^✳️⛳MnMN's Inaugural Charity Golf Scramble!^⛳✳️ Register Now!

June 12, 2024, 4-6:45pm , Brookland Golf Park. Registration open now!

Join us for a lovely evening of relationship building and networking while enjoying a 9-hole round of golf at family friendly Brookland Golf Park.

We will begin our afternoon with a shotgun start at 4:00 pm. Each hole will be played in groups of four. After rounds have been played, mulligans taken, and fun had by all, we will gather at the connecting Capitol Park Pavilion for a box dinner, games and awards. 

All funds raised will benefit the work of ALL those who make up the Minnesota Multifaith Network - those individuals and organizations dedicating their time and talents to connecting and equipping people of all faith traditions working for a more just and loving Minnesota. This event was inspired and organized with the help of Laila Franklin, MnMN's Intern from the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at University of St. Thomas.

If you have any questions, please contact organizers Laila Franklin laila.franklin@stthomas.edu or Lee Burdge leecburdge@gmail.com

Featured Article: Rev. Cassandra Lawrence on Hope

Opinion: "In toxic time, hope can be the solid ground we can stand on" 

by Rev. Cassandra Lawrence, Religion News Service, May 7th, 2024. 

"What we’ve learned from leaders around the country is that practicing hope means caring for every life lost in violence. It means showing up in grief, joy and anger. It means grounding the struggle for dignity, justice and liberation in the hope for a future in which oppressor and oppressed are liberated from the cycles of oppression. It is to call out anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim narratives and policies with equal force. It is to make visible the threads of hope that connect every person to a future with everyone at the table."

Read the whole piece here. 

May 11th, Over 500 people attended Lakeville's 4th Annual Celebration of the International Day of Living Together in Peace

The recently renovated Casperson Park, which now includes an outdoor amphitheater, was the perfect location for the 40+ community organizations to connect with the community through booths, activities and performances. 

Luke Hellier, the mayor of Lakeville kicked off the event and thanked the organizing and financial sponsors: AISA ONG, Lakeville Rotary, JustServe and MnMN. The International Day of Living Together in Peace was approved by the United Nations in 2017 and has been celebrated in only a handful of cities in the United States. The hope is for this celebration to grow in

Minnesota and in the US. "We started this with 20 people in my backyard in 2020, and four years later we have over 500 people celebrating with us. Who knows how many will come in 2025?" said Khaled Elabdi, representative of AISA International and member of the organizing team. To learn more about the event go to https://aisa-ong.org/en/

Partner Events

Wisdom Ways: Creating with the Herd Workshop

Saturday, May 18, 9 am - 3 pm, Innisfree Farm in Hastings, MN, $150

During  this day long retreat, participants will explore paint with fabric and  materials from nature as we create a group pathway way to lead ourselves  and our horses through with hopes of spring. Activities will include  themes of renewal, healing, grounding and rejuvenation after the long  winter with therapists and horsewomen Sarah Kiani and Molly DePrekel.

Saint Peter Good Neighbor Diversity Council's Festival of Nations 
Saturday, May 18, 1:00 - 7:00 pm, 400 Union St, St Peter, MN 56082

Save the date for the 2nd Annual St. Peter Festival of Nations! Brought to you by the Saint Peter Good Neighbor Diversity Council and community partners.
Johnson Hall and Nicollet County Fairgrounds for both indoor and outdoor festivities. All are welcome, always. Stay tuned for all the details, performances, foods, arts, music, vendors, international fair, and more!

Northspan: Welcoming Community Events

Community Connect. May 22nd, 2024. 10:00am-2:00pm. Hibbing Memorial Arena. If you or someone you're acquainted with is encountering difficulties linked to homelessness or financial challenges, our support is available! Come join us at the Community Connect—an exclusive, free event committed to offering vital services and resources to those in need. Learn more here.

Interfaith Action: Faithful Hospitality
Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul. We are looking for overnight shelter host volunteers to provide warmth and hospitality to guests. Overnight hosts are on duty 7pm-7am weekdays and 7pm-8am weekends. Details and shareable resources can be found on our website: https://interfaithaction.org/what-we-do/projecthome/faithful-hospitality. Ready to sign up? Please fill out our volunteer form HERE. On the online volunteer form, please indicate your interest in Faithful Hospitality at the bottom.

Religions For Peace: Trends in Global Restrictions on Religion 

May 23rd, 2024, 2:00-3:00pm ET, Zoom.

During our adult lives, a large proportion of our time is spent at work. Our experience in the workplace is one of the factors determining our overall wellbeing.

Registration: Please send registrations to Amy at amyb@kootasca.org or 218-212-2810. (Please note that Amy is currently on vacation. She will address your registration upon return.)

Space is limited at this venue so please register early. 

Location: KOOTASCA Conference Room, Central Square Mall, 201 NW 4^th Street, Grand Rapids

TASMN: Turkic Cooking Class 
Sunday, June 2nd, 2024, 2:00-4:30pm CST, 6565 Oakley Drive NE Fridley, MN

In our Turkic Culinary Journey series, we celebrate the rich and vibrant culinary traditions that span across Turkic-speaking regions, including Turkey, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and many more. Building on the success of our first season, we’re thrilled to take you on an even more captivating journey into the heart of Turkic cuisine.

