The concept of faith is not limited to any
particular religion, or even religion itself. Faith is an action
taken all over the world, every day, when individuals choose to
believe in anything that transforms their lives. This unique and
historic event will bring together twelve well-known “Friends of
Faith,” people whose distinctly different religious, spiritual,
and even secular beliefs have uplifted not only their own lives,
but also, in some way, humanity.
We ask them to spend five days speaking
publicly about their personal experience, belief, and practice,
and their individual transformations into human beings who “do
God’s work,” each impacting the world in his or her own
exceptional way.
We ask our delegates and moderators to enter
into a very special dialogue. They must find language common to
the human journey, address topics of concern to humanity, and
reach consensus on those actions and experiences that encourage
positive change.
Delegates are not here to convert, but to
converse; not to preach, but to participate.
Delegates will speak from the depth of their
personal understanding, and will work together in a small-venue
setting to investigate such themes as Prayer, Aggression and
Apathy, and The Secular Influence. They will also participate in
at a multi-denominational worship service and Town Meeting forum.
All of the public proceedings will be made available on the
Friends of Faith website, at the Festival, and at a house of
worship near you!
Our invitation list will reflect people who
have used their faith to move mountains – to change perceptions,
to mitigate suffering, to encourage joyfulness, to discover and
open new worlds, and ultimately, to help others understand
spiritual power. Our selection committee, made up of some of the
most important proponents of “official” interfaith dialogue,
will be tasked with finding the most important, most credible, and
most visible people of faith in the world, to speak to one another
“unofficially” about what devotion and belief has meant to
them.
The 2009 Invitees haven’t been selected
yet. Sign up
here to be notified when the delegates are chosen!
One of the things that religion and
spirituality are known for, in nearly every tradition, is a focus
on charity and compassion, so we will use this event to generate
funds for a wide range of charities. During the event and on the
website, anyone who gives to the Friends of Faith Fund will be
given the opportunity to choose what type of charity they most
support—like the Environment, Children’s Welfare,
Homelessness, Human Rights, Peace Projects, the Arts. The
percentages that each area generates from donor response will tell
us exactly where you want your money to go!
To provide a way for local believers to get involved,
the Friends of Faith Festival will make joyful music the last two
days of the event. While the Meeting is in session, truth-seekers
can watch portions of the proceedings, and find arts, music, food,
and fun for all ages—and of course, all belief systems. To get
involved with the Festival, start here.
Each invitee gives a
brief overview of his or her beliefs and view of the spiritual
life. Invitees are asked to seek consensus on values and
experiences they have in common, and de-emphasize any differences
in object of faith, dogma, politics, or ritual.
7 – 10pm
Welcome
Colorado’s religious
and civic leaders welcome participants to Colorado to formally
open the event. Each invitee will tell his or her own personal
transformation story -- at what point his or her life path engaged
faith, and how it influenced each of their lives.
Thursday,
July 23, 2009
9am – 12noon
Does Practice Make
Perfect?
Discussion will center
on personal rituals, practice, and ways that participants focus
regular attention on the object of their faith. Further, they will
discuss the spiritual impact of their personal practice.
2 – 5pm
The Power of Prayer
and Intention
Each invitee will
discuss specific rituals associated with prayer and/or the
focusing of intention. Looking for common ground, the panel will
discuss ways that prayer and meditation can be achieved and used
to create positive change.
Friday, July
24, 2009
9am – 12noon
Sacred Ground: The
Secular Connection
The panel will discuss
current global issues, events, or problems, and associated
spiritual perspectives. They will explore whether there are ways
to introduce spirituality into government, education, and the
workplace without compromising the integrity of individuals or
organizations.
2 – 5pm
Decreasing Aggression
and Apathy
Invitees will
brainstorm ways that religions can, together or separately, play a
role in increasing optimism, changing aggression to compassion,
encouraging global civic responsibility, and bringing the
world’s populations together.
12 noon – 10pm
The Friends of Faith
Festival
Saturday,
July 25, 2009
9am – 12noon
Test of Faith: Moments
of Disbelief
While our participants
are well known for their dogged belief in faith, most devout
humans profess some times of doubt, and questioning. Participants
will talk about how doubt has entered into their personal
stories—how they addressed it and what it taught them about
their faith.
2 – 5pm
The Message Of
Transformation
The panel will discuss
ways that religious and spiritual messages of hope can be
delivered to the world’s people inclusively, rather than
exclusively, and with respect for varying viewpoints.
12 noon – 10pm
The Friends of Faith
Festival
7 – 10pm
Delegates’ Dinner
Party with local officials and select ticket-holders
Sunday, July 26, 2009
8 – 10am
Multi-traditional
Worship Service
Clergy from local
churches will be invited to perform religious rituals together
with our invitees, beginning with a Native American ceremony to
pay respect to the ancient traditions of Colorado. Invitees will
perform and/or discuss their own chosen rituals for worship.
Followed by:
10am – 12noon
Town Meeting Forum
Each ticket-holder for
the worship service will have the opportunity to enter a drawing
to ask a question of the panel during the town meeting. Questions
will also be collected on the Conference website, and the most
frequently asked will be presented by the moderator.
7 – 10pm
Closing Roundtable
Invitees will discuss
what they are taking from the Conference and how these discussions
have been of influence. Any consensus reached by the panel during
the Public Meetings will be released as a statement to the media.
This
website and all its contents are owned entirely by Friends of
Faith, LLC. No portion may be reproduced without the express
written permission of the owner.
