Who we are

Our red stone church stands on the corner of College and Myrtle. Ordinary as it looks, each piece of our sanctuary walls was chosen and lifted by the hands of the congregation, who together walked the land of the Davis Ranch and moved the donated rock back to the building site. The red stones tell something of our story: each took a different journey, but all ended up in this place for the long haul. Together, they create a spacious refuge – a room alive with color and light where the current congregation gathers and celebrates the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

Founded in 1872, First Presbyterian Church of Fort Collins has historically been a hands-on mosaic of God’s love, serving people who find themselves at crossroads and transitions. Physically located in a transitional corridor between the CSU campus and historic old town, First Pres is a long-standing sanctuary for many people experiencing life change – here in Fort Collins and around the world.

Whether change is caused by time or circumstances, our own hearts, or world politics, we believe the God of the Bible is more real than the rock in our walls. We believe Christ’s love is as personal as the touch of our hands. We believe the Holy Spirit is at work in every step of the journey – ours and yours.

You are welcome here! Let us know if we can help. Get to know us through our website. Drop in on one of our Worship services or join us by live stream. And no matter where your journey takes you, may God meet you right where you are.

We seek to be a Christ-centered, open, and welcoming community, addressing the challenges of our time.

  • We follow Jesus on our journey of faith, joyfully sharing the Good News that God is revealing while humbly confessing that we do not have all the answers.

  • We find unity and purpose in our common identity as brothers and sisters in Christ, drawing strength from our varied experiences and perspectives.

  • We encounter God’s truth and mercy through vibrant worship that features excellent music, communal prayer, and preaching that is grounded in Scripture and made relevant to our lives today.

Christ-Centered

open & welcoming community

  • We are a family of faith composed of people of all ages with a variety of backgrounds and traditions, including those who are new or returning to faith or church.

  • We extend God’s love and hospitality to one and all, offering belonging, connection, friendship, and compassionate care.

  • We nurture opportunities for people to gather, learn, grow in faith and discipleship, and deepen relationships with one another.

Addressing the challenges of our time

  • We generously commit our financial resources, our campus facilities, and our time and talents to serve our community and world.

  • We strive to bring God's justice and mercy to a world still broken by poverty, inequity, and discrimination of all kinds.

  • We work to nurture, protect, and restore God's beautiful creation.

  • We are a heart for the city: a historic, downtown church standing on the shoulders of the saints who have gone before us and endeavoring to serve the common good.

I promise to seek God’s heart, listen thoughtfully, and speak collaboratively.

In June 2014, the Session adopted the following Behavioral Covenant to guide our conduct at FPC:

I Promise to Seek God’s Heart

Joining God in what he is doing is our common goal, individually and as a church. I will seek God’s heart through ongoing prayer, listening deeply to Scripture, and looking for the Lord’s hand at work in unfolding circumstances. At the minimum, I believe God’s heart will always lead me to love God more and more and to love my neighbor as I desire to be loved.

Questions for keeping this promise:

Where is God in this situation? Where is God in our differences? How might God want me to bless this group, including those with whom I disagree? Is it possible God is after something different from what I am right now?

I promise to listen thoughtfully

I will seek to understand before I strive to be understood, and I will give others the benefit of the doubt when I hear them. I will be curious, respectful, and willing to learn something new from everyone. I will seek out the stories of those who hold different opinions, looking for our similarities rather than our differences. I will ask my leaders for information about the issues that matter to me. Most of all, I will listen for what God might be saying to me in the words of others.

Questions for keeping this promise:

What is my agenda in this conversation? Can I set it aside and just listen? Where do I hear God’s heart in what s/he is saying? ASK: Can you tell me more about why you feel so strongly? ASK: Where do you see God in this situation?

I promise to speak collaboratively

Every word I say can either destroy or create. I promise to use my words to collaborate with what Christ is doing among us. I will always try to seek God’s heart before I share what’s on my mind. I will humbly confess that I don’t have all the answers, but I will confidently share the wisdom and truth I believe God has given me right now. Then I will leave the outcome of my words to the Holy Spirit and invite others into the conversation.

Questions for keeping this promise:

Is God prompting me to say anything right now? Are the words I want to say true? Kind? Necessary? Will my words build up or tear down our community? Will my silence create or destroy community? (Silence is a form of speech, too!)

Session Statement to the Congregation on Being a “Big Tent” Church

January 19, 2026

Session is committed to the vision of First Presbyterian Fort Collins as a “big tent” church. While there is no single way to define the “big tent,” we affirm that we are—and that we intend to be—a congregation that welcomes diversity in all its forms. Of particular importance at this time, this commitment includes theological and political diversity. 

We believe this vision is consistent with this church’s historical identity as the “heart of the city” reaching out to all. Today, being a “big tent” is a faithful witness to our broken and divided world, where echo chambers and reactivity often get in the way of finding common ground. We proclaim a very different truth: that all are children of God; that Jesus Christ alone is our center rather than any political tribe or ideology; and that the purpose of God as witnessed by Christ is to bring healing, justice, reconciliation, and joy to all the world, especially “the least of these.” We seek, however imperfectly and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to offer the world an alternative way to live together as a diverse community. 

Being a “big tent” church is not the only way to be church. Nor is it the easiest. It requires living with tension: between the pastoral and prophetic, comforting reassurances and hard questions, generous acceptance and deepest conviction. These are difficult tensions to navigate. While there is no guidebook or recipe for how to do so, there are steps we each can take to make sure our “big tent” works to the greater glory of God. Here are some ways you can participate: 

  • Remind yourself of our congregation’s core beliefs and expected behaviors by reviewing our Vision and Mission statement and Behavioral Covenant. Both can be found on our website by visiting the “About Us” page.

  • Expect to find at our church not only common purpose and shared concerns but also differences and disagreements. Commit to listening with grace, patience, understanding, and genuine curiosity, so that all are seen and heard and can feel at home.

  • Remember that being a big tent church is the responsibility of all of us, not just the pastor or the Session. When you encounter people with whom you may disagree or be in conflict, communicate with them directly and respectfully. Share the truth and wisdom you believe God has given you to share, while prayerfully considering how your words or way of speaking can foster or weaken personal relationships and our sense of community.

  • Commit to being generous in giving others the space to be who they are, even when they disappoint you, in humble recognition that all of us fall short of the ideal. This includes occasions where words or ideas are expressed in worship or other parts of our common life with which you may disagree. The big tent asks us to extend the grace to others that we would wish for ourselves.

Our unity as a congregation is both a gift of the Spirit and an obligation that must be earnestly pursued in freedom. In hope and humility, we invite you to participate in this vital witness.