Colorado Springs, CO - Faith Collaboration and the Growth of COSILoveYou

Case Study

Colorado Springs, CO, is home to a unique service organization co-founded by local pastor Stu Davis and current Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. COSILoveYou began in 2014 when four different Christian churches recognized a growing crisis of homelessness in the city. At that time, churches were not widely seen as a positive force in addressing community needs. These congregations realized that by joining forces and serving together, they could create meaningful change.

Fifty volunteers from the four denominations spent a weekend serving the city’s homeless population. That first effort, called Bless the City, sparked momentum. As more faith-based groups joined, the initiative was renamed CityServe, marking a broader day of service for the entire community.

A few months later, another local church posed a pivotal question during its annual series on generosity: “What does it look like for a church to be generous to its city?” This question inspired a teaching series titled COSILoveYou, which became the organization’s lasting name and brand.

Soon after, 55 local pastors were invited by then-Mayor John Struthers to meet and discuss how churches could help raise funds for a new homeless shelter for the Springs Rescue Mission. Together, they raised $1.2 million for the facility. This success helped leaders realize that they could accomplish far more together than they could individually, sparking an ongoing conversation about how to sustain this new unity and momentum. City leadership also began to recognize that local churches could be a powerful force for good in Colorado Springs.

In 2017, the nonprofit organization COSILoveYou was officially formed, and Stu Davis became its Executive Director in 2018. Since then, COSILoveYou has built a trusted reputation and an expanding footprint, uniting churches to meet tangible needs across the city. By the end of 2024, nearly 20,000 volunteers from more than 100 local churches had contributed over 100,000 hours of service to Colorado Springs—supporting nonprofits, schools, public spaces, and under-resourced neighborhoods.

In 2021, COSILoveYou became a partner organization on JustServe.org. The partnership has expanded visibility for the two annual CityServe days—one in the spring and one in the fall—and increased community participation in these large-scale service events. Recently, Colorado Springs became the first city in Southern Colorado to earn the designation of JustServe City.

COSILoveYou illustrates what’s possible when faith and city leaders move beyond coordination to true collaboration. What began as a simple act of service grew into lasting partnerships and a stronger civic culture—proof that shared purpose can knit a community together.