"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." — Desmond Tutu
WELCOME! Visit Your Neighbor Tour
Sunday, September 10, 12:45 pm, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Join a walking tour of five houses of worship, six congregations on Summit Avenue in St Paul.
12:15 Rabbi Spilker has invited us to attend “Shofar on the Roof,” a light and brief 15-minute introduction to the spirit of the High Holy Days. Meet outside. Tour will start in the sanctuary directly thereafter.
12:45 Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker, Rabbi Esther Adler, Cantor Strauss-Klein, and Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker
1:30 The House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Avenue Rev. Dr. Scott Kenefake, Transitional Pastor; Rev. Dr. Julia Carlson, Associate Pastor
2:15 St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 900 Summit Avenue Rev. Sarah Brouwer, Lead Minister and Rev. Eli'jah Carroll, Associate Minister; Moderator Rick Panning; Geoff Olson, organist, host
Holy Presence Catholic Community Rev. Colleen Woodley and Rev. Joan Flood
3:00 St. Thomas More Catholic Community, 1079 Summit Avenue Rev. R.J. Fichtinger, S.J., Pastor; Rev. Peter Etzel, S.J., Associate Pastor; Kellen O'Grady, Director of Liturgy and Music
3:30 St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue Father Perikles Kallis (“Fr. Perry”); Mr. Stephen Arsenault, host
A Place of Welcome? A Multifaith Gathering on Practicing Hospitality in Minnesota
Thursday, November 9, 2:00 - 8:00 pm, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Avenue S, Saint Paul, MN 55116
Those of us living in Minnesota are all too familiar with the concept of “Minnesota Nice.” Highlighting the welcoming demeanor of its residents, “Minnesota Nice” often conveys the message that we as Minnesotans are inherently hospitable and welcoming. What this cultural stereotype does not address, however, are the challenges involved in developing Minnesota as a welcoming place for all people to settle, create community, and thrive.
This year’s MnMN Convening, A Place of Welcome? A Multifaith Gathering on Practicing Hospitality in Minnesota, invites us to consider the concept of hospitality and what that means for our faith and secular communities throughout the state of Minnesota.
During this convening, leaders and practitioners of Minnesota’s diverse religious communities, interfaith leaders, and young people will gather to discuss and celebrate how different religious and belief traditions practice hospitality.
MnMN Organizational Partners and Individual Members are welcome to submit events and news for inclusion in our newsletter. To make a submission, please email us. Submissions for the next newsletter are due Friday, September 8. If you are not yet an Organizational Partner or Individual Member, we encourage you to join us!
Public Forum on Islamophobia
Wednesday, August 30, 7:30 pm Central, Zoom
NewGround will convene a panel of experts who will engage with one another in a NewGround-style discussion about Islamophobia in our current context. Both Jews and Muslims in Los Angeles have experienced identity-based violence and harassment in troubling ways in the last several months, and we fear this will get worse. This event will explore Islamophobia in our current context with leading experts, including Najeeba Syeed (Executive Director, Interfaith at Augsburg University) and Dalia Mogahed (Director of Research, Institute for Social Policy & Understanding). The panel will be moderated by NewGround board member Edina Lekovic.
Sunday, September 10, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, Macalester Plymouth United Church, 1658 Lincoln Ave, St. Paul MN 55105
Interested in learning more about how tax breaks can help you or your congregation respond to climate change while saving money? Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light's Buff Grace will be speaking to church members and the public about the tax credits and rebates available for a variety of climate actions from HVAC upgrades to switching out gas appliances to investing in insulation. No need to register ahead of time – just show up!
Morning Altars: Finding Center through Ritual, Nature & the Creative Process
Saturday, September 16, 9:30 am - 12:15 pm, Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality, 1890 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN 55105
We will center ourselves in nature, returning to a calming space or awareness, playfulness, and appreciation or nature. Explore the interconnectedness of nature, beauty, mindfulness and art as ritual by creating soul circle mandalas (Morning Altars) with organic material found in nature.
