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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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AI: an opportunity for multi-faith engagement
By Yvonne Aburrow I was very excited to see that Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”) is about artificial intelligence (AI), together with a historic apology for the Church's role in slavery. This is a subject that is definitely something that people of faith should engage with and comment on. As a Tolkien fan, I was also delighted that he quoted Tolkien (in section 213). The encyclical has been very well-received by most Pagans who have
May 27
“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
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
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
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
Thinking in Lyrics (February)
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. Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers) Initially, I understood this song to be from the perspective of a person who couldn’t accept that his partner had left him and is so
Feb 25
Thinking In Lyrics (January)
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. Another Way to Cry (Justin Hines) I love the idea that some of the things that we do are ways that we act out because of the wounds inside us, that they are “just a
Jan 22
Interfaith Summer Camp 2026 – Call for Contributors
by Rev Kalubowila Ananda Thero Interfaith Grand River, in collaboration with Lake Monastery, is pleased to announce the planning of an Interfaith Summer Camp for children on July 13th-17th, 2026. The camp will welcome children aged 7–12 and 13–16 for a five-day experience focused on peace, kindness, service, nature, and mindfulness. Rather than teaching religion, the program will create opportunities for young people to meet, learn from, and build friendships across faith tr
Jan 22
The Golden Thread in Our Faith Journeys
by Rev Kalubowila Ananda Thero In our recent reflection session, participants explored four simple questions: the Spark , the Desert , the Evolution , and the Anchor . Though the stories were deeply personal and wonderfully diverse, something quietly familiar began to emerge. Many of us first encountered meaning through moments of wonder. In nature, in kindness, in silence, or in being truly seen. Most of us also knew seasons of doubt, dryness, or loss, times that stripped
Jan 22
Join the Winter Interfaith Event Subcommittee!
by Jeff Wilson Hello IGRers, I would like to invite you to join in planning a cool new event. At Jay Moore’s suggestion, we’re putting together an interfaith forum at Martin Luther University College, in Waterloo. The idea is to hold an on-campus event to bring IGR closer to our large regional student population, showcase diverse religious voices, and hold an event that will be meaningful to the community. Tentatively, we’re exploring the idea of a forum on religion and envir
Jan 22
Interfaith at the American Academy of Religion
By Jeff Wilson In November I went to Boston to attend the annual combined meeting of the American Academy of Religion and the Society for Biblical Literature. Together they constitute the largest gathering of Religious Studies scholars in the world, with more than 10,000 professors and researchers meeting to present papers, learn about developments in our subfields, and catch up with colleagues. It’s a heady time, with scholars studying every kind of religion
Dec 15, 2025
Yule
by Yvonne Aburrow At our recent Interfaith Grand River members’ meeting, we were invited to speak about our favourite festivals. My favourite festival is usually the one that’s just about to happen, but if I had to pick just one, it would be Yule. Yule is an ancient festival marking the winter solstice and was historically celebrated in England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It’s celebrated by many Pagans today as one of our eight festivals (Imbolc on 2 February, Spr
Dec 15, 2025
Thinking in Lyrics (December)
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. Anchor Me (written by Don McGlashan, sung by The Three Tenors) Sometimes life wears us down, to the point where we don’t know what to do. As the song says, “My heart
Dec 15, 2025
Thinking in Lyrics (November)
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. This is Me (Words and Music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, from The Greatest Showman) This song is about people who are very conscious that they stand on the margin
Nov 19, 2025
Censorship and Free Speech
by John McLaughlin Is censorship, or “cancelling” people whose views do not align with our own the most constructive responses to speech or writings we find objectionable, or should they be tolerated under the banner of free speech? How can we resolve this conundrum? The Baha’i Teachings do not support suppression of ideas or perspectives through censorship, but at the same time strongly condemn speech that attacks any member or group within the human family. The Baha’i Teach
Nov 15, 2025
Religion Trivia
by Jeff Wilson On Saturday, November 8, the University of Waterloo held its Open House for prospective students. Since I’m the Associate Chair, Undergraduate for the Department of Religious Studies, I was on hand to staff our table. Because we were surrounded by all the other programs in the Faculty of Arts, I had to think about what I would do to make us stand out. So I created a simple game. I used an over-sized foam die, a cardboard box, and a small folding table. Visitors
Nov 15, 2025
Sharing Our Deep Thoughts
By Jan Hansen Do we talk enough about what is important to us? I have just filmed the 36th episode of an interfaith podcast on YouTube. In it, a guest sits with our host for a fifteen minute to half hour conversation. Questions include “What is most important to you about your faith?” “How does your faith impact your life?” and “Have there been times when you have struggled with your faith, or when your faith supported you through a struggle?”. We have spoken with bishops (wh
Nov 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
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