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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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May 2026 Newsletter
If you missed our May 2026 newsletter, you can check it out at the link below:
May 17
Brian Carwana: Why Religious Literacy Matters in Canada
Our friend, Brian Carwana from Encounter World Religions, has an excellent article in his recent blog about the value of educating students to increase "religious literacy" in society. Religious literacy is a big part of the goals of Interfaith Grand River and we're happy to support Encounter World Religions in their parallel efforts. Here's the link: https://religionsgeek.com/index.php/2026/05/13/why-religious-literacy-matters-in-canada/
May 17
“We All Belong Here” Campaign in Waterloo Region
by Jay Moore At our Members’ Meeting on 14 May 2026, held at the Waterloo Wellington Buddhist Monastery and Meditation Centre, (a.k.a. The Lake Monastery) our guests, Fauzia Baig and Cheryl Grove, are leaders in the Waterloo Region anti-hate campaign called “We All Belong Here.” Brice Balmer led us in some discussions where we shared our own thoughts and feelings about belonging, about the campaign and about our community. It was beneficial to hear about our many experiences
May 17
Promoting Spiritual Renewal
by John McLaughlin "The vitality of men's belief in God is dying out in every land," observed Baha'u'llah in the latter part of the 19th century - an early symptom of a decline in faith that has since then continued, particularly in the West, and has spread far beyond belief in God. In a recent article in the New York Times, journalist David Brooks reflected on the decline of faith in the United States, “not only religious faith but many other kinds”, and diagnosed American c
May 17
All Nations Grand River Water Walk
Support All Nations Grand River Water Walk. An invitation to a fundraiser and education event with Water Walk leader Mary Anne Caibaiosai. The event is a spaghetti dinner on Saturday May 23 at Stirling Ave Mennonite Church at 6 pm. Join us for an evening of good food, stories, singing, drumming, and dancing on Saturday, May 23 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in Kitchener. Everyone is invited to share memories of the Grand River and ideas for action
May 17
Thinking In Lyrics (May)
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. Rainy Day People (Gordon Lightfoot) There are so many points in common between various faiths, practices and philosophies. One of them is how we are invited to treat
May 17
Annual Interfaith Service at Grand River Unitarian Congregation
by Jay Moore 12 April, 2026 Grand River Unitarian Congregation held their fourth annual Interfaith service recently. When considering a topic to focus on, the prominent issues surrounding the active war in the Middle East were at the top of the list. We also considered who among us would have a helpful message about this current conflict. The Mennonite tradition has a long history of pacifism and working for peace in the world and our very own Brice Balmer is a respected spok
Apr 23
Thinking In Lyrics (April)
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. One Tin Soldier (Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter) This song has always made me angry. As a kid, I didn’t realize that it was an anti-war song. I took it literally as
Apr 23
Faith and Nature: IGR Winter Campus Event 2026 Report
By Jeff Wilson On March 26, 2026 we held the first annual IGR Winter campus event: “Faith and Nature: Respecting our Reciprocal Relations,” which featured a diverse panel of six students from UW and Wilfrid Laurier University. Represented traditions included Baha’i Faith, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Indigenous spirituality, Pentecostalism, and Sufi Islam. Jeff Wilson was the emcee (and is also a grad student), and provided some further remarks from a Buddhist perspective. St
Apr 23
March 2026 Newsletter
If you missed our March 2026 newsletter, you can check it out at the link below:
Mar 20
Thinking in Lyrics (March)
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. Loster (Tom Felton) Hope is a hard thing to grasp. Often it isn’t based on anything but a feeling. Faith can be the same way. But the wonder of both hope and faith is
Mar 20
Musical Celebration of Easter
The Kitchener Ontario Stake Choir of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites all to its musical celebration of Easter, happening on Palm Sunday (March 29) evening at the Kitchener Stake Centre, 1250 Strasburg Rd. (at Bleams) in Kitchener. Admission is free. The choir, under the direction of Marhee Clifton, and other ensembles will perform a variety of Easter favourites including “I Heard Him Come,” “Via Dolorosa,” “Scenes from Gethsemane,” “Pie Jesu,” and Viv
Mar 19
Call for participants: Places of Worship as Third Places
Understanding the role of faith-based institutions in the City of Waterloo. Exploring how faith communities support connection, services, and belonging in our city. Undergraduate students from the Global Studies Department at Wilfrid Laurier University are conducting research in collaboration with the City of Waterloo. This project is part of the course Social Innovations in the City (GS/SE 364). The team is researching how places of worship function as community "third spac
Mar 18
Jewish Learning Series: The Union Kommando, presented by Jake Sivak
Temple Shalom Lifelong Learning invites you to The Union Kommando: The Story of an Ammunition Factory in the Heart of Auschwitz Sat. April 11th, 2026 Following service & Oneg (approx. 12:30pm) Presented by Jacob Sivak Jacob Sivak, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, is a retired professor with a long career as a teacher and researcher in the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo. Since retiring, he has published many articles and made several in pe
Mar 18
Screening of "From Earth to Sky"
Thursday March 26 7:00 pm at Zion United Church 215 Peel St New Hamburg The Wilmot Indigenous Relations Working Group will host the film From Earth to Sky -- an invitation to explore the story of unique and accomplished Indigenous architects as they design and complete extraordinary buildings in communities across North America and Turtle Island. There is no charge. Donations to support WIRIWG expenses are appreciated.
Mar 18
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