Sunday, October 1, 2:00 - 4:00 pm (multi-church bake sale from 1:00 - 2:00 pm) St. James Lutheran Church, 3650 Williams Dr, Burnsville, MN 55337
In 2023, we continue fighting against disease, disaster, displacement and other challenges that leave people hungry. Join with us as we raise funds to help neighbors near and far get the meals they need for today and sustainable food security for tomorrow! CROP Hunger Walks are community-based walk fundraising events held in cities and towns across the United States, created to support the global mission of Church World Service, a non-sectarian, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. 25% of the donations go to Second Harvest Heartland and 75% go to support the domestic and global work of Church World Service in work with refugees and immigrants, disaster response, and global development. Supporters of CWS have one goal: building a world where there is enough for all.
Committed to Healing & Reparations for the Tlingit People
Sunday, October 8, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, 3121 Groveland School Rd, Minnetonka, MN 55391
St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka will be hosting a watch party of the truth and reconciliation ceremony being held at Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church, on Oct 8, at 2:00pm CST. In 2022, the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly adopted, without amendment, the Overture proposed by Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church and the Presbytery of the Northwest Coast. This issued apologies and commitments of reparations for the racist closure of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Juneau, Alaska, as well as the insult, injury, and trauma caused to the Tlingit people and Rev. Dr. Walter Soboleff. When our youth and Associate Pastor recently traveled to Juneau for a service trip, they learned about the healing ceremony from native elders and were told, "spreading the story and witnessing the ceremony to begin reparations work would be meaningful.” We invite you to watch the documentary on YouTube and join us on Oct 8, as we witness how the modern church can begin to repent for the sins it perpetuated against native communities.
Learn more about the healing ministries in Alaska HERE, and how it can be a model for healing our relationships with native communities here in MN.
For more information contact Rev. Nora Elliott (nora@stluke.mn).
What Christians Get Wrong about Judaism and Why it Matters
From early on Christians have defined Christianity in relation to the Jewish tradition from which it emerged. But when articulating Christian faith vis-à-vis Judaism, most Christian teachers and preachers down through the centuries have misrepresented Judaism, expressing anti-Jewish perspectives that often have fanned the flames of antisemitic attitudes and behaviors. The result of this has not only been dire for Jews, including in the last several years in the United States where there has been a dramatic increase of hate crimes against Jews, but has also distorted Christian self-understanding and faith. In this presentation, Rabbi Ryan Dulkin will focus on several things that Christians generally misunderstand about Judaism and why this matters for Jews, Christians, and others.
Sunday, October 29, 6:00 - 7:30 pm, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 100 Silver Lake Rd NW, New Brighton, MN 55112
Ben Connelly will give a presentation hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The format is a 45-50 minute presentation by Ben followed by a 25-30 minute Q&A period. Ben Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher and Dharma heir in the Katagiri lineage. He also teaches mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts including police training and addiction recovery groups. He works with multifaith groups focused on intersectional liberation, and racial and climate justice. Ben is based at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, travels to teach across the United States, has written for Tricycle and Lion’s Roar magazines, and is author of Inside the Grass Hut, Inside Vasubandhu's Yogacara, and Mindfulness and Intimacy.
Dar Al-Farooq Center (DFC) and the Muslim American Society of Minnesota (MAS-MN) are partnering to present the 18th Annual Minnesota Muslim Convention, Minnesota's premier gathering of Muslims. Saturday, September 16, 10:00 am, Minneapolis Convention Center
OMNIA trains religious, civic and business leaders, and citizens to become powerful actors for justice and peace in their own communities and around the world. Join these Interfaith Peacemaker Team trainings on Saturdays, September 16 - October 7, 8:00 am, online
Friends for a NonViolent World (FNVW), in collaboration with Twin Cities Nonviolent (TCNV) and many other peace and justice groups are organizing a Walk for Peace and Justice. Saturday, September 30, 10:00 am, Brackett Park in Minneapolis
MnMN Seeking Fall 2023 Intern for Interfaith Mapping Project!
The Minnesota Multifaith Network seeks interns to assist staff and volunteers of MnMN with the following tasks:
Gather information about multifaith groups in Minnesota. Information to be gathered includes nature and purpose of the group, leadership and contact information for leaders, activity.
Update and refine MnMN’s website map of multifaith groups, organizational partners and individual members.
Extend invitations to religious leaders, faith communities and organizations to join MnMN.
Gather information about individual participants in various traditions who have an interest in interfaith relations. Help find ways for them to take action in their own faith communities, organizations, interfaith groups or with MnMN. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Jen Kilps.
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