InterfaithCincy, in partnership with The Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier, is offering Interfaith Community Engagement Grants. Any Faith community or any faith-based youth group that partners with a faith community or youth group from another faith tradition to work on a community engagement project can apply. For Information and application form contact Dr. James Buchanan at the The Brueggeman Center at 513 745-3922 or by email Cummins@xavier.edu.
Each year the Brueggeman Center partners with Equasion and many faith communities for the Festival of Faiths. Please join us again this year online.
Below is the registration link, and calendar of activities, August 23-30. All sessions are complimentary, but you must register to attend a session!
Promote the Festival to your friends, associates, organizational networks, including members of your congregation - spread the word, urging them to join you in registering for Festival activities.
Calendar of Festival Activities from August 23-30
“Compassion through Action: 20/20 Vision for Hope, Healing, and Justice”
**To attend an activity, you MUST REGISTER in advance. Thank you.**
Sunday, August 23rd3:00-4:00 pm – Opening Interfaith Devotional Observance
This year our Festival of Faiths will once again officially open with a special virtual Interfaith Devotional Ceremony. You will not want to miss this unique and moving spiritual gathering wherein religious leaders from most of the world’s major religions come together in unity and in a genuine spirit of fellowship. The Interfaith Devotional Ceremony represents a beautiful mosaic of reverence composed of sacred readings drawn from a multitude of religious traditions that flourish here in greater Cincinnati, including the prayers of Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism. Our Interfaith Devotional concludes with the beautiful strains of Ruth Pelham’s moving song: “The Turning of the World.” This opening event is a transcendent experience you will not want to miss.
Register Now
Eight different religions will share one important celebration of their Faith in a brief audiovisual presentation. Enjoy a wonderful learning experience as each presenter introduces their segment and answers your questions. Please join us for different presentations on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday evening.
Register Now
Monday, August 24th
12:00-1:00 pm – The New Normal for Houses of Worship: Human Touch and Children Ministries
Revisioning Worship for a New Reality: For most modern history, when we think of worship, we think of a destination. We go to a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or some physical structure. For many of us, this is currently not possible. What is the new destination? Has remote worship allowed us to view religion as a different type of journey? What new journey is your faith community taking?
It takes a village…. One generation is always maintaining, growing, and nurturing their faith community until the next generation can take over. How are we ministering, nurturing, and preparing our children to live their faith in the time of Covid-19? How are we responding to the anxiety, fear and uncertainty that children are experiencing? What is the gift that clergy and faith leaders offer in times like these?
Register Now
From 16th century Jewish musical meditation to Buddhist “taking the one seat in the center of life”, our virtual Festival meditations invite you to learn about and view meditation as practiced by 12 different faith communities. African Methodist Episcopal, Baha’i, Catholic, Hindu, Mormon, Muslim, Native American, Presbyterian, Quaker, and Sikh faiths are also featured in our four 7pm programs. You will view three different practices each night. Many have been recorded in the faith community’s worship space.
Learn more about each tradition’s interpretation of its practice of meditation.
Register Now (for this evening’s practices)
Tuesday, August 25th
12:00- 1:00 pm – Compassionate Conversations: Sharing Stories of Healing
“The truth is, in order to heal we need to tell our stories and have them witnessed… the story itself becomes a vessel that holds us up, that sustains, that allows us to order our jumbled experiences into meaning.” – Sue Monk Kidd
What does it mean to HEAL? Can healing happen without a cure? What does confession and letting go have to do with healing?
We’re hosting Compassionate Conversations twice during the week of the Festival of Faiths to explore these questions, across religious lines, through personal stories and encounter. We’ll invite folks to “share” lunch time, “bring” a friend, and drop in to see what happens. One might even discover that as one begins to heal themselves, they can begin to participate in healing our world.
Register Now
From 16th century Jewish musical meditation to Buddhist “taking the one seat in the center of life”, our virtual Festival meditations invite you to learn about and view
meditation as practiced by 12 different faith communities. You will view three different practices each night. Many have been recorded in the faith community’s worship space.
Register Now (for this evening’s practices)
Eight different religions will share one important Celebration of their Faith in a brief audiovisual presentation. Enjoy a wonderful learning experience as each presenter introduces their segment and answers your questions. Please join us for different presentations on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday evening.
Register Now
Wednesday, August 26th
12:00 – 1:00 pm – The New Normal for Houses of Worship: Rituals and Hospitality
What makes us different? Faith communities are not membership organizations like the local Rotary Club. Faith Communities, by definition, connect us to the Sacred. Each community has unique sacred rituals that serve as a type of gateway between creation and the creator. Few if any of these holy rituals are Zoom adaptable. How is your faith community struggling with keeping rituals meaningful during these difficult days?
Re-thinking Human Connection During a Pandemic. We are created to live in relationship with one another. Hugs and handshakes, the passing of the peace sign, sharing of a meal, and a warm embrace are integral parts of who we are as a people of faith. How are we finding new ways to define human touch? Does this give us new ways to think about personal, professional, and social boundaries?
Register Now
5:00 – 6:30 pm – Beloved Community Youth Present “Living My Religion” (Dr. Masroor and Umama Alam, Sponsor)
The Beloved Youth Community of the Festival of Faiths will present their individual religions as it impacts them in their everyday lives. These teens have gathered together since 2019 and virtually throughout the 2020 Spring and Fal,l getting to know one another and finding connection.
Register Now
From 16th century Jewish musical meditation to Buddhist “taking the one seat in the center of life”, our virtual Festival meditations invite you to learn about and view meditation as practiced by 12 different faith communities. You will view three different practices each night. Many have been recorded in the faith community’s worship space.
