Be sure to register for the Minnesota Multifaith Network Conference on November 14th, 2024! Learn more, register, or become a sponsor by clicking the button above!

Weekend Holiday Catchup: Yom Kippur and Dussehra 

To all those who celebrate, MnMN hopes that your weekends were full of celebration and warmth!

From Our Partners

Seeing Things Whole Announces New Continuing Education Series

Session 1 begins Oct 22nd, Online, 12pm CST, $100

Seeing Things Whole cultivates whole leaders and thriving organizations. Expanding on the Seeing Things Whole framework, this continuing education series is designed to empower you with the tools and insights needed to tackle challenges, make informed decisions, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change. The series consists of five workshops which will support participants' ability to mindfully lead through change for more holistic outcomes. 

Over the course of five workshops you will work individually and collectively to make progress on a personal leadership opportunity. 

Luther Seminary: Faithfully Navigating Political Division Panel 

Wednesday, October 23rd, 11:45am-1:00pm, Luther Seminary 

 
As we prepare for a presidential election this fall, communities of faith are faced with questions of how and when to address the political climate. How can churches and other Christian organizations navigate the realities of competing political identities while also sharing Jesus’ call to love our neighbor? Join us on Wednesday, October 23 for a discussion with church leaders who are working to answer this question in their contexts. The in-person version of the event includes lunch. The virtual version of the event is a live interactive Zoom webinar where participants will be able to share questions with the panelists.

Panelists
Natalia Terfa MDiv ’15 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Brooklyn Park and Cafeteria Christian
Tim Wittwer MDiv ’94 Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, Foley
Jen Kilps Minnesota Multifaith Network
Mary Hess Professor of Educational Leadership, Luther Seminary

Moderator
Steve Thomason, PhD ’15 Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation and Dean of the Chapel

Interfaith Action: Annual Bringing Faith to Life Breakfast Fundraiser

Tuesday, October 29th, 2024, Centennial United Methodist Church. 

From its beginning, Interfaith Action has been inspired by our faith partners whose eyes are always open to the needs of the community. Our world is better when people of all faiths connect and commit to building opportunity for our neighbors. Join us to celebrate and support the work our faith compels us to do.

Program:

 8:00-8:30 am: Coffee, light breakfast, music, social time
8:30-9:00 am: Program

The event is free, but you must REGISTER by October 16.

Clouds in Water Zen Center: Election Processing Circles 

Oct 29th, Nov 5th at Clouds in Water, 6:30-8:00pm

In these monthly circles leading up to the election, we hold space for what’s coming up for you and look at the complexities of this election and its painful ripple effect through a compassionate lens. Each Circle will have a different facilitator who is trained to keep a good and nourishing container for this important work. These events are free, but a $10 donation is greatly appreciated. Please bring friends! All meetings are from 6:30-8:00pm in-person at Clouds in Water Zen Center in Saint Paul. 

More Events

Homelessness not Criminalization: Virtual Tour for Affordable Housing 

•  St. Paul Chapter: Oct 22nd. 8:00-9:30am, Register here. 
• Housing For All Chapter: Oct 24th, 8:00-9:30am, Register here. 
• Minneapolis Chapter: Oct 28th, 1:30pm-3:00pm, Join here, no registration required.  

Join one of the virtual tours to share ideas for safe, decent and accessible housing. Meet people in your community that are making it happen, and mobilize the power to make a safe home a reality for everyone!

Approaches to Islam & Race in America: Public Panel and Discussion with Dr. Kambiz Ghanea Bassiri and Dr. Yasmine Flodin-Ali

Thursday, October 24th, 4:40pm, DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

What is the relationship of race and religion? How has Islam been racialized?
And, in what ways do American Muslims navigate competing ideologies of
race, racialization, and Islamophobia? In this public panel, leading scholars of
American Islam, Dr. Kambiz GhaneaBassiri (Carleton College, Religious
Studies) and Dr. Yasmine Flodin-Ali (Religious Studies, University of
Pittsburgh), will discuss how American Muslims have negotiated conceptions
of race and religion historically and still today.

Minnesota National Guard: Free Movie Screening

Thursday, Oct 24th, 6:30pm, Emagine Willow Creek Theater  (9900 Shelard Pkwy, Plymouth, MN)

The need for qualified clergy to serve as Chaplains in the Minnesota National Guard has never been more crucial. Global uncertainty and ongoing missions have placed a significant strain on our service members and their families like never before. Chaplains provide the spiritual resources, hope, and encouragement to keep them resilient and mission-ready. On Thursday October 24, 2024,  we invite you to a special early screening of the award-winning film “Fighting Spirit” to learn more about this sacred calling at 6:30 pm at the Emagine Willow Creek Theater (9900 Shelard Pkwy, Plymouth, MN 55441).

Watch the trailer for Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey

Mark Your Calendars

• Clouds in Water Zen Center: Meditation Public Talk & Retreat with Anam Thubten Rinpoche. November 1st-3rd, Clouds in Water Zen Center. Join on Friday, November 1st, 7:00-9:00pm for a public talk, open to all.  The retreat will be on Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am-4:30pm. Registration is required for the retreat. Overview of Retreat: There are four important aspects of meditation: self-inquiry, mindful attention, open awareness and lovingkindness. By practicing these, we can let go of negative mental patterns and expand our heart and mind, bringing about joy, peace and inner freedom.  Not only will we be transformed within but our inner transformation can have a positive impact on our world. Anam Thubten will teach and guide participants in developing these four aspects of meditation and share Buddhist wisdom on working with our thoughts and emotions. Register here. 
• Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative 15th Annual Overcoming Racism Conference November 8th, 8:30am-4:30pm, Metro State University, St. Paul, MN. Across the centuries racism has destroyed lives and communities. FREC’s 2024 conference theme will look at the grievous harm racist policies and practices have caused the intersectional identities of Black, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color in the United States in housing, employment, criminal justice, education, and other sectors of our society. The conference will also highlight significant work underway in these sectors to bring justice and repair to those who have been harmed. Register here. 
• Harmony for Humanity Sunday, November 10th, 6:00-7:30pm, St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and  St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church are putting together a multifaith music event the evening of November 10, 2024 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.  With the divisions and distrust being experienced today, we believe that within our various religious and spiritual communities lies wisdom, experiences, and practices that can contribute to healing. MnMN Board Member Dr. Anant Rambachan will offer a spiritual grounding at the beginning of the event.
• Rabbi Sharon Brous at The 2024 Harry Kay Leadership Summit Tuesday, November 19th, 7:00-8:30pm, Metropolitan Club & Ballroom, Golden Valley.  Rabbi Brous will be presenting "There is a Way Forward: Building a More Just & Loving Society. Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a leading edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and author of The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World, a national bestseller. Brous offered the invocation at the Democratic National Convention in 2024, led the Hanukkah candle lighting with the Vice President and Second Gentleman in 2023, and the White House Passover Seder in 2021. Register here.

In the News

Minnesota's largest Muslim cemetery breaks ground near Farmington after 10-year saga. Sahan Journal, October 9th, 2024. Organizers faced multiple hurdles, from a reluctant township board to vandalism, in their quest to develop a new cemetery for the region's Muslims. In Arabic, “maghfirah” means forgiveness. Forgiveness — and hope — were on display Tuesday as two dozen people gathered in a desiccated field south of Farmington to break ground on Al Maghfirah Cemetery after a decade of delays and legal challenges. The 72-acre parcel in Castle Rock township will be the largest Muslim cemetery in Minnesota, once it is developed. Read more here.