THE AMAZAING FATIHS PROJET

[The_dip_sticks 0]

We’ve heard all we need to hear about what divides us.

Now let’s talk about the common ground that unites us.

Hi ladies I will be participating in this interfaith project here in Houston and I thought perhaps some of you would might be interested in it. Its a really neat experience for people of all faiths to come together to celebrate religious diversity and common values in a night of table fellowship and a simple meal. Muslims, Christians, Buddhist ect are all welcome to participate. This project is being put on by the city of Houston, Inter faith ministries, http://www.imgh.org/af_dialogue.htm , and The Boniuk Center for the Study and advancement of religious tolerance at Rice University. http://www.boniukcenter.org/

This event is an effort to promote compassion, tolerance, respect of religious and cultural diversity of all faiths.

http://www.amazingfaithsproject.org/#AmazingFaithsProject

People can sign up to be either a host or a participant.

The Amazing Faiths Project and the Amazing Faith Dinner Dialogues bring together people of diverse faith traditions and ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds for dialogue, conversation, and fellowship, to create an atmosphere of understanding, not intolerance; of respect, not conflict; of reconciliation, not division, but to build common ground among people.

What are Dinner Dialogues?

On the evening of Thursday, November 15, 2007 from 6:30-9:30 pm Houstonians will gather in small groups in private homes to have a meal together, and to share from their lives about faith, religious diversity and common human values. Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University, and The Mayor's Office of the City of Houston are the principal sponsors of this project.

How can I get involved?

You can be one of the hosts or one of the participants.

You can sign up now for the Thursday Night, Nov 15, 2007 Event.

Sign up to be a Host.

Sign up to be a participant.

What can I expect as a participant?

Once you register as a participant (either yourself alone or with a friend/partner/spouse) you will receive a confirmation email. You will then be assigned to a host’s home that is not too far from your part of town. On or around November 1st, you will receive the address, contact info and directions to the host’s house. You will be asked to confirm your attendance at the dinner event with the host. On November 15th, you will go to the host’s home, along with 6-8 others from your area, for dinner and dialogue. A trained facilitator will join you for the evening to guide the discussion based on specially designed “dialogue cards†derived from Roy Spence’s book The Amazing Faith of Texas. Sign up to be a participant.

What are the responsibilities of a host?

Our hosts have agreed to provide a simple, healthy meal for up to 10 people in their home on the evening of Tuesday, November 15th, 2007 from 7-9:30 pm. You do not have to have a big house or even a dining room to be a host. Nor do you have to provide fancy food. The point of the evening is not the food or the house – it is connection and conversation. People can sit at a table to eat, or in chairs or on floor pillows, and eat from plates in their laps. A simple meal might be any one of these, or a combination:

– Rice and beans

– Salad bar – make-your-own-salad

– Vegetable soup and salad

– Spaghetti and bread (non-meat sauce)

– Cookies

– Water, tea, coffee or lemonade

The only restrictions on meals are:

– No alcohol at all, in drink or in the food

– No pork or pork products at all

– Must have a vegetarian option, if meat is served

Again, the point for hosts is not to spend a lot of money or to spend all day “slaving over a hot stove.†Choose a simple, inexpensive meal. Disposable plates, forks, etc. are fine.

Someone from the organizing committee will contact you, in advance, if you have guests with special dietary restrictions (i.e. kosher, halal, etc.). We will assist you in meeting those guests’ needs. Sign up to be a Host.

How should I prepare for the evening?

First, mark the date and time in your calendar as soon as you register, so you won’t forget. Your hosts will be expecting you! Next, prepare yourself to meet new people who come from a different perspective, life path, or worldview than yours.

Organizers will mix and match the dialogue participants for maximum diversity. You may share your first meal with a Muslim, Jain, Christian, Hindu or Jew! The point of the evening is to connect and converse with people outside your daily or regular routines.

Prepare to listen more than to talk. When your turn comes to speak, share from your heart. You will not be asked to share anything uncomfortable or too private for you. The evening as a whole, however, might take you outside of your “comfort zoneâ€; one of the goals of the evening is for us to expand our comfort zones with regard to religious diversity in our community. Finally, prepare to be generous and patient with each other.

Do I have to practice a faith to participate or to host?

Absolutely not! Everyone is invited to dialogue – people of all faiths, people of no faith, and everyone in between. The only requirement is that you come in a spirit of tolerance and respect.

Thank you Houston for joining us for this very special evening. We want to show ourselves and the world just how extraordinary Houston is by coming together amidst our differences to forge connection around shared values and mutual respect.

Sign up to be a Host.

Sign up to be a participant.

Amazing Faiths Houston is a joint project of:

The Office of the Mayor,

City of Houston

www.houstontx.gov

The Boniuk Center for the

Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance

www.boniukcenter.org

Interfaith Ministries

for Greater Houston

www.imgh.org

3217 Montrose Boulevard Houston, TX 77006 713.533.4900

Edited September 28, 2007 by The_dip_sticks

[mybackpages 0]

I love this idea..i cant believe how far off the radar i've become. how did I not hear about this!!! Thanks for passing along the information. Wouldnt it be wonderful to see it extend beyond the houston area that night?

[Carolyn 1]

This sounds like a wonderful project...I'm pleasantly surprised that it's happening in Texas!

I would expect such a thing in liberal Minnesota, but I don't think of the South as being especially open to embracing inter-faith understanding...

I would love to participate in such an event if it was a little closer to home. Enjoy--and be sure to let us all know how it goes!

Carolyn

[The_dip_sticks 0]

I sure will carolyn.

MBP ya wanna join me that day? As far as I know the idea has started to catch on and its spreading. I know that San Antonio and Austin will be doing this project on the same day too! I even heard on the radio that some parts of california might be carrying out this project as well, I really hope it takes off in their cities too =0)

Edited September 30, 2007 by The_dip_sticks

[doodlebug 3]

We have something similar a few times a year at the mosque near me. The people from the surrounding communities, the priests and rabbis and ministers all attend as well as the mayor. It's a great way to build acceptance and tolerance.

[chiquita 0]

I love this idea..i cant believe how far off the radar i've become. how did I not hear about this!!! Thanks for passing along the information. Wouldnt it be wonderful to see it extend beyond the houston area that night?

oh yeah!!! that would be awesome!!

chi