Greater Springfield Interfaith Association 

We Welcome All Engaged in Ministry  


GREATER SPRINGFIELD INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION

The Greater Springfield Interfaith Association serves Springfield and Sangamon County within three main spheres. First, we bring people of various faith backgrounds together to understand local needs related to hunger, homelessness, racism, poverty, education, fair distributions of public resources, and similar concerns; we help our members to get involved in intervening to address these issues. Second, we provide events and discussions that are of interest to clergy and faith workers, exploring issues of pastoral care, services to our congregations, and trends in religion. Third, we provide a venue for people of various faith backgrounds to learn about other religions and faith traditions, and come together in respectful dialog and devotional practices. We host an annual interfaith gathering the weekend before Thanksgiving, and award each year a Humanitarian of the Year award to groups or individuals from our local area.




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Meetings

The GSIA typically has its monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month (on rare occasions this is altered by a day or two if the first Tuesday of the month falls on a high holy day). Members and guests tend to arrive around 11:30 to 11:45, bringing their own lunches, and socializing before the speaker begins. The program then starts at noon, and usually runs until 1:30. As of the autumn of 2022, we are typically holding meetings in a hybrid format, where face-to-face gatherings at a host place are supplemented with Zoom meetings if the host organization has the infrastructure to support that.


Our Next Meeting

March 5th (Tuesday) at noon is our next meeting. We will be meeting at the First Christian Church (700 S. Sixth Street). The topic will be the issues surrounding services for our unhoused neighbors, and how Springfield is working toward ending homelessness.     The presentation will include a panel of experts, advocates, and service providers.

 

The 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Award was awarded posthumously to Rev. Dr. Wesley McNeese (1947-2023) and to Emma Shafer (1999-2023).  It is not too early to nominate individuals or organizations for the 2024 Humanitarian of the Year Award.   

Humanitarian of the Year Nomination Form (pdf)

 


The Pandemic in Our Community

A few resources to track what is going on in Illinois

 

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A Message About Interfaith

You do not find most people of faith claiming “we are right, and everyone else is wrong”. On the contrary, most of us have broad understandings of God, spirituality, spiritual life, and religion, and we celebrate the diversity of thought and faith in our community. We strive to make connections among people of faith, encourage respectful appreciation for all the varieties of religious experience in our community, and finding issues of common concern where we can coordinate efforts to apply our spiritual teachings to address problems challenging our community.

We invite clergy and any person active in lay ministry or highly active in their congregation to consider serving as an officer (on our board). All are invited to join Greater Springfield Interfaith. We have a short form to complete when you join.

 

  • March General Meeting
    Hosted by: First Christian Church at 700 S. Sixth Street
    Tuesday, March 5th, 2024 at noon (arrive around 11:45-12:00).
    Topic is Unhoused Neighbors in Springfield.  Guests include Laura Davis (Helping Hands), Nick Dodson (Heartland Continuum of Care), Ricky Reese (Heartland HOUSED), and Josh Sabo (Heartland HOUSED).
  • Resources and groups in Sangamon County

    These links will help you or your congregation find organizations that provide food & clothing assistance.   



     

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