Celebrating 30+ years of Interfaith Engagement

NAIN Connect 2021: Building Interfaith Community

Sunday, Nov 7, 12-6 (Pacific), 3-9 (Eastern)


Breakout Session 1 (assigned) We will breakout into small groups to reflect about the past year, what it means to be interfaith, what we have learned, and what our various needs are moving forward.


Breakout Session 2 (open choice)

1) Intergenerational Workshop: Faiths and practices are handed down from one generation to the next, and interfaith community is inherently intergenerational. Rachel Watcher and Shelton Nalley will moderate a workshop on building a robust interfaith and intergenerational community that respects and responds to the different needs.


2) Reconciliation and Interfaith Community: In response to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the 94 Calls to Action, Winnipeg’s interfaith communities have joined together to work on Truth and Reconciliation projects with Indigenous communities. Join us to learn about this endeavor and to consider similar possibilities within your own context. Moderators: Rev. Loraine Mackenzie Shepherd is an ordained minister in The United Church of Canada and an interfaith activist, and Rev. Stan McKay is a Cree elder and former Moderator of The United Church of Canada.


3) Interfaith Community 21st Century: New Needs & Models: Participants from Religions For Peace-USA, Women of Spirit and Faith, United Religions-North America, Charter for Compassion and NAIN, etc. along with staff and representatives from local councils throughout North America. This session will be a facilitated discussion and interaction among interfaith leaders who are looking toward the future of interfaith community in the 21st century.

Moderator, Bettina Gray, co-founder of NAIN and former chair.


4) Open Space: Over the years at our in-person NAINConnect we have often taken time for a workshop to allow us to address a topic that may arise in our discussions. This is an opportunity for a moderated open conversation on building interfaith community.

Breakout Session 3 (open choice)

1) The BIG Questions: Rossmoor is a community of about 10,000 retirees located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Interfaith Council of Rossmoor has been energized by hosting annual discussion series called The BIG Questions Forum. Over the last 5 years 18 different religions have participated on the topics: Why is there suffering? Is there life or consciousness after death? Who? What? Where is God? What is the relationship between science and religion? This year's Big Question: What is the purpose of life? Join us as we share how to conduct deep dialogue among the attendees and build community. Hosted by Sara Blackstock and Rev Channing Miller.


2) Evaluating the Risk your Non-Profit Faces Today: We live in a world with daily risk. Some risks are minimal, and some can derail your best efforts. This session will be a time of understanding the risks that all organizations face. The goal will be to help you learn to evaluate the specific risks your organization faces and how to properly insure the risks that you have. Presenter: K Barth Williams, formerly with Church Mutual Insurance.


3) Building the New NAIN Council: You are invited to help us build NAIN for the future. A recent bylaws change created the new NAIN Council as a guiding community of leaders from our member organizations. The NAIN Council will be the place where future programs and activities are envisioned and implemented. Join this workshop to learn about the NAIN council and find out how you and your organization can be involved in this exciting direction of NAIN.