Register Now (for this evening’s practices)
Thursday, August 27th
12:00 – 1:00 pm – Compassionate Conversations: Sharing Stories of Healing
“The truth is, in order to heal we need to tell our stories and have them witnessed… the story itself becomes a vessel that holds us up, that sustains, that allows us to order our jumbled experiences into meaning.” – Sue Monk Kidd
What does it mean to HEAL? Can healing happen without a cure? What does confession and letting go have to do with healing?
We’re hosting Compassionate Conversations twice during the week of the Festival of Faiths to explore these questions, across religious lines, through personal stories and encounter. We’ll invite folks to “share” lunch time, “bring” a friend, and drop in to see what happens. One might even discover that as one begins to heal themselves, they can begin to participate in healing our world.
Register Now
Election 2020 during a pandemic, yes, you read correctly! Join us for an evening of conversation as our civically active interfaith community leaders, in partnership with the League of Women Voters, bring you an informative and meaningful webinar on the topic of “faithful citizenship.” We will explore eight diverse religious traditions and why their faith implores them towards civic engagement, while also diving into the most important things you’ll need to know to be safe and ready to vote in the November election. Come ready to see why the faith community is taking action in these unprecedented times and what you can do, safely, to be part of the change and activate your civic duties.
Register Now
Friday, August 28th
7:00 – 7:45 pm – Spiritual Meditations (Buddhism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hindu)
From 16th century Jewish musical meditation to Buddhist “taking the one seat in the center of life,” our virtual Festival meditations invite you to learn about and view meditation as practiced by 12 different faith communities. You will view three different practices each night. Many have been recorded in the faith community’ worship space.
Register Now
Sunday, August 30th
10:30 – 11:15 am – “Linking us Together” Children’s art project (Dr. Myles and Penny Pensak, Sponsor)
Local artist and veteran of the Festival, Lizzy Duquette, will instruct children in doing a fun art project using materials from the home featuring the theme of our human family
Register Now
4:45 – 5:15 pm – “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” – An Interfaith Celebration in Music, Song and Dance
What better way to experience the joy of the 2020 Festival of Faiths than by uniting in uplifting music? Join us for PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART! An Interfaith Celebration in Music, Song and Dance. The presentation includes an interfaith choir singing two songs, classical Indian dance, praise music from the Cameroon and a performance by Native Americans
The Festival will come to a close with an inclusive interfaith expression of solidarity around the Festival theme of “Compassion through Action: 20/20 Vision for Hope, Healing and Justice.” Join the Festival Co-Chairs in unity and prayer as they offer personal reflections on the Festival and their hopes going forward.
Register Now (for the Observance and the Musical Celebration)
As the novel coronavirus tears through the world causing chaos and uncertainty, the AJC #BeAMensch campaign is designed to recognize and encourage acts of kindness around the world. We will shine a light on good deeds at a time where we must draw more than ever on our Jewish and universal values and the relationships we have cultivated in our communities. Mensch is Yiddish for “a person of integrity and honor,” or, put simply, a good person.
Share tales of goodness, even greatness, here or post on social media using the hashtag #BeAMensch. Inspire us as we rise up to recognize those who have stepped up, the bystanders who have become upstanders.
Welcome to my table - Ramadan 2020
Dear Friends,
For the past several years, Shoulder to Shoulder has helped facilitate and uplift multi-faith connections during Ramadan through our United States of Love Over Hate campaign. Usually this has happened around real dinner tables sharing real food, face to face. For many of our Muslim neighbors, Ramadan is a time when they are often gathering, with their families, friends, and the wider community, to break the fast each evening and to connect with one another.
This year looks quite different. While concern for public health will prevent us from gathering in person this year, we are still here to help you find ways to connect meaningfully during this time. We strongly believe physical distancing should not mean social isolation or an end to interfaith engagement. However, it does take extra intention, effort, and creativity to connect with one another in these times, and connection remains vitally important for our own well being and the well being of our communities. We will get through these times together.
For Ramadan 2020, we’re launching an initiative we’re calling Welcome to My Table.
This initiative connects households to households, one-on-one or in small groupings to virtually share an Iftar meal (what’s an iftar?).
We have developed a system for pairing households to one another (click here to sign up!).
Sign Up Today
We created a downloadable 2020 Ramadan Guidebook to help you connect with new and old friends and with neighbors, and colleagues you already know or with whom you want to connect.
We’ve also included tips for those looking to move their larger community Iftars into a virtual space.
We don’t have all the answers on how to make meaningful connections in a time of physical distancing, uncertainty, and fear, but we are learning from others navigating these same waters, and are offering our resources to help make it a little easier to connect across faith lines this Ramadan.
Please reach out if we can support you in other ways this season, or if you have creative ways you’re connecting throughout Ramadan that you’d like to share with us!
Wishing you strength, love and light in these uncertain times,
Nina, Catherine, and Cassandra
P.S. If you haven't already, check out & share our new Ramadan Road Trip Video Series and Discussion Guides. Four of the six videos have been launched thus far. We'll be releasing two more videos, discussion guides, and more Ramadan resources in the coming weeks!
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Interfaith Cincy
Each year the Brueggeman Center partners with Equasion and many faith communities for the Festival of Faiths. Please join us again this year online.
Below is the registration link, and calendar of activities, August 23-30. All sessions are complimentary, but you must register to attend a session!
Promote the Festival to your friends, associates, organizational networks, including members of your congregation - spread the word, urging them to join you in registering for Festival activities.
For Information and to Register Click on Poster
For the past several years, Shoulder to Shoulder has helped facilitate and uplift multi-faith connections during Ramadan through our United States of Love Over Hate campaign. Usually this has happened around real dinner tables sharing real food, face to face. For many of our Muslim neighbors, Ramadan is a time when they are often gathering, with their families, friends, and the wider community, to break the fast each evening and to connect with one another.