The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions was created to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

The vision of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions is of a just, peaceful and sustainable world in which:
 

• Religious and spiritual communities live in harmony and contribute to a better world from their riches of wisdom and compassion
   
• Religious and cultural fears and hatreds are replaced with understanding and respect
• People everywhere come to know and care for their neighbors
• The richness of human and religious diversity is woven into the fabric of communal, civil, societal and global life
• The world's most powerful and influential institutions move beyond narrow self-interest to realize common good
• The Earth and all life are cherished, protected, healed and restored
• All people commit to living out their highest values and aspirations.

Have you wondered how to meet the neighbors who live around your church? As churches age, the people who attend often move away, but still attend. The new neighbors may not be engaged in the church’s activities unless the church people reach out to them. Here is the way that one church did it.

A Community Dinner was begun at Hillview United Methodist Church, Boise, in July, 2008. It was a vision of Darlene Smith. Her husband, Stuart Gustafson, helped her. On the fourth Wednesday night of each month it still happens. This is an interview of how and why it began and the results.

Int: Why did you start the Community Dinner?

Darlene: It started with a question. We had a person come to help us make an assessment of our church and what we wanted it to look like. He asked, “Do you know who your neighbors are?” Our church has lots of people in it who have moved out of the neighborhood and we don’t know who our neighbors are. I envisioned what the church should look like and I saw a roof…no walls. The walls were keeping people out. I used to think, “How do we get people to come through the door? How do we open it up to everybody? A community dinner would help us get acquainted with our neighbors.

Int: How did you go about it?

Stuart: We started with publicity. We mapped out the territory that we would include. I literally counted out the houses. You can buy door hangers and with my background I knew how to get them made up and printed. We put out door to door publicity for three Dinners, July, August, and September.
We asked the Youth Group to take them door to door one time; another time it was the Scouts, and we sent them each out with about 100 houses to cover… we totaled about 500 houses that would recive invitations. Free Community Meal. Wednesday Evening. Hillview United Methodist Church. Outdoor Bar-b-que. Supervised Activities for Kids. We included the time and three dates, July, Aug, Sept. .

Int: You had a pretty good turnout as I remember.

Stuart: We also put signs on our own marque; signs on the street; put up posters. We did this each quarter.

Darlene: We picked the fourth Wednesday because that was choir night and it seemed to work. People could come and then go to choir. I wasn’t concerned about the food. I can cook. Church people brough salads and dessert. One night we did run out of food.

Int: Recently you have turned it over to someone else. How did that happen?

Darlene: After 15 months, it was time to have a church ministry team manage it. Our Council on Ministries is now running the meal.

Int: What are the benefits of the Community Dinner?

Darlene: I love to sit and talk to people. Hearing their stories is fascinating. I wish everyone would come and talk with the neighbors…interact with them. We need a new dynamic. I believe in community! At the School of Missions, the minister talked about expanding communion into community. Some people think our dinners are just for the poor. They are for everybody.

Stuart: There is another benefit. We refrigerate the leftovers and they are taken down to Corpus Christi (A day shelter for homeless) the next morning. They are delighted to have it.

Darlene: I asked about a dozen women to bring food for 20 rather than 12 so that we have some left over. People look forward to the dinners now. We hope to see more participation by church members.

Interview by Betty Luginbill; Commission on Unity and Interreligious Concerns

Years ago in Falls City, there was an energetic Post Office employee who helped coordinate a Thanksgiving Dinner for the community. She left around 8 years ago and the dinner fell to the wayside, with no one willing to coordinate that effort. When Rev James Simmons went to Falls City UMC in the spring of 2007, he began gathering the area ministers together for a monthly time of prayer and planning. In those meetings they decided to work together as churches to address community hunger - and display their unity in Christ. Therefore, they hosted the first Community Thanksgiving Meal the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Last year they hosted over 300 people. Falls City UMC has played a pivotal role in this effort, particularly this year, making it possible for folks to come together for another meal of celebration and community. It will be held this Saturday, Nov 21, at the Fall City Community Center beginning at 11:00 am and continuing until three. "It is hard work," says Rev Simmons, "but is wonderful to see all pastors and brethren come together as one to display the spirit of Christ."
Submitted by Linda Quanstrom
 

Madras UMC was honored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) on Oct. 13 at its Annual Community Awards and Celebration Dinner in Portland. The congregation received the organization's Ecumenical Service Award for "outstanding dedication to eliminating hunger" in the community.

The church was singled out for work through its food bag ministry and community kitchen, and for Christmas baskets (food and gifts).