AMAZING FAITHS PROJECT

The intention of Amazing Faiths Project and the moderated Dinner Dialogue program is to create a more hospitable and connected society. 

People of all faiths, no particular faith, spiritual paths or philosophy are gathered to appreciate and understand the beliefs and traditions of others in an atmosphere of respect.
 

Please visit and like our Amazing Faiths Facebook page to find out more.  Everyone is welcome!  

Upcoming Amazing Faiths Events:

 

                        
                 WE WILL FEAST
                               

A fresh way of gathering together is just around the corner after we had to be on hiatus since the pandemic.  Please contact our Program Coordinator if you are interested in participating.  
 

Our latest event was at the Milwaukee Museum of Art in October 2022.
Faith as the Artist's Muse was very succesful with great conversations.

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AMAZING FAITHS MODERATORS aka "MOD SQUAD"
Moderators are specifically trained to ensure that people feel safe and comfortable sharing their life experience with others. This is a volunteer position.  
Upcoming trainings TBA
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ABOUT AMAZING FAITHS DINNER DIALOGUES

What happens at an Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue?

• Guests must register for the dialogue to help us create maximum religious and cultural diversity among group members.  Click here for Guest FAQs.
• Hosts volunteer their home as a meeting place for the dialogue and provide a simple, vegetarian meal or snacks for the guests. Home-hosted events generally include 8 - 10 people and one moderator. Other events at sacred or public sites feature a presenter/speaker and can be much larger, though we maintain the same ratio of guests to moderators. Click here for Host FAQs.

Guests get accquainted while they dine together. There will be a presentation or speaker.  During the moderated portion, participants pick their own question card and are given 5 minutes to respond. The format can change depending on the time available. Some events will have break out sessions where guests interact one-on-one.  Moderators will make time for an afterglow sharing to hear how the experience was for each person.  Evaluations are given to study the process for improvements and track statistics of the program.

Why participate in an Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue? 

• Practice appreciative listening
• Talk about matters of faith and spirituality in a safe, guided environment
• Increase religious literacy
• Build appreciation of diversity 
• Engage on a meaningful level
• Increase trust and remove barriers

What are the core values of Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues?

• Hospitality - welcoming those who are strangers to us
• Friendship - seeking connection with people regardless of their faith
• Responsibility - making a difference for respect and understanding in our world
• Faith neutrality - affirming equally people of all faiths and no faith

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HISTORY OF AMAZING FAITHS DINNER DIALOGUES

The Dinner Dialogues are based on the Amazing Faiths Project co-founded in 2006 by The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University and Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston with official sponsorship from the Office of the Mayor of the City of Houston. 

The cornerstone event of the Project, the Dinner Dialogue, was initially created in 2006 by Dr. Jill Carroll, who at that time was the Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Dr. Carroll was part of a team of community interfaith leaders in Houston convened by Mayor Bill White in the fall of 2006 to create an initiative that would capture the spirit of The Amazing Faiths of Texas, a beautiful book of photography and spiritual expression by Roy Spence.

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston partnered with the Boniuk Center at Rice to begin the Project, and produce the first Dinner Dialogue in Houston in January 2007 with 250 people and 20 host homes. The Dinner Dialogue was repeated in Houston and two other Texas cities in November 2007 with 850 people and 75 host homes. In November 2008, ten cities throughout the United States produced the Dinner Dialogue with over 1500 participants - all on the same night in hundreds of host homes.

The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee has piloted Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues since 2011. From summer 2013 through spring 2014, a generous grant from the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee enabled the Interfaith Conference to expand the program.  In 2020, Cherrie Hanson accepted the position of Amazing Faiths Program Director.