Our Mission: To serve as an agent
for enhanced communication, cooperation, and understanding among the interfaith
minded, spiritual seekers, and those who are exploring the interface of the arts
and the sacred.
A Website and a Quarterly Newsletter/Journal
Two instruments of communication are central to the
fulfillment of IBI's mission: the interfaithings website and
the publication, Interfaithings, an electronic
quarterly newsletter/journal.
By publicizing interfaith events and events of interest to
those interested in spiritual growth, by collecting
pertinent resource information, and by providing the space
for thoughtful writers to reflect on difficult issues, we
seek to provide support for those individuals and groups who
are exploring new integrations of their uniquenesses and
their collective callings.
The Interfaith Bridging Initiative or IBI is a three year
pilot project, launched in the summer of 2006 by the Mall
Area Religious Council (MARC) and the Minnesota chapter of
the Parliament of the World's Religions (P.O.W.R.). A
contribution from the Presbytery of the Twin Cities provided
the seed money needed to plan a Bridging Retreat for the
autumn of 2006. The Human Rights Center at the University of
Minnesota agreed to co-sponsor and co-host the retreat. Soon
thereafter the Otto Bremer Foundation provided a three year,
$10,000 grant. Since then, IBI has hosted or co-hosted a
series of colloquia and programs celebrating the power of
artistic expression to transform existing conditions.
Presently, IBI's objective is to create a self-sustaining
infrastructure that will facilitate the continuing
fulfillment of its mission.
IBI is a non-profit organization directed by a four member
executive committee. Currently, the following individuals
comprise the executive committee of the Interfaith Bridging
Initiative: Rev. John Chell, Bishop Charles Curry, Ira L.
Gordon, and Ms. Jane Johnson.
The following are the principal areas to which IBI is
currently devoting time, energy, and monetary resources:
• Publication of Interfaithings, an electronic quarterly
newsletter/ journal.
• Maintenance of www.interfaithings.org a website that
contains:
Archives of the newsletter/journal.
Information regarding events of interest .
Links to other websites.
A blog that will post ruminations, questions, answers, etc.,
with an
opportunity for the general public to add their
comments.
• Support for activities/organizations that foster increased
interfaith
understanding and for
activities/organizations that bring spiritually focused and
creative individuals together to pursue public policy,
ethical, and artistic goals.
• Support for the Twin Cities Interfaith Network (TCIN), an
organization, initiated with help from IBI, that brings
together leaders of organizations working toward increased
interfaith understanding.
• Hosting retreats and colloquia that energize, train, and
empower.
