The Minnesota Multifaith Network would like to extend our sincere gratitude for those who attended our annual conference, "A Place of Welcome? A Multifaith Gathering on Practicing Hospitality in Minnesota." The conference was an incredible success with 161 participants and presenters gathered for relationship and community building! The highlight of the day was the "keynote experience" of participating in a Langar dinner provided by the Sikh Society of Minnesota. Randeep “Ricky” Singh Arora shared with us the theological significance of the Guru Ka Langar as it embodies the Sikh ethos of sharing unconditional hospitality through the serving of a free meal available to all.  

The meal was delicious and a wonderful experience to share as a multifaith community! We are so very grateful to the Sikh society of Minnesota for their generosity and the opportunity to participate in Sikh hospitality!

Throughout the day we were able to learn together about how different faith traditions practice hospitality. We also engaged in a multifaith discussion about the struggles of Minnesotans with the realities of "belonging" and "welcome" in a state that has both a history of genocide of Native peoples and a robust relationship with refugee resettlement. Breakouts included sessions on Welcoming Younger Generations: Hospitality to younger people in faith contexts and higher education, the Important Role of Women in the Practice of Hospitality, Food and the Practice of Hospitality and Being Christian and Engaged in a Pluralistic World. To view the Program for the day which includes short biographies for all our presenters please click here.

We would like to thank our incredible presenters and the openness and willingness of our participants to learn from and with each other about the importance of the practice of hospitality. It was an incredible experience for all!

We had the privilege of gathering notes on the conference from MnMN leaders. We have included excerpts of their compelling reflections below, but please click here to read the full text!

I'm sure you've noticed the difference between a high energy room full of people and one where there is a low level of energy and camaraderie. The MnMN conference was definitely a case of the former, where the buzz was loud and persistent. From the opening, when Prof. Anant Rambachan, MnMN's board chair, welcomed folks and invited--no, urged--us all to help create an "all inclusive 'we'" along with the inevitable "we" of our many separate identities and affiliations, to the wrap-up of the Sikh Langar meal, I sensed an unusually high level of energy as participants greeted old friends and met new ones.

—Rev. Dr. Tom Duke, MnMN Special Advisor & Volunteer

Taking the feelings of “nones” [those without a fixed, institutional religious tradition] into consideration, there is a great potential for growth among institutions to help re-integrate these “nones’ or “nothing in particulars” into religious or spiritual communities. The first opportunity for growth is for organizations to become more involved and outspoken about their commitment to social justices issues. Openly supporting the issues that young people support such as climate change, anti-racism, and LGBTQ+ inclusion and ensuring that action is taken to support these issues, in turn, has the potential to reinstate trust in the minds of “nones” who left religious organizations due to a lack of concern for such groups.

— Dr. Danielle Clausnitzer, MnMN Board Member & Emerging Leaders Multifaith Action Council Co-Chair

Key concerns addressed [in the breakout session titled "Beginning the Conversation about Religion and DEI in Higher Education in Minnesota,"] included the challenges of incorporating religion into broader DEI initiatives, even within confessionally religiously affiliated schools, and the need for holistic approaches that consider the intersection of various identities, such as race, gender, culture, language, and religion. The session highlighted the evolving religious landscape on campuses, with a growing presence of interfaith curious non-religious and religiously unaffiliated students.

— Hans Gustafson, Ph.D., MnMN Network Council & Director of Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, University of St. Thomas

Partner Events

Interfaith Service of Gratitude & Thanksgiving

Monday, November 20, 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Temple of Aaron Synagogue, 616 S. Mississippi River Blvd., St. Paul 55116

Let's come together in unity and gratitude! Join a broad coalition of religious leaders, houses of worship, and practitioners of multiple faith communities for an interfaith service of gratitude and thanksgiving. This event is being co-sponsored by Temple of Aaron Synagogue, Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul, and the Minnesota Multifaith Network. Light refreshments to follow the service. Registration is NOT required but encouraged, to assist with planning. Please note that police officers will be present at Temple of Aaron as part of security protocols.

Is There a Downside to Loyalty?

Monday, November 20, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Online

Navy hero Stephen Decatur asked that his country be kept right, but ended with, “My country, right or wrong.” Does true loyalty require this response? Is our support of our loved ones dependent on whether their actions are praiseworthy, or are we loyal to them even when they’ve gone astray? How much loyalty do we owe our political party, our causes, our nation? Would a political leader who voices our values, but orders protesters shot or imprisons opponents still have our vote? Should we set limits on our loyalty? Is it a transaction, in which our loyalty is offered unless a line is crossed? If our loyalty is conditional, is it still loyalty? Must reason, ethics, or personal values be sacrificed to be faithfully loyal to others?

Inter-belief Conversation Café will examine loyalty (possibly extremely, possibly in moderation). Our agreements of open-mindedness, acceptance, curiosity, discovery, sincerity, brevity, and confidentiality should keep us true blue (or royal red?) in the process. So be loyal to our dialogue -- show up!

Addressing Islamophobia & Antisemitism Together: As a Jew, do I have to choose?

Tuesday, November 21, 11:00 am Central, Online

Our Coalition was intentionally established as a place for Christians, Jews, and others to work together to counter anti-Muslim discrimination. In this work, we often discuss how anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim discrimination are connected to each other in the United States. Yet, we still hear from our coalition members that for some in the Jewish community, there is a question about whether they have to choose between addressing discrimination and violence that targets Jews or the discrimination and violence that targets Muslims.

This conversation was planned back in June in response to those conversations and experiences. With recent events, this conversation is as important as ever. While this event is designed by, and for the Jewish community, it is an open space.

Addressing Islamophobia & Antisemitism Together: As a Jew, do I have to choose? As a Jew, why should I care about anti-Muslim discrimination and Islamophobia while also facing anti-Jewish discrimination and Antisemitism myself? If we’re deep in the work of addressing the hate-fueled attacks on our own community, how can we and why should we also work to address hate-fueled attacks on Muslim communities as well? Where are the fault lines and what’s at stake in building Jewish-Muslim relationships here in the United States? How can we stay in conversation when things get rough and/or why even try?

The Sacred Ordinary, a Collegeville Institute Writing Workshop

Saturday, February 24, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis

Writing and Yoga are two powerful, transformational spiritual practices that can bring us closer to God, ourselves, and each other. As a writer and yoga teacher, Ellie Roscher loves to pair writing, breath and movement in a way that invites us to inhabit our bodies and experience deeper embodiment. In this one day writing workshop, Ellie will lead participants through simple breath work, body movement, writing prompts and discussion to unlock and explore our bodies as writers.

This day will center around the idea of the sacred ordinary. The present moment is shimmering with holiness. Yoga and writing are two practices that can dust off the soul and cleanse the lenses of our faith. Together, let’s remember the truth, practice attentive noticing, come back home to the divine in the mundane, and move toward a contentment in the present moment. We will unlock stories living and breathing under our skin. In community, let’s turn toward our bodies with curiosity and reverence on our path toward deeper embodiment, healing, and wholeness.

Resources & Opportunities

• Learn more about MnMN's Speakers Bureau! Minnesota communities reflect a great diversity of faiths. Many are curious to learn about traditions other than their own. The Minnesota Multifaith Speakers Network is a cooperative project of the Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN) and several faith communities to organize learning opportunities. Audiences can request speakers of one faith or panels of multiple faiths. Our network brings together interested groups with trusted, knowledgeable speakers from different faiths and spiritual traditions to create occasions for positive encounters.
• Applications are now open for Collegeville Institute's About Me, About You: A Writing Workshop By and For Women of Color with Roohi Choudhry. This generative writing workshop, designed to bring together women of color from diverse backgrounds to write creative prose rooted in personal experience, will be held from April 22-28, 2024 at General Theological Seminary in New York City. Applications are due Thursday, December 7, 2024.
• Now more than ever, colleges must help students learn to cooperate across differences, writes Eboo Patel in "Why Campuses Need Centers for Pluralism".

Partner Submissions

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, November 24. If you are not yet an Organizational Partner or Individual Member, we encourage you to join us!