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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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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
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
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 (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
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
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
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
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
Thinking in Lyrics (September)
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...
Sep 19, 2025
Why we fast once a year in Judaism
by Ruth Shushan We follow a lunar calendar when celebrating our Jewish high Holy Days, Sabbaths and holidays. When it is a new moon our...
Sep 19, 2025
Reflection: Season of Creation
by Sandy Milne Each year since the 1990's, Christians around the world have celebrated the gift of Creation in a special way during the...
Sep 8, 2025
Socially Awkward During Post-Service Coffee Time? Talk About IGR!: Some Thoughts About Grassroots IGR Promotion
by Jeff Wilson At the August Interfaith Grand River meeting we had a very productive discussion about branding, elevator...
Aug 26, 2025
Thinking in Lyrics (August)
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...
Aug 26, 2025
Observations from Interfaith Grand River at the Multicultural Festival in Kitchener
by Jeff Wilson On June 21-22, IGR staffed a booth at the annual Multicultural Festival. It was hot, occasionally rainy, and lots of fun....
Jul 30, 2025
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