Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento Newsletter
ICGS Weekly UpdateJanuary 13, 2016
  
To send us questions or future articles, please send email to [email protected].

 
Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento
ICGS / Sacramento Faith TV
PO Box 15246
Sacramento, CA 95851
In This Issue
Wednesday, January 20 PRAYER SERVICE FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY                    
Prayer Service for Christian Unity.
"All faiths" are invited to attend.
This event is ecumenical (Catholic Diocese of Sacramento)
 
January 20, 2016 at 7 pm ~ see our flyer

Location:
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
1017 11th St, Sacramento, CA 95814
GROUND BLESSING CEREMONY AT LOAVES & FISHES
Father Michael Kiernan from the Catholic Faith, Jan Merrill from the Baha'i Faith, and Rev. Jason Bense from the Lutheran Church were among many local faith leaders who placed soil from their House of Worship into a wagon at Loaves & Fishes in Sacramento on January 6.  The ceremony marked the Ground Blessing of the new Friendship Park. The soil will be spread into the soil of the new park.

For more photos, please click on our Photo Gallery.
CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATORS PRAYER SERVICE
 
It was a wonderful Interfaith Prayer Service for the New Legislative Session at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento on January 12. Faith leaders from the Interfaith Council all presented prayers for the new session to members of the Assembly and Senate. To close the service, they all read a joint prayer supporting efforts to take care of the earth and each other.

Pictured from left to right are Jon Fish - ICGS/LDS, Ranjit Singh - Sikh, Jan Merrill - Baha'i Faith, Bishop Jaime Soto - Catholic, Rev. Jeff Cota - Scientology, Rabbi David Azen - Jewish, Rev. Jason Bense - Lutheran, and Bishop Myron Cotta - Catholic.
READING PARTNERS - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED                    
Reading Partners is a literacy non-profit that teams up with elementary schools in under-served communities to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring to struggling student readers. We do this by bringing in community volunteers to work with students twice a week for forty-five minutes.

Anyone interested in education or willing to help change the life of a student is welcome to volunteer with us. No prior experience is necessary, and we provide initial and ongoing training support for our tutors. We serve eight public, under-resourced schools throughout Sacramento. By working directly with Reading Partners' students who live in the neighborhood, you can make tangible change in your local community.
Monday, January 11 NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY                
The interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento has endorsed the campaign to end human trafficking: Not in My City/Not in My State

January 11, 2016, 11am, City Hall
Not in My City, Not in My State Campaign

The issue of human trafficking is one of the most unifying issues of our time. The Not in My City, Not in My State Campaign brings people together in agreement. It is a multi-city movement being developed to engage local communities who want to use their time, talent and treasure to fight the issue of human trafficking.

Human Trafficking negatively affects many communities and Sacramento is no exception.  Community leaders and activists have come together and now Sacramento is leading the fight to combat human trafficking.  Sacramento is positioned to lead the nation in taking back our city and county and restore our reputation as a city effectively working together to end human trafficking in all forms. 

The goal for 2016 is to bring momentum to this campaign on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day - Join community leaders, city, church, business, law enforcement, non-profits, school and the general public on January 11, 2016 at 11am at City Hall. For additional information call or email Jeanne Anderson-West at 916.482.9666  x. 217 or [email protected].

Please see our City Proclamation Proposal here.

Additional Contact Information:
Email  [email protected] and/or call 916-517-1616
Sunday, January 17 PRESS CONFERENCE - HATE CRIMES ON SIKH COMMUNITY
The Sikh Community of Sacramento Valley invites you to the following event:

PRESS CONFERENCE - HATE CRIMES ON SIKH COMMUNITY

Sunday, January 17, 2016 from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM

What:         Press Conference To address the Issue of Hate Crimes
When:       12:30 pm at Sunday January 17th 2016
Where:      Sikh Temple, 7676 Bradshaw Rd, Sacramento, CA 95829
Purpose:    Bring public attention to and awareness of Sikh Community and address the issue of recent Hate Crimes against the community:

- Graffiti at Buena Park Sikh Temple
- Attack on Sikh Gentleman waiting for Bus in Fresno
- Murder of a Sikh Store clerk in Fresno.

