Ten Years of Faith-Fueled Action to End Gun Violence!

April 2025 Digest

In this edition of the Digest:

• Public Health Strategies Meeting Features Dr. John Graves, 
• Central Regional Meeting Set for April 6
• Supreme Court Upholds Federal Ghost Gun Restrictions
• Firearms Legislative Updates from the Advocacy Team
• Colorado Ceasefire Offers Youth-Focused Workshops on Gun Violence Prevention
• Attend a Guns to Garden Action Circle
• Guns To Gardens Most Precious Blood on May 10
• Our Featured CFCU Executive Committee Member: 
• CFCU April Calendar

Public Health  Action Team Meeting

to Feature Special Presentation  on the Characteristics of Mass Shooters

The next meeting of CFCU’s Public Strategies Action Team  will include a special presentation about The Characteristics of Mass Shooters by Dr. John Graves, a psychiatrist and member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.  The meeting will also include CFCU updates and project reports.

Join us on Wednesday, April 2 from 10:00 am – 11:30 via Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83804295304?pwd=dU8ycVF1SjRWR1M1MHFLTXZnbVNMdz09

Dr. Graves’s presentation will start no later than 11:00 am

For any questions, contact publichealthstrategies@cfcu-co.org

Dr. Graves retired in 2016 from practicing Adult and Adolescent Psychiatry.   His accomplishments include:  Premed studies at Wesleyan and Columbia University; One year program in Psychiatry and Religion at Union Theological Seminary; MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Residency in Psychiatry @CU Medical School; Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, Clinical Faculty in Psychiatry at CU Anschutz, Distinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Association. 

Dr. Graves is a member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, a CFCU member congregation.

His work includes:  Consultation positions at Fort Logan Mental Health Center, Arapahoe Mental Health Center; Bethesda Hospital, Denver Catholic Community Services, Abusive Men Exploring New Directions, Craig Rehabilitation Hospital, and Samaritan Center for Pastoral Counseling.

April 6 is CFCU’s first Regional Meeting of 2025! 

The first of CFCU’s 2025 Regional Meetings is upon us - THIS Sunday, April 6 at University Park United Methodist Church, 3-5pm!  Based on current RSVPs, representatives from 12 of our 24 member congregations in the Central Region will be gathering to build relationships and provide input into CFCU’s strategic planning for the coming ten years. We are excited to note that, so far, the following congregations will be participating:

B’nai Havurah

Capitol Heights Presbyterian’

Central Presbyterian

Epiphany Lutheran

First Baptist

Kirk of Bonnie Brae

Montview Boulevard Presbyterian

Our Savior's Lutheran

St. Barnabas Episcopal

St. Paul Catholic Community

Temple Micah

University Park UMC

Is YOUR Central Region congregation represented? If not, please click here for more information and to RSVP! Then forward this link along to others in your congregation!  We need diverse and robust input on how best to add faith-fueled ACTION to our thoughts and prayers as we work to “Create a Future Without Gun Violence!”

If you and/or your congregation is located in the North, South or West Regions, please save the TENTATIVE dates below for the Regional Meeting in your neck of the woods:

North Region: Sunday, July 13, 2025 (date to be finalized on April 8)

South Region: Sunday, September 14, 2025

West Region: Sunday October 26, 2025

Please contact Cheryl Fleetwood at membership@cfcu-co.org with any questions or if you’d like to join the Planning Committee in your region!

Article submitted by Cheryl Fleetwood, Central Presbyterian Church

Supreme Court Upholds

Federal Ghost Gun Restrictions

On March 26, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld federal regulations on "ghost guns," that require serial numbers and background checks for ghost gun kit purchases.  The justices, in a 7-2 ruling, noting that ghost guns are often used in crime, overturned a lower court's decision that the federal ATF had exceeded its authority in issuing the 2022 rule which targeted parts and kits for ghost guns. Gun safety groups called Wednesday's ruling "life saving" and noted that the rule has broad support from law enforcement authorities. Read the full opinion here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-852_c07d.pdf

From the CFCU Advocacy Team 

Update on Firearms Bills, 2025 Legislative Session 

News from the Capitol: March 28:

Three firearms bills supported by CFCU passed out of the Legislature on March 28th and are off to Governor Polis for signing: 

• SB25-003, the most controversial bill (prohibits semi-automatic firearms with detachable magazines with exceptions for people who take firearm safety classes, and prohibits rapid-fire devices)
• HB25-1133 (prohibits the sale of ammunition from vending machines and prohibits sale of ammunition to people under 21)
• HB25-1238 (requires that gun show promoters and gun show vendors adhere to safe and responsible business practices and obey federal, state, and local laws)

Thanks to the Rapid Response Networks for your efforts in supporting these bills!

