Fig Tree seeks donations for annual auction

The Fig Tree’s second annual Harvest Auction will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, 127 E. 12th Ave.

Yvonne Lopez-Morton, associate editor and event coordinator, said she is receiving donations of items for the live and silent auction.  The 2010 event will feature catered appetizers and fair-trade coffee tasting.

Proceeds will support the growth of The Fig Tree’s unique role in the media world, a model of solutions-oriented, ecumenical, peace-and-justice journalism that shares stories of people who are making a difference.

For information, call 535-4112 or email yvonne@thefigtree.org.

‘Pathways to Peace’ events are planned

A Peace Arts Festival will be featured as part of “Pathways to Peace” activities planned by One Peace, Many Paths from Sept. 11 to 21.

Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, at Unity Church (South) at 2900 S. Bernard, the festival will include visual arts, music, drama and drumming and family activities.

Family activities include chalk drawing, a sing-a-long, a peace promise, a peace flag-making workshop, a hula hoopjam, a peace art collage and movement to African music.

An art raffle throughout the day will benefit One Peace, Many Paths.  Art donations can be made until Sept. 17 by emailing onepeacemanypaths@gmail.com.

At 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 11, also at Unity South, there will be a two-person play, “Handy Dandy,” on issues of nuclear disarmament and justice, followed by discussion and a commemoration.

The church will host an international potluck at 5:45 p.m., before a 7 p.m. Universal Worship Service, presented by the Sufi group, Baraka—Dances of Universal Peace—on Wednesday, Sept. 15.  This interfaith service will include candle lighting, scripture and songs from various faith traditions.

At 6:30 p.m., on the United Nations’ International Peace Day, Tuesday, Sept. 21, the Center for Spiritual Living at 33rd and Regal will host “Honoring the Nations Ceremony,” a time to visualize and pray for peace.

Organ concert set Sept. 14

International concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer Gail Archer will perform at 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 19, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 24th and Grand.

The performance, sponsored by the Spokane Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, includes works by J.S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Cesar Franck and Jean Guillou.

Gail, who performs in the United States and Europe, is college organist at Vassar College and director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University. She also directs artist and young organ artist recitals at Central Synagogue in New York City.  She holds a doctor of musical arts in organ performance from the Manhattan School of Music, which recently appointed her  as professor of organ.  

For information, call 535-7145.

WSU Common Ministry renames house

The Common Ministry at Washington State University has renamed its building from Koinonia House (K-House) to Interfaith House to reflect the global nature of the campus and needs of students, faculty and staff, said the Rev. Gail Stearns, director. 

“Our vision is be a safe place for spiritual development and engaging in interfaith projects and dialogue to equip students to live and work in our diverse society,” she said.  “We will foster interaction, as we host persons from many traditions, in addition to continued programming for Christian students.”

The Common Ministry Council, a Christian organization representing six denominations, oversees use of Interfaith House.  For information, call 332-2611 or visit www.interfaith-house.com.

WSU Common Ministry renames house

The Common Ministry at Washington State University has renamed its building from Koinonia House (K-House) to Interfaith House to reflect the global nature of the campus and needs of students, faculty and staff, said the Rev. Gail Stearns, director. 

“Our vision is be a safe place for spiritual development and engaging in interfaith projects and dialogue to equip students to live and work in our diverse society,” she said.  “We will foster interaction, as we host persons from many traditions, in addition to continued programming for Christian students.”

The Common Ministry Council, a Christian organization representing six denominations, oversees use of Interfaith House. 

For information, call 332-2611 or visit www.interfaith-house.com.

Friends of Compassion begin acts of compassion

An interfaith group, Friends of Compassion, has emerged from a movement to bring His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to Spokane, the idea of John Hancock from Rotary 21 in Spokane and Venerable Thubten Chodron from Sravasti Abbey in Newport.

The group, which seeks to bring compassion into the Spokane community, has begun gathering materials to send to prisons, collecting socks for the homeless, working with Unity in the Community and One Peace, Many Paths.  It meets at 7 p.m., third Wednesdays, and it’s next meeting is Sept. 15 in the Student Union Building Lounges A and B at Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Fort Wright Dr.

Friends of Compassion is forming a weekly meditation group meeting at 6:30 p.m., Mondays, from Oct. 11 to Nov. 22, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Fort Wright Dr. 

For information, call 536-6294 or visit www.friendsofcompassion.com.

Jundt exhibit features photographs of China

Sixteen digital photographs of China by artist-educator Robert Lloyd will be on display through Nov. 13 in the Gonzaga University Jundt Art Museum’s Arcade Gallery. 

The photographs were taken during a 2008 visit in China to document Chinese life. 

He believes documentary photography is a necessary step in changing people’s behavior.

Robert has done documentary photography from when he lived on Chicago’s West Side to his involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, where he worked for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1962 until 1967.  He was an office manager, organized tenant unions, and did photography.

Robert worked at Menlo-Atherton High School and Stanford University before completing a master of fine arts degree in design and photography at the Brookes Institute of the Arts. 

From 1974 to 2004, he taught photography at Eastern Washington University, where he founded and curated three photo galleries. 

From 1976 to 2000, he published a community newspaper, “The African American Voice.”

