Interfaith Week 2014

What is Interfaith Week?

Where: Locations throughout St. Petersburg, FL
When: Sunday, July 13 – Sunday, July 20, 2014

UPDATE:  On Thursday, July 17 at 3 p.m., the City of St. Petersburg will officially recognize July 13-20 as “Interfaith Week.” The proclamation will happen during City Council’s regular meeting located at City Hall in downtown St. Petersburg.

Interfaith Week St. Petersburg is a chance to see how the rest of your community practices religion and spirituality in an open, educational setting. During Interfaith Week, individuals and families are encouraged to visit other churches, temples, mosques and spiritual communities in their city to gain a better understanding of the people, values, philosophies, practices and cultures that make up our beautiful city.

The week will also include free workshops and discussions at different campuses and venues including such topics as: religious literacy, dialogue and listening, social work and charity, definitions and expressions of spirituality, and more.

St. Pete Interfaith Week was inspired by “Other Religions Week,” founded in 2003 by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, and like similar events (i.e. Louisville’s “Festival of Faiths“) seeks to become an annual event that promotes a message of compassion and pluralism and holds our city up as an example of a community based on mutual respect, cooperation and collaboration.

RSVP to Interfaith Week on Facebook.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SUNDAY, JULY 13

Bahá’í Center of St. Petersburg (Bahá’í)
Devotions and discussion: 10:30 a.m.

First Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science/Christian)
Subject: Sacrament, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

First Unity at Unity Campus (New Thought/Christian)
Services: 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Shambhala St. Pete (Buddhist)
Cafe Shambhala/Community Night (pot luck and discussion): 6-8 p.m.

Saint Mary Our Lady of Grace (Catholic)
Regular Mass: 8 and 11 a.m.

Trinity Multicultural Center (Christian)
Lao Ministry of St. Petersburg: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (Laotian)
Anointed Word Fellowship: 10-11:30 a.m.
Trinity United Church of Christ (Contemporary): 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Iglesia Pentecostal Cielos Abiertos: 1-4 p.m. (Spanish)

UU St. Pete (Unitarian/Universalist)
Discussion Group: 9:30 a.m.
Service: 10:30 a.m.

MONDAY, JULY 14

“Is Human Nature Good or Evil?” (FREE PANEL)
Moderated by Maria Bogomaz
Panel: Shastri Gayle Van Gils, Imam Hassan Shibly and Rev. Stephen Kosmyna
Shambhala St. Pete, 6:30-8:30 p.m. RSVP on Facebook.

TUESDAY, JULY 15

Bahá’í Center of St. Petersburg (Bahá’í)
Spiritual Conversations: 7:30 p.m.
Bahá’í concepts like Divine unity, progressive revelation, history of the Faith, equality and more.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16

First Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science/Christian)
Testimony Meeting; Subject: Universal Brotherhood.
Noon – 1 p.m. and 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

First Unity at Unity Campus (New Thought/Christian)
Guided Meditation and Healing Service: 6-7 p.m.
Led by John DeRugeris, a certified Medical Qigong practitioner, Reiki Master, and yoga & meditation instructor.

Trinity Multicultural Center (UCC/Christian)
Kid’s Art Nite: 6-8 p.m. Resident artist, Morgan Wright, offers art classes to community children each Wednesday. A fun and supervised event for all!

THURSDAY, JULY 17

Official Interfaith Week Proclamation: 3-5 p.m.
St Petersburg City Hall (Second floor council chambers)
175 5th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33701

“Getting Your Hands Dirty: Community Service in the 21st Century” (FREE PANEL)
Moderated by Jason Sowell, Current of Tampa Bay
Panel: Frank Wells, World Power and Water; more TBD
Museum of Fine Arts, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. RSVP on Facebook.

FRIDAY, JULY 18

Temple Beth-El (Jewish)
Erev Shabbat Service and Oneg: 7:30-9 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 19

“Attaining Sustainable Happiness” (FREE WORKSHOP)
with Dr. Jinendra Kothari; plus a warm-up session with Alina Hall (New World Yoga and Martial Arts)
St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, 9-11 a.m. RSVP on Facebook.

“New Beginnings Community Worship” (Christian/Recovery)
Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church
Beacon House, 2151 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
5:30 p.m. A light meal is served afterward.

Saint Mary Our Lady of Grace (Catholic)
Vigil Mass: 4 p.m.

Taoist Tai Chi Society / Fung Loy Kok Institute for Taoism (Taoist/Buddhist/Confucian)
1811 Dr MLK Jr St N. St Petersburg, FL 33704
Taoist chanting every Saturday morning: 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Temple Beth-El (Jewish)
Shabbat Morning Worship and Torah Study, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 20

Bahá’í Center of St. Petersburg (Bahá’í)
Devotions and discussion: 10:30 a.m.

First Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science/Christian)
Subject: Life, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

First Unity at Unity Campus (New Thought/Christian)
Services: 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Integral Church (Interfaith/Interspiritual)
Featuring meditation by Swami Jinendra Kothari, a reading by Roxanne Fay and music by Ed Woltil (The Ditchflowers)
Outdoor, interfaith service: 10 a.m. RSVP on Facebook.

Shambhala St. Pete (Buddhist)
Sunday Morning Sitting: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Cafe Shambhala/Community Night (pot luck and discussion): 6-8 p.m.

Saint Mary Our Lady of Grace (Catholic)
Regular Mass: 8 and 11 a.m.

Trinity Multicultural Center (Christian)
Lao Ministry of St. Petersburg: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. (Laotian)
Anointed Word Fellowship: 10-11:30 a.m.
Trinity United Church of Christ (Contemporary): 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Iglesia Pentecostal Cielos Abiertos: 1-4 p.m. (Spanish)

UU St. Pete (Unitarian/Universalist)
Discussion Group: 9:30 a.m.
Service: 10:30 a.m.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

If your church, temple, ashram, mosque or synagogue would like to contribute or participate in special programming for Interfaith Week, please e-mail joranslane@gmail.com.

TOOLS

2014 Interfaith Calendar: Diversity Awareness Project

Common Knowledge Podcast: Interfaith Youth Core

The Four “S’s” of Interfaith:
1. Sup together
2. Serve together
3. Study together
4. Seek together