About Us
Sacred Neighbors. Shared Dignity.
In Community
Rooted in love, the Interfaith Coalition of Douglas County cultivates courageous solidarity in sacred space with our diverse neighbors, in pursuit of compassionate understanding across our distinct spiritual beliefs and religious traditions, advocating for human dignity and spiritual flourishing for all.
We envision a Douglas County where people of all faiths and spiritual traditions live as trusted neighbors.
The Interfaith Coalition of Douglas County is a grassroots group of faith leaders and communities who came together in early 2025 to build real relationships across religious difference. We are constituted by more than a dozen communities of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths, as well as individual members from other traditions too. In a county with no previously existing interfaith infrastructure, we create spaces for trust-building, education and civic engagement—especially in this time of uncertainty and escalating violence toward religious minority communities.
Our long-term hope is to create an Interfaith Center that can serve as a shared home for spiritual practice, education, community service, and youth and children's programming. At its heart, the Coalition is about showing up for one another and working toward a more connected and compassionate Douglas County.
- May 2025
12 faith leaders of area Christian and Muslim communities gather for an inaugural interfaith meeting to explore areas of shared need and potential collaboration.
- Summer 2025
Coalition Building: Monthly Interfaith Coalition of Douglas County meetings foster trust, shared values, and a common vision.
The coalition grows to include Jewish leadership.
Mentorship by Interfaith Philadelphia begins.
- October 2025
Interfaith Civic Engagement event: A non-partisan forum is held for the community to hear from candidates running for the Douglas County School District Board of Education. Moderated by leaders from Highlands Ranch Islamic Association and Holy Companion Episcopal Church.
- Fall 2025
Funding & Organization: The Coalition receives initial grant funding of $15,000 to support organizational incorporation and initial programming, with Holy Companion serving as fiscal agent.
A board is formed, with Rev. Lauren Grubaugh Thomas of Holy Companion Episcopal Church as President, Hira Ali and Syed Ali Ahmed Zaidi of the Highlands Ranch Islamic Association as co-secretaries, and Matt Mattson of BETWEEN Ministries as Treasurer.
- February 2026
Interfaith film screening: Our first public education and dialogue event is held, a screening of Abraham's Bridge, which tells the story of the Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska. Filmmaker Ellie Pierce of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University and Tri-Faith leader Bonnie Leiserowitz serve as panelists. Nearly 100 people in attendance from more than a dozen Douglas County faith communities.
- Looking ahead
Our first Interfaith Friends Camp for K–8th graders will be held June 22–26, 2026! More information coming soon.