Open Doors, Open Minds

December 4, 2011

Roswell United Methodist Church 814 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell, GA 30075 770-993-6218 www.rumc.com 9:30 a.m.; 11:00 a.m. Sunday Contact: The Rev. Dr. Mike Long-770-993-6218

January 15, 2012

St. David’s Episcopal Church 1015 Old Roswell Rd., Roswell, GA 30076 770-993-6084 www.stdavidchurch.org 9:00 a.m.; 11:15 a.m. Sunday Contact: The Rev. Dr. Ken Swanson-770-993-6084

February 2012

Zion Missionary Baptist Church 888 Zion Circle, Roswell, GA 30075 770-993-8587 www.zionmbc.org 9:30 a.m. Sunday Contact: Deaconess Christy Dennis - 678-516-6429

March 10, 2012

Temple Beth Tikvah 9955 Coleman Rd., Roswell, GA 30075 770-642-0434 www.bethtikvah.com 8:00 p.m. Friday; 10:00 a.m. Saturday Contact: Rabbi Fred Greene-770/642-0434, X 217

Roswell Presbyterian Church 755 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell, GA 30075 770-993-6316 www.roswellpres.org 8:15 a.m.; 9:45 a.m.; 11:15 a.m. Sunday Contact: The Rev. Mary Cox-770-649-4506 April 15, 2012

Open Doors, Open Minds

An Interfaith Learning and Sharing Experience in Roswell 2011 - 2012

Roswell United Methodist Church St. David’s Episcopal Church Zion Missionary Baptist Church Temple Beth Tikvah Roswell Presbyterian Church

Open Doors, Open Minds

Some Principles for Interreligious Dialogue

Goals: To open the doors of our houses of worship and welcome our neighbors in an act of discovery of who we are and what we think as religious communities. With so much growth in Roswell, this endeavor is an effort to build bridges among neighbors by introducing how we worship.

(From the Boston College Center for Christian-Jewish Learning, adapted from Leonard Swidler, "The Dialogue Decalogue," Journal of Ecumenical Studies 20/1:1-4.)

• Enter into dialogue so that you can learn and grow; not to change

the other.

Activities: Each house of worship invites up to twelve people to participate in this program for this year. Each month, the group will visit a different church or synagogue for a worship service. After the service, the host church/ synagogue will offer a lunch for the participants of this program.

Representatives of the clergy will host the group when the program is held at his/her own church. The clergy participating in this effort are encouraged to visit the other houses of worship when possible, but it is not necessary.

• Be conscious of the need to allow people the space to enter the

During these lunches, participants will be encouraged to sit with others not from their own church/synagogue. After some time being together, the clergy member will begin to facilitate a conversation that will touch upon how they worship at that church/synagogue, how the denomination started, what makes their house of worship special, etc. Time for questions and comments from the participants will follow.

•

Costs: There is no charge for the program. Lunch will be provided by each hosting congregation.

•

Food: Respect for the dietary customs of each participant house of worship will be considered when the menus for each luncheon are being selected.

Dates for the Sharing Experiences: Sunday, December 4, 2011 Roswell United Methodist Church Sunday, January 15, 2012 St. David’s Episcopal Church 2012 Zion Missionary Baptist Church Sunday, February Saturday, March 10, 2012 Temple Beth Tikvah Sunday, April 15, 2012 Roswell Presbyterian Church

11:00 a.m.

11:15 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

11:15 a.m.

•

•

•

• •

•

discussion. Some people are more sheepish about offering their thoughts, but will be encouraged to do so if more outspoken persons avoid dominating the exchange.

Be honest and sincere, even if that means revealing discomforts with your own tradition or that of the other. Assume that everyone else is being equally honest and sincere.

Everyone must be permitted to define their own religious experience and identity, and this must be respected by others.

Proselytizing or seeking to "convert" the conversation partner is not permitted in an interreligious dialogue setting. Participants should feel free to express their own faith traditions and beliefs, but should not try to persuade others to assent to them.

Don’t feel that you are the spokesperson for your entire faith tradition or that you ought somehow to know everything there is to know about it. Admit any confusion or uncertainty you might have if a puzzling question arises.

Don’t assume in advance where points of agreement or disagreement will exist.

Everyone should be willing to be self-critical.

All should strive to experience the other’s faith "from within" and be prepared to view themselves differently as a result of an "outside" perspective.

Trust is a must.

It is our hope that through this encounter and conversation, Jews and Christians might better learn to see each other as bearers of faith and traditions worthy of study and understanding, to appreciate similarities and respect differences. This new era of engagement and hope can help in the ongoing process of eclipsing centuries of enmity, but only if the real work is now done in the pews and in our homes.

Rev. 11.4.11