There will be a reception for Robert held from 6 to 7:15 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16, followed by the lecture, “How Do You See China?” by him at 7:30 p.m. in the Jundt Lecture Hall. 

The museum’s exhibitions are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Partners International marks 10 years in Spokane

To celebrate the 10th anniversary having its headquarters in Spokane, Partners International has invited a West African pastor, Matthias George from Gambia, to speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30, at The Service Station, 9315 N. Nevada.

His topic is “Serving Christ in a Muslim Context, Building God’s Church in Gambia,” Africa’s smallest country.  There, about 75 percent of the people depend on crops and livestock subsistence level amid severe annual droughts.  He will tell of his work in economic development and spiritual care.

At the celebration, Jon Lewis, president and CEO of Partners International will present the organization’s vision for the next decade of partnership ministry around the world.

Partners International is a Spokane-based, international Christian nonprofit focused on church planting and community development in the world’s least Christian regions.

For information, call 343-4071 or visit www.partnersintl.org/partnerswithspokane.

United Nations Association sets UN Day dinner

Spokane’s United Nations Association will feature Donna Flanagan, who worked with United Nations agencies in 37 countries, as the speaker for United Nation’s Day at 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 24, at Cataldo Hall at Gonzaga University.

Gonzaga’s Political Science Department and the International Studies Program are co-sponsoring the buffet dinner. 

Donna will speak about the impact of the work of UN agencies locally and gauge local attitudes toward the UN.

She worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) for five years in Ethiopia and Uganda, and with the International Labor Organization (ILO) for four in Ethiopia.  She has also lived in developing countries for more than 40 years, starting in the 1960s as a Peace Corps volunteer.  

For the past 15 years, Donna has been employed by Family Health International, an educational and research organization that has offices and programs in over 70 countries, addressing primarily reproductive health and HIV issues.

Related organizations will participate by displaying their resources. 

For the United Nations International Day of Peace Sept. 21, the local chapter urges people to join community activities, ring a church bell for peace at noon, have a neighborhood potluck, sing peace songs and make a commitment to promote peace.

For information, call 624-3608.

Interfaith Council organizes panel

The Spokane InterFaith Council is sponsoring a panel discussion and interpersonal dialogue, “Sharing Life Traditions:  Birth and Coming of Age,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John, 127 E. 12th Ave.

Participants will discuss their cultural, religious and family ceremonies and traditions of welcoming children to the world.

For information, email spokaneifc@gmail.com.

Nonviolence training continues

The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) is presenting it’s second series on “Exploring Nonviolence,” led by Nancy and Rusty Nelson, former co-directors of PJALS.

The sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays, Sept. 25, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, at the Saranac Building, 25 W. Main, will look at roles of authority, conformity and obedience. 

The Nelsons will discuss nonviolent social movements that have changed history, challenging structural violence without weapons.  They encourage people to consider how they can influence society and to escape the notion that force prevails. 

For information, call 838-7870 or visit www.pjals.net.

World Vision is topic for forum

Spokane City Forum’s 14th season begins with Lori Brown, director of volunteer programs for World Vision International, speaking on the organization at an 11:45 a.m. lunch on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar. She will describe the Christian relief, development and advocacy agency’s work to overcome poverty and injustice.

World Vision started in 1950 in response to needs of Korean War orphans.  It now works throughout Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.  In the 1970s, it embraced community development and emergency relief.  In the last 10 years, it has challenged child labor, children in armed conflict and the sexual exploitation of women and children.  

For information, call 777-1555 or email info@spokanecityforum.org.

Sustainable September offers events

Sustainable September is an annual month-long series of events promoting sustainability in the Spokane area through discussions, activities, presentations and tours designed to make Spokane more environmentally and economically resilient.

Community-Minded Enterprises is partnering with nonprofits and businesses to build a coalition that promotes action and education to support the environment and community health.

This year Sustainable September is organized around eight topics: “Building and Landscaping,” “Eco-nomic Sustainability,”  “Active Stewardship,” “Local Food,” “Energy Security,” “Eco Generation,”  “Inclusive Communities,” and “Health and Well-Being.”  Events are in The Fig Tree calendar on page 11. 

For information, call 444-3308.

Kennewick church will hold disaster training

Kennewick United Methodist Church is offering training for people wanting to provide a caring Christian presence to help survivors after a disaster. 

It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 25, at the church, 421 W. Kennewick Ave.

Training prepares participants to be part of a United Methodist Early Response Team, a new program the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church is starting.

“We have sent long-term recovery teams after disasters.  Now we can respond a few days after a disaster,” said Jim Truitt, a United Methodist conference Volunteer in missions co-coordinator and a certified trainer for early response in Kent, Wash.

“Our role in a disaster is to support survivors in a Christian fashion and to prevent further damage to a house.  In a flood in Washington, for example, we would go in and remove debris, sheetrock and insulation, so the house would dry out and be ready for long-term recovery.

The training will be led by Steve Meacham of Shelton, Wash., who is becoming certified.

Jim and Steve will offer other training throughout the region.

For information, call 253-630-1268 or email jftruitt@comcast.net.

NEWSLINKS

• Ecumenical News International
• World Council of Churches
• National Council of Churches
• National Assn of Evangelicals
• Religious News Service
• World Assn of Christian Communicators