In Good Faith

 "A lot of littles make a much." -Rev. Dr. Dale Turner 

The column started out as my "little."  I wasn't sure how long the paper would run it.  I wasn't sure their readers would read it.  I wasn't sure the clergy would care enough to take on the extra work of writing it...  but "it" was my little effort to bring the faith community together - and to work toward peace in my little corner of the world.

In Good Faith ran its first column in the Colorado Springs Independent on May 1st, 2013. Since then, the column has run almost every week for three years.  While our panel of spiritual educators, clergy and scholars has expanded a bit over time, the purpose has remained the same.  Our mission is:  

To model authentic, respectful interfaith dialogue, to educate the public about various religious beliefs and practices,  to provide useful advice about common life situations, and to inspire people of different religions to converse and collaborate with one another.

In February of 2016, we expanded beyond print and created a radio show of the same name.  In Good Faith:  Dialogue at the Crossroads of Religions was born.  The same panel went from writing 125 words each for the newspaper column,  to a full-fledged 1 hour conversation that gave all of us the chance to really explore a variety of topics ranging from why sacred text is sacred, to how to handle addictions, to what to do to keep from participating in political rhetoric.

As we move into the summer of 2016, plans for the future include distribution of the radio show through public radio exchange (PRX), a local symposium, and the addition of weekly guests who are notable members of the community.  And, its time for us to find a collaborative project we can support.

All of this is the end result of hour upon hour of donated time by our dedicated panel:

Jim Daly, Focus on the Family
Ben Broadbent - First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Nori Rost - All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, Interfaith Alliance
Steven Todd - King's University
Eric Sandras - Sanctuary Church
Jeff Scholes - University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
David Gardiner - Colorado College
Ahriana Platten - Unity Spiritual Center in the Rockies, Parliament of the World's Religions
Stevie Bassett - Producer

Thanks to the Colorado Springs Independent, its Founder, John Weiss, and Publisher, Carrie Simison, for believing In Good Faith is worthy of dedicated and prominent space in this outstanding newsweekly - and to KCMJ 93.9 FM for make community radio a reality in Colorado Springs.  We are so proud to be associated with both of these media outlets.