WHO:          Law Enforcement Officials and Elected Officials gather to address the Issue confronting Sikh communities across the state and Nation.

Sunday January, 17 THE STORY OF BRAHMA BABA                    

Celebrating day of... The Angel Connecting with the Supreme Light
The Story of Brahma Baba

Every year in 130 countries, we celebrate the memorial of Brahma Baba, the founder of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization as Peace Day.

Event Includes:
-  Meditation for World Peace
-  Music
-  Story of history of the organization to explore how an ordinary person can transform the world with spirituality. The founder and visionary of the Brahma Kumaris, Brahma Baba, upheld the vision of a better world through peace, spiritual rejuvenation and transformation.
-  Video Presentation
-  light refreshments.

Sunday January, 17th 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm ~ see our flyer for details

Location:
BK Meditation Center
2243 Sierra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95825
Sunday, January 17 WORLD RELIGION DAY

World Religion Day is the 3rd Sunday in January, this year it falls on January 17th.  This Day was created in 1950 by the Baha'i Faith's Administrative body called the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
 
The members of various world religions are observing this national awareness day hoping to keep the human race united as one family.  Even though the festival initially originated among the American Baha'i, its popularity has spread all over the world.

Principles of World Religion Day:
The Baha'i Faith is a faith that emerged in the early 19th century in Persia and has three major principles: Unity of God, Religion and Humankind.  According to Baha'is there is a single God, of which spiritualties of all religions in one stem from this single God. Irrespective of religion all humans are born equal and have equal rights.  The day calls for members of all religions have common spiritual goals. The spiritual goal is to unite everyone, whatever their faith, by showing us all that there are common foundations to all the religions and together be in Harmony and help the humanity.

What is the purpose of World Religion Day?
The purpose of World Religion Day is to create harmony and peace among the world's religions and encourage people to understand various religious faiths.
The festival passes on the message of love and agreement and emphasizes that religion is the motivating force for the world's unity.

It promotes the unity among diversity of faiths and encourages oneness among various nations, races and religious communities.

The Baha'is of Sacramento welcome you to celebrate World Religion Day in your own way and we hope you spread the word about this national awareness day.
February 26-28 WEEKEND RETREAT: NOURISHING THE HEART

Tamarkoz (Sufi Meditation) Retreat

February 26 at 5 pm - February 28 at 10 am
 
Please see our flyer for details.

Location:
Sacramento M.T.O Center
3506 Eisenhower Dr, Sacramento, CA 95826
Thursday, March 10 PANEL DISCUSSION - HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION                    

Human Trafficking in the Sacramento Region Panel Discussion
 
When: Thursday, March 10, 7 pm

Sponsor:  AAUW (American Association of University Women) Sacramento Branch
Co-sponsors:  AAUW Sacramento State Affiliate, Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance, National Council of Jewish Women, Daughter s of Penelope, Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento

Speakers Panel Members:  Jenny Williamson, Executive Director, Courage Worldwide; Jan Scully, Founder and Director, Family Justice Center; Holly Gibbs, survivor and health educator at Dignity Healthcare; Son ia Satchell, Deputy District Attorney, Sacramento District Attorney's office and member the the Human Trafficking Task Force

Format:  Individual presentations and then panel discussion moderated by Jenny Williamson; Q & A from AAUW Committee and audience members
 
Location: 
St. Mark's United Methodist Church
2391 St. Mark's Way, Sacramento, CA  95864
ICGS Mission Statement                    
"The mission of the Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento is to promote respect for all faiths and religious human rights for all, to encourage faiths to work together for better understanding and acceptance of all faiths and their people, to encourage a cohesive hand of all faiths in social services, to implement programs for the basic needs in the community and to help protect religious freedom as an element of human rights for all."
                   

Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento and
Sacramento Faith TV are part of the Interfaith Service Bureau