INTERFAITH POTLUCK DINNER SET FOR POWAY

An Interfaith potluck dinner is slated for Thursday in Poway and across North America to mark World Interfaith Harmony Week. The World Interfaith Network and Poway Interfaith Team has invited interfaith groups throughout North America to hold three-hour parties and to invite various faith groups in their area as well as non-faith-related organizations to get together.

The groups in each of the four time zones will create a virtual party by recording their party on Zoom so other groups in their time zone can share one another’s celebrations.

Highlights of the event include food, interfaith prayers, cultural entertainment, greetings from local leaders and icebreaker activities to show participants their common ground.

“The goal is to share a meal with your neighbors and create new friendships and harmony,” said the Rev. Stephen Albert, founder of the World Interfaith Network, which connects interfaith groups around the world. Albert is also cofounder of the Poway Interfaith Team.

Albert spearheads the annual Interfaith Awareness

Week, typically held in August, which brings together people from different faith traditions, including those who do not belong to a faith community, to learn about one another’s faith and beliefs.

Interfaith Awareness Week began in August 2017 as a five-day interfaith conference at UC San Diego, known as the North American Interfaith Network’s conference. More than 250 people representing 20 faiths attended. The event was organized by the Poway Interfaith Team, which was formed by group of area faith leaders in 2006 to encourage interfaith conversations.

Last year’s Interfaith

Awareness Week included interfaith discussions led virtually by leaders of various faith groups from the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Pakistan, Australia and England. The event started with an opening program broadcast via Zoom from Poway throughout the world.

The free potluck will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Community Church of Poway, 13501 Community Road. Bring a dish, with ingredients labeled. Admission is free.

For information, call (858) 487-8885 or visit worldinterfaith.com.