 Mindful Movement Series
Friday, June 7th, 6:00pm, Carondelet Center.

Please join us for a series of four different styles of movement in Tai Chi and Qigong. We will be engaging our senses as we do movements outside Carondelet Center at 6:00 PM on the first Fridays in June-Sept. The four different styles or programs are Tai Chi for Rehabilitation, Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi Chih, and Qigong. Slow movements can be powerful in healing especially when we are connected to nature. Relax your nervous system, engage the mind differently, and slow down to the rhythm of your breath and the earth.

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God
Thursday, June 13, 1-3pm, In-Person, Carondelet Center, $20

We usually pray with words and song. Sometimes we pray by walking or other movement. Seldom do we use doodling in color as a way to draw closer to God. Praying in Color can change the way you pray and how you experience God, by using the right side of your brain. This is not about coming up with a finished product, or being an artist. If you are looking for a new way to communicate with God, Praying in Color could be right for you.  

More Events

Mark Your Calendars

• IPL: Spirit of Water June 15, 2024, 5:00-8:00pm. Join us for a celebration with Mississippi River! Gather with us to connect, play, learn, pray, celebrate, and honor the spirit of water. This year, we will meet at Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul for a community celebration featuring speakers, music, booths, food, art, and play areas for children. The event is co-presented by R.I.S.E. Coalition, United Theological Seminary, and Friends of the Mississippi River. Learn more here!

• Institute on Theology and Disability Annual Conference Registration Open! June 17th-20th, 2024, Boston MA or Online. Register here.  We invite you to join us, in person or virtually, as we explore this critical intersection as academics, practitioners, and interested others. This conference seeks to be as accessible as possible to as many as possible, so if you find registration to be inaccessible for any reason, please email info@theologydisability.org – we look forward to a fruitful time together!

• Wisdom Ways: Annual Summer Solstice Festival June 21, 2024. Join us for food trucks, music, community, and more! If you are interested in tabling at the Summer Solstice Festival, please enter your information here. If you are interested in volunteering at the festival please complete the form here.
• Friends for a NonViolent World People Camp 2024 August 11-17, 2024. Northern Pines Retreat Center in Park Rapids. Early Bird Registration ends May 31st. People Camp is a unique, one week, intergenerational community living experience open to all. Register here. Learn more about People Camp here!
• Transformative Family Dispute Mediation Training Program 
  August 19th -23rd, 9:00am-6:00pm, Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Minnetonka, facilitated by Dan Simon. A weekdays only opportunity that qualifies for court certification to practice in Minnesota under Minnesota Rule 114. Early bird pricing is $1,500 until June 1st, and $1,900 after. Read more about transformative meditation as an approach here. Register for the course here.

Resources 

• Featured Article: The Relationships Project

Putting Relationships First: The Case For Relationship-Centred Communities, Organisations And Systems by The Relationships Project

If you want to change the world, start with relationships. Good relationships are the foundations on which all else is built  – effective education, just policing, stable childhoods, thriving communities, compassionate care, a fair economy, responsible government, flourishing  business, even longer lives. This Case Maker assembles the evidence base for putting relationships first, describing why  relationships matter, what great relationship-centred practice looks  like, and how it could make an  impact in your context.  Compelling evidence summaries and statistics sit side by side with vibrant real world stories of relational work from across  sectors and contexts. There are voices in  these pages from the worlds of social care,  public health, the arts, prison rehabilitation, community organising, social integration, deathcare and education.  Read more, find resources, and download the whole case maker here!

• Bakken Center Free Wellbeing Webinars: Information Session May 21st, 2024. 12:00pm CDT. Zoom. This webinar led by Bakken Center Mindfulness and Wellbeing Instructor Mariann Johnson will provide an introduction to mindfulness meditation and will be particularly relevant to those new to the practice or simply curious about the possible benefits of a mindfulness practice. Participants will have an opportunity to practice a short mindfulness meditation, to share their experiences, and to ask questions. Register here!
• Children's Literature Recommendations:

In the News

• "Voters' views of Trump and Biden differ sharply by religion" by Gregory A Smith, Pew Research Center, April 30, 2024. The latest Pew Research Center survey finds that most White Christian voters would vote for Trump if the election were held today; most religious 'nones' and Black Protestants would back Biden. Read more here.
• "The Changing Landscape of Religion at Work" by Brian Carwana, ReligionsGeek, May 9th, 2024. "Recent years have brought a remarkable change in how workplaces approach the topic of religion. Historically, many employers took the view that people's religiosity had no place at work or, in some cases, assumed Christianity as normative for everyone. This is changing. George Floyd’s death, while not directly about religion, brought an enormous shift in the relationship between employers and employees that carried over to considering people’s religious, spiritual, or secular identities. And more recently, the war in Gaza has greatly heightened people’s awareness and, for many, raised a lot of questions about how to respond." Read the whole article here.