Amazing Faiths Dinners

THE AMAZING FAITHS PROJECT

The intention of Amazing Faiths Project and the moderated Dinner Dialogue program is to create a more hospitable and connected society. 

People of all faiths, no particular faith, spiritual paths or philosophy are gathered to appreciate and understand the beliefs and traditions of others in an atmosphere of respect. Each guest is asked one or more thought-provoking question while other participants listen without interruption, response or comment.

If you are interested in bringing your unique perspective to an Amazing Faiths event, please fill out the Dialogue Participant Information Form You will be contacted and confirmed for the event you signed up for.  

Contact Program Coordinator with any questions or interest in hosting or moderating an event in your home, place of worship or public space.  JCMitchell@interfaithconference.org or, office 414-276-9590

Please visit and like our Amazing Faiths Facebook page to find out more.  Everyone is welcome!  


Upcoming Amazing Faiths Events!
We look forward to being with you again....
 
A fresh way to participate in Amazing Faiths gatherings when we meet again...                                                                                           
                    

Groups of 10 will meet bi-monthly for three consecutive gatherings.  The first meeting will be a classic AFDD format with a Moderator, in a host home with snacks and beverages served.  The event will be approximately two hours wherein guests will have two rounds of questions and sharing. The second meeting will have one-on-one sharing several times with multiple participants.  The final, third meeting will be a feast with one question round and an afterglow sharing of the experience. If this process grabs your interest, please contact Cherrie Hanson at cherrieh@interfaithconference.org or 414-708-9590 and register here: .

 

Sunday, March 8th, 2020     Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues 

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS   Sunday, March 8th, 4:00-7:00 pm
Learn about one of our Conference faith members in this dinner dialogue with a presentation from Stake President, Ken Elbert, and President of the Stake Relief Society, Alison Watson.  Registration is required. To register, go to Dialgue Participation Form.  

 

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AMAZING FAITHS MODERATORS aka "MOD SQUAD"
Moderators are specifically trained to ensure that people feel safe and comfortable sharing their life experience with others. This is a volunteer position.  
Upcoming trainings TBA
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ABOUT AMAZING FAITHS DINNER DIALOGUES

What happens at an Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue?

  • Guests must register for the dialogue to help us create maximum religious and cultural diversity among group members.  Click here for Guest FAQs.
  • Hosts volunteer their home as a meeting place for the dialogue and provide a simple, vegetarian meal or snacks for the guests. Home-hosted events generally include 8 - 10 people and one moderator. Other events at sacred or public sites feature a presenter/speaker and can be much larger, though we maintain the same ratio of guests to moderators. Click here for Host FAQs.

Guests get accquainted while they dine together. There will be a presentation or speaker.  During the moderated portion, participants pick their own question card and are given 5 minutes to respond. The format can change depending on the time available. Some events will have break out sessions where guests interact one-on-one.  Moderators will make time for an afterglow sharing to hear how the experience was for each person.  Evaluations are given to study the process for improvements and track statistics of the program.

Why participate in an Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue? 

  • Practice appreciative listening
  • Talk about matters of faith and spirituality in a safe, guided environment
  • Increase religious literacy
  • Build appreciation of diversity 
  • Engage on a meaningful level
  • Increase trust and remove barriers

What are the core values of Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues?

  • Hospitality - welcoming those who are strangers to us
  • Friendship - seeking connection with people regardless of their faith
  • Responsibility - makign a difference for respect and understanding in our world
  • Faith neutrality - affirming equally people of all faiths and no faith
HISTORY OF AMAZING FAITHS DINNER DIALOGUES

The Dinner Dialogues are based on the Amazing Faiths Project co-founded in 2006 by The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University and Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston with official sponsorship from the Office of the Mayor of the City of Houston. 

The cornerstone event of the Project, the Dinner Dialogue, was initially created in 2006 by Dr. Jill Carroll, who at that time was the Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Dr. Carroll was part of a team of community interfaith leaders in Houston convened by Mayor Bill White in the fall of 2006 to create an initiative that would capture the spirit of The Amazing Faiths of Texas, a beautiful book of photography and spiritual expression by Roy Spence.

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston partnered with the Boniuk Center at Rice to begin the Project, and produce the first Dinner Dialogue in Houston in January 2007 with 250 people and 20 host homes. The Dinner Dialogue was repeated in Houston and two other Texas cities in November 2007 with 850 people and 75 host homes. In November 2008, ten cities throughout the United States produced the Dinner Dialogue with over 1500 participants - all on the same night in hundreds of host homes.

The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee has piloted Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues since 2011. From summer 2013 through spring 2014, a generous grant from the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee enabled the Interfaith Conference to expand the program.  In 2020, Cherrie Hanson accepted the position of Amazing Faiths Program Director.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS