The following is the current draft of a plan for SPIN. We invite your comments.
Broad long-term change goal (outcome):
A culture of positive religious pluralism is prevalent in the Twin Cities area.
[Note we need to define what we mean by this. A very tentative draft is copied below, and needs to be the subject of more discussion/clarification.]
Intermediate Outcomes
(participants practice changes or adopt behaviors needed to achieve long-term outcomes)
- Members of congregations, faith communities/organizations and others have increased contact, education and dialogue with people of other traditions (higher regard for other traditions?)
- Clergy/leaders are educated, have acquaintances/friends in other traditions, and understand best practices for building bridges and leading congregations in pluralistic context
- Youth have friendships, education and experience for positive interfaith relationships
- Advanced/deeper interfaith and intra-faith conversations, knowledge and relationships (including difficult dialogue across differences as well as theological, philosophical and psychological content)
- Congregations are active in making institutional changes to express positive religious pluralism
Program Strategies
(activities which are expected to bring about the desired outcomes; listed by intermediate outcome number)
- Members of congregations have increased contact, education and dialogue with people of other traditions
- Introductory, annual fall interfaith dialogue series
- Conversation Café, monthly
- Other events (e.g., Seder, Creating a Culture of Peace)
- Networking to publicize the many public events/opportunities
- Electronic forum for sharing information, viewpoints
Clergy/leaders are educated, have acquaintances/friends in other traditions, and understand best practices for building bridges and leading congregations in pluralistic context
- Research (see sample questions attached)
- Continuing education seminar offerings Seminary courses developed/offered
- Link with Pluralism Project (sister project-see item below)
- Clergy advisory group formed to help shape this work
Youth have friendships, education and experience for positive interfaith relationships
- Inspired to Serve interfaith service learning project continued/expanded (including an interfaith youth leadership council)
- World religions courses offered in public and private schools (task force to advocate/implement)
Advanced/deeper interfaith and intrafaith conversations, knowledge and relationships (including philosophical and psychological content)
- Topics for SPIN sessions
- Courses (with CRI?)
- Committed dialogue groups formed (with MN Interfaith Initiative???)
- Difficult dialogues convened and facilitated across traditions
- Dialogues convened and facilitated between those with liberal and conservative views within traditions (intra-faith dialogue)
Congregations active in making institutional changes to express positive religious pluralism
- Task force develops rationale, content, models, resources and curricula
- Congregations interested in implementing networked for learning process
- Training, consultation and networking offered to teams from congregations interested in implementing and learning from each other
Short-term Outcomes (to be completed)
- (participant engagement and participant learning outcomes)
- [Example only at present, corresponding to Intermediate Outcome #1 above]
1-a. Three annual fall dialogue series serve total 1,000 individuals who report a positive new experience of dialogue and interfaith relationships, some of whom express intentions to take some new action in their congregation, family or community reflecting positive pluralism.
1-b. Conversation Café meets monthly for three years and serves average of 12 per week and total of 250 different individuals, 90% of whom report...
1-d. Web site listing interfaith events and activities gets 2000 hits over 3 year period
1-d. Web site with forum get 200 comments from people engaging in reflection/dialogue on religious pluralism.
