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IGR Community News
Announcements, Newsletters & Activities
IGR members are connected to many different religious, spiritual, ethnic, and cultural groups, and love to share what’s happening in their communities. Check out our new Community News section to see events and activities shared by IGR members!
Please note that while all events and activities posted on the Community Events blog are submitted by Interfaith Grand River members, they are not necessarily endorsed, supported by, or vetted by Interfaith Grand River as an organization.
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2SLGBTQIA Chaplaincy Resources
About 2SLGBTQIA spirituality 2SLGBTQIA people are members of many different faith traditions, but sometimes their spirituality is distinct from their faith tradition, in that they tend to be highly focused on social justice issues, because they are often ostracised for their sexual orientation and gender identity. PRIDE Prayer - The United Church of Canada – A prayer for inclusion for Pride month. Prayers for Queer Folks: An LGBTQ Pride Prayer & Communion Liturgy These pray
Oct 23, 2025
Unitarian Chaplaincy Resources
Unitarians and Universalists (UUs) are united by values rather than belief in one set of creed or dogma. Their values include acceptance of one another, compassion, a commitment to justice and equity, and in dismantling systemic barriers to full inclusion.
Oct 16, 2025
Combatting Hate: The 43rd World Religions Conference
Sunday, November 23, 2025 (12:00 pm ~ 5:30 pm) Lazaridis Hall Auditorium at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo Theme: Combatting Hate The 43rd World Religions Conference will be held this fall on Sunday, November 23, 2025 at Lazaridis Hall at Wilfrid Laurier University. The conference has been organized in Canada since 1981. It has a long tradition for bringing together renowned scholars for a deep and thought-provoking exchange of ideas. The event aims to explore the tea
Oct 15, 2025
Waterloo CSWP launch the "We all belong here" campaign
You’re invited to the official launch of the We all belong here campaign— a community campaign designed in partnership with the Combatting Hate Action Table (CHAT) of the Community Safety Wellbeing Plan (CSWP). The campaign was developed in response to the ongoing rise in hate crimes and identity-based harm occurring in Waterloo region. It’s designed to raise awareness and encourage community members to take action to reduce hate and build belonging. The launch of
Oct 15, 2025
A multi-faith retreat centre
The Five Oaks Retreat Centre (near Paris, ON) is run by the United Church and welcomes all faiths.
Oct 15, 2025
Steering Committee Report from AGM - Oct 9, 2025
by Jay Moore, on behalf of the Steering Committee Since our last AGM in 2024, the Steering Committee has continued in the pattern established for a number of years, planning the monthly Members’ Meetings and offering our vocal support from an interfaith perspective to efforts to improve circumstances in the community. Highlights of Activities Participated as co-hosts for the Film Forum led by Laurier Wellbeing (WLU) at The Princess Cinema. Submitted a letter to the provin
Oct 15, 2025
Books that Shaped Us
In October, we discussed books that shaped our spiritual journey (excluding holy texts). Below, you'll find reflections from some of our members on their books, and also a list of the books that were shared during the October meeting. Want to share about a book that shaped you? Send your reflections and reviews to interfaithgrandriver@gmail.com We Need to Build - Field Notes for Diverse Democracy by Eboo Patel, 2022 Recommended by: Jay Moore The question he attempts to addre
Oct 15, 2025
A message of thanks from Duaa
Duaa, bottom centre, with her Award of Appreciation Dear Jay and IGR Members, I want to sincerely thank you for the beautiful recognition and the thoughtful Award of Appreciation. It truly means a lot to me and I am deeply honored to be acknowledged by such an inspiring and dedicated group. Your kind gesture and warm words remind me how meaningful our collective efforts are in fostering inclusion, understanding, and collaboration across our community. It was truly heartwarmin
Oct 15, 2025
Reflections on War and Violence – “Let Us Beat Swords Into Ploughshares”
by John McLaughlin Let Us Beat Swords Into Ploughshares As I share these thoughts, it seems appropriate as today, September 21, is the International Day of Peace. The theme of the discussion at last month’s IGR meeting was “War and Violence”. By co-incidence our monthly meeting fell on September 11, the anniversary of the horrendous attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York that killed thousands of people and shocked the world. The effects of this tragedy have ripp
Oct 15, 2025
Thinking in Lyrics (October)
by Jan Hansen I often find myself thinking in song lyrics. This is one in a series of short articles about some songs and a few of the thoughts that they prompt in me. None of these songs were written for a faith-based setting, but all of them have some elements that relate to faith, philosophy, or world view. Beautiful (Gordon Lightfoot) This is a love song directed at a romantic partner, but it takes on a different meaning when one looks at it as a song about a higher pow
Oct 15, 2025
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