What We Do
In 2020 we gathered as people from diverse spiritual traditions to defend every voice and every vote in the midst of the presidential election. Since then we've been strengthening our relationships, sharing from our spiritual traditions with one another and making commitments to our community together. Join us!
Our Mission Statement
We are an interfaith group coming together from many belief systems. We move through the tension of polarizing views to be a prophetic voice in the public square, calling us back to our shared humanity and our best selves. We do this by:
➡ Growing our interfaith coalition, rooted in relationships that seek to embody empathy, compassion, and trust
➡ Building accountable relationships with historically marginalized communities
➡ Creating community-wide opportunities for education, civil discourse and action
What We’ve Achieved
Hosted a prayer vigil for the community in the wake of the mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo.
Participated in the vigil held on the one-year anniversary of the insurrection on January 6, 2021. The event also included a call to action to defend voting rights.
Organized the vigil for Ukraine at the start of the war. We gathered at the open space and had several faith leaders lead us in prayer and meditation, including the local Ukrainian community and their congregation. This led to helping to spread the word and turn out hundreds of people to their bake sale the following weekend to raise money for those impacted by the war.
Organized a retreat for the coalition to build relationships, ground ourselves in our shared spiritual values, and determine our priorities for the year. We gathered almost 40 people for a half-day Zoom retreat and determined our top three priorities for the year would be: Housing, Voting Rights/Election, and Racial Justice.
Secured hundreds of signatures on petitions to protect voting rights, raise the minimum wage, protect reproductive justice and offer “good time” to those incarcerated.
We have held book studies together and attended anti-racism training with Title Track to deepen our anti-racism commitments and practice.
We hosted a community education night on housing bringing leaders from across the government and non-profit sectors working on affordable housing and homelessness.
Hosted a community coffee hour to update spiritual leaders on the refugee status of Afghans coming to the area after the US withdrawal.
Attended ongoing TCAPS school board meetings to support the school board and continue to insist that a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion be implemented in the schools.
Get involved in one of our meetings!
We Care About
Affordable Housing
Like much of the country, the Grand Traverse Region is suffering from the lack of affordable housing. The every day working family struggles to find a decent affordable place to live. This is not how we believe we should take care of one another in community. We must work together to create alternatives.
Racial Justice
We stand with Black, Indigenous, and all people of color who continue to struggle for freedom from oppression in our nation. We call for a continued commitment in our community to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Voting Rights
Protecting the right to vote is in our roots as a coalition. This was what first drew us together. We believe every vote should be counted and every voice deserves to be heard in our democracy. We stand to protect those voices that are marginalized from the process.