For more information on these three bills and others that the Advocacy Team has been working on during this legislative session, please go to the link:  Firearm Legislation Update

If you’d like to learn more about a bill, the ones we’re working on or any other, here is the link: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills. Just enter the bill number, sponsor, or keyword into the search box. 

If you’re interested in volunteering with the Advocacy Team, even if it’s only during the legislative session which ends on May 8^th, please email us at: advocacy@cfcu-co.org. We’d welcome your help!

For recent data on gun violence in Colorado that may be useful to you in advocating with legislators, please see our report, Profile of Gun Violence in Colorado. 

Article submitted by Stephanie Greenberg, Congregation Bonai Shalom

The entire list of firearm related bills currently being considered in the legislature are available through the link below.  You can read about their current progress and our Advocacy Team's information about them.

Colorado Ceasefire Offers Youth-Focused Workshops on Gun Violence Prevention

Do you have a Youth Group in your congregation?   If so, we feel quite certain that gun violence prevention is important to them and we have good news for you!  Colorado Ceasefire, one of CFCU’s closest allies in the gun violence prevention community, offers a variety of free resources for discussing gun violence prevention strategies with students, parents, educators, and the public at large. 

Colorado Ceasefire’s youth-focused workshops and training are non-political, can be adapted to fit the needs of your community, and provided free of charge. The youth curriculum is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool and Colorado Department of Education Comprehensive Health Standards.   You can click here to learn about the youth program and click here to learn about the adult programming. 

Colorado Ceasefire is committed to sharing their knowledge and expertise to engage and educate others on issues, laws, and effects of both gun violence and gun safety on society. CFCU is proud to partner with such a wonderful organization and we encourage you and your congregation to take advantage of the services they offer, especially for our young people!

Contact Cheryl Fleetwood at membership@cfcu-co.org or Laney Sheffel at laneysheffel@coloradoceasefire.org for more information.

Please help us spread the word.  Download this flyer, print and post it in your local coffee shop, your congregation newsletter or bulletin board.  Share it with friends and neighbors!

Our Featured Executive Committee Member:

Alana Smart

Alana Smart, who heads the Public Health Strategies Action Team, is a co-founder of CFCU, and has long been involved with organizations devoted to social and political change.  Among her many accomplishments is serving as founding Executive Director of Housing Colorado, which entailed merging three organizations into one.

Alana and her husband Zeik, a longtime community organizer, have lived in Chicago,  Minnesota and Texas, in response to Zeik’s work.  While in Texas, Alana received her master’s degree in urban affairs from UT Arlington. They moved to Colorado 40 years ago, where Alana pursued her career as a public sector consultant and served as an aide to Denver’s At-large Councilwoman for two terms.

The massacre at Sandy Hook was catalytic for Alana becoming involved in gun violence prevention. After attending a vigil at University Park Methodist, she felt compelled to take action. She found a number of interested people in her congregation, B’nai Havurah, that led to the Board issuing a policy of support for gun violence prevention advocacy. This commitment was strengthened by the tragic killing of B’nai Havurah’s longtime custodian, Jose Diaz, who was Denver’s first firearm death of 2014.  She also joined forces with leaders at First Universalist and First Plymouth which led to the formation of CFCU in 2014.

Alana has been part of the leadership of CFCU for the ten years since it began.  She serves on the Executive Committee, the Steering Committee, and convenes the Public Health Strategies Action Team. 

Zumba, biking, walking Wash Park and playing with her 6-year-old grandson are Alana’s favorite pastimes.

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