The Holiness Church in Ecuador, a church plant that serves 200 children and reaches more than 2,000 people in the surrounding community. The congregation supports Harmony Life International in Uganda, which uses music and arts ministry to bring hope and healing. A Colombian church plant halted construction during the pandemic but continues to meet in local homes. The congregation is also raising funds for a South Asia Transformation Center that will train young Christ-followers to plant churches in unreached villages. A small group teaches English online via WhatsApp and Zoom to young people in several Middle Eastern countries, sharing their faith through conversation.
The Endowment Fund
Established through a generous gift from Hans Hansen, the FCLC Endowment Fund provides ongoing grants for projects that enhance and extend the life and mission of the church. Funding can support domestic and foreign missions, scholarships, professional staff for special services, community projects, and building expansion or improvements. Donations to the fund are tax-deductible, and applications for grants are accepted twice a year, in June and December.
What FCLC Believes
Faith Community Lutheran Church is dually affiliated with the North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. The congregation identifies seven core values: being Bible-centered, prayer-centered, visitor-friendly, kid-friendly, embracing the priesthood of all believers, practicing First Fruits giving, and offering worship that blends traditional hymns with contemporary music.
Prayer is central to the church's life. People are invited to share prayers during services, a prayer chain circulates requests, and the prayer team will lay hands on those who ask. The church is warm and humor-filled, with a non-political stance that keeps the focus on shared faith rather than partisan differences. Visitors can expect a family atmosphere where newcomers are quickly folded into the community.
Leadership
FCLC is co-led by Pastors Dan Hansen and Lucas Kinser. Worship Pastor Chaz Miles oversees music and the creative elements of weekend services, Family Life Pastor Kaye Mason leads children's and women's ministry, and Kylie Stewart serves as Youth Director. Steve Cullum serves as the congregation's Missionary-in-Residence. The church is governed by a board led by President Joe Swedberg, with Aaron Tellier as Vice President, Jen Baas as Secretary, Tess Boada as Treasurer, and Henry Dukart and Jenean Wetterstrom as Members at Large.