Interfaith Activities

Some Ways We Learn about Each Others’ Faith Traditions

We hold interfaith services:
The interfaith clergy group in Amherst organizes an interfaith Thanksgiving service each year, where clergy and other representatives of different faiths lead portions of the service drawing on their own faith tradition.
In November 2024 ION co-sponsored an interfaith service “Sharing Divine Love for Peace” Ten faith communities brought their music, faith traditions, and wisdom together in celebration of Leverett’s Congregational Church 250th Anniversary. All but one of the congregations that offered music or other contributions were ION congregations. [link to event] [link to “We Know You Allah…” statement by mosque’s imam]

We visit each other’s congregations:
Hampshire Mosque invites people from all faiths to attend an Open Mosque Day each fall. Many of our members have attended Friday services at other times as well, being personally welcomed by Naz Mohammed (former ION rep from the mosque). Many of us have also gone to the mosque in West Springfield for their meal celebrating the end of Ramaddan and other events and services there.

Many of us from different ION congregations attended a pair of services in late 2024 co-sponsored by Hope Church and Goodwin Memorial AME Zion Church celebrating the connections between these two African American-led congregations in Amherst.

A number of people from different faiths have attended Shabbat Ne’imah 3rd Friday sabbath service at Jewish Community of Amherst. This musical service features a congregational band along with spirited singing and dancing followed by a community dinner.

At our monthly ION meetings:
At each of our monthly meetings, we gather at a different place of worship: a church, synagogue, mosque, or meeting hall, and invite a religious leader of the hosting faith community to offer words of welcome — a prayer, poem, verse — speaking to us of their fundamental principles and worship. Sometimes the congregation’s clergy person offers this. Other times it is offered by the ION rep for the congregation.

One illustration of how ION enacts this principle is that at each of our monthly meetings one of the representatives provides a narrative of their own life-spiritual journeys: from the faith (or lack of faith) of their family life; their spiritual experience growing into adolescence; their path of belief, and questions of belief, into and through adulthood; and their commitments and social/spiritual engagements today. These personal narratives are followed by questions and answers.

These stories increase our knowledge and deepen our understanding of the sacred origins of other faiths. Our religious convictions provide resources to overcome the fragmentations which we observe in the world and which foster mutual friendship and respect between us. We are all aware that interreligious collaboration does not imply giving up our own identity but is rather a journey of discovery. We learn to respect our differences and to appreciate the common values that bind us to one another.

We all bring our own faith tradition, values, and perspectives to any issue under consideration. We only take action as a group when the proposed event or statement reflects the values of all of our congregations.

Joan Lindeman Interfaith Opportunities Awards:
This award is given by ION from time to time to individuals or groups that represent who have made and continue to make significant contributions to interfaith understanding and shared action in our area.