As 2022 comes to a close, the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of our Board of Directors, our donors, partners, staff, and members of the community who have supported our events throughout the year.
For many, the year 2022 was a return to normalcy as well as new beginnings. In our case, we launched Bridging to Belongings, a community values project, and saw the return to in-person programming for the Religious Diversity Journeys program, among other educational programs and an expanded podcast series. We have continued to pursue goals that support resilience in our mission, improving the efficiency and effectiveness in the way we conduct our operations, and providing programs and services that we believe add value to our community. Together, we accomplished a lot this last year:
- We successfully launched a series of workshops with the Bridging to Belonging program that entails 6-8 people of diverse backgrounds, led by a moderator, coming together in a safe space to share individual stories and learnings. Our program is gaining momentum for 2023.
- Religious Diversity Journeys returned to in-person learning for the first time since the pandemic. So far, we have provided an immersive experience to over four-hundred middle school students across metro-Detroit. Students learn that differences are okay and not to be feared, and that learning about people of different religions, ethnic groups and races can offset negative stereotypes. Many schools have already begun to express their interest for the 2023-2024 school year.
- We planned the return to an in-person World Sabbath program, scheduled for March 2023.
- Educational programs included an event on refugees and immigrants at-risk. A Syrain refugee shared their story about their journey to America and the challenges along the way.
- We introduced new members of our board and advisors, who work diligently to bring their experience and knowledge to the ongoing development of our programs and community engagement.
- We expanded our networks and increased our diversity through new partnerships such as the Henry Ford, which partner with IFLC on a special Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday program in January.
- Our Faith and Works podcast has explored the role of religion in America today. Each episode features a panel of local religious leaders and members of the faith community. Our recent conversations have explored, “What is Sacred?”
We continue to be strongly involved in many areas of interest, such as World Sabbath, Adult Education, Community Engagement, Dialogue and Conciliation, and Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit. These divisions remain beneficial to our community and a foundation to IFLC’s mission.
As we prepare to welcome the new year, strategic planning and program expansion is well underway for 2023. If you would like to donate to our organization, please do so by visiting our website www.detroitinterfaithcouncil.com, and clicking “Donate” in the top-right corner.
We wish you the best of health, happiness, and prosperity in 2023. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit.
