The conversations have been candid and searching. Participants traced their own family histories through Ellis Island, grappled honestly with which Americans the founding documents did and did not address, and reflected together on what it means to pursue democracy as both a civic and spiritual practice. The group read Emma Lazarus’s poem against the backdrop of the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act, examined the Biblical roots of the call to welcome the stranger, and considered what Ben Franklin’s list of virtues and John Wesley’s method of structured self-examination have to do with self-governance today. A four-part series is now scheduled for August at St. Paul of the Desert, co-led by Rabbi Lazar and Rev. Frank Dunn. We’re excited to see what happens next with the Palm Springs Cluster.

For a city of about 75,000, the turnout reflected something real. Congregations from several faith traditions joined three interfaith and civic organizations, including two focused on voting rights, to spend an evening together around shared democratic values. Attendees came from within established networks and brought newcomers along, and many left asking what comes next. The Appleton cluster is a reminder that when faith communities create space for this kind of gathering, neighbors show up.

One of the cluster participants shared, “Through hands-on art making and conversation, participants explored identity, voice, and the power of civic participation. Spread throughout the room were newspapers and magazines, ready to be clipped, cut, and punched. Participants reflected on what words best represented their thoughts on democracy. These cut outs will be included in Niki Johnson's next art installation, one that truly represents democracy.”

What made the night notable was not just its scope but what it set in motion. Several attendees are now planning to travel nearly 90 minutes north to attend the cluster’s next public civic ritual in Appleton on July 7, and are actively promoting it to friends in the area. Meanwhile, the Appleton cluster’s own interfaith gatherings have already drawn 31 in-person participants and another 13 online. That kind of momentum, one community sparking engagement in the next, is exactly what the faith250 public civic ritual is designed to do.

The public civic ritual is the third component of the faith250 program, and the Burke cluster’s gathering showed what it looks like when a cluster reaches it. After months of clergy text study and multifaith events with congregations, the relationships in the room were real, and that made the ritual possible. This is not a performance. It is an act of becoming, one that changes the people who take part in it. That is what faith communities are uniquely equipped to create, and it is what faith250 exists to support.

The public civic ritual is the third component of the faith250 program, and what happened in Tucson on June 30 is exactly what it is designed to produce. The singing, the texts on the walls, the questions people left with, the plans already forming for what comes next: these are the signs of a cluster that has done the work. Clergy led. Congregations showed up. And something real took place.

faith250 was very well received by those who attended, and two faith leaders were inspired to take the program to their own congregations. The discussions were thoughtful, meaningful, and intentionally nonpartisan, with a recurring theme emerging throughout the conversations: these historical documents present ideals that, while we have not always lived up to them as citizens or as a nation, provide aspirations toward which we can continue to strive. Participants reflected on how these ideals align closely with many teachings found across our faith traditions, particularly values centered on hope, justice, compassion, and love for others.

It was great to see everyone and really beautiful the way we were able to share about our different thoughts about The Declaration of Independence with both it's wonderful vision and flawed sections that contradict that vision. Hoping that we all continue to pursue creating in our country the vision of "all [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Many thanks to the Unitarian Universalist community for hosting us and to Rev. Kim Kinsey for facilitating. Participating were leaders from faith traditions of Unitarian Universalist, Buddhist, Scientology, Humanist and Christian (Catholic, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Methodist, Presbyterian & Evangelical).

Great kickoff to the faith250 program! Many thanks to Rev. Kim Kinsey for hosting us and to Don Curnutt for facilitating the program. We read The New Colossus and talked about what the Statue of Liberty symbolizes to us, sharing stories of how our families came to the United States. We also discussed how communities like ours can help new arrivals feel welcome and reflected on what it truly means from the perspective of our faith traditions to be a country that opens its arms to people seeking better lives. Present were folks from faith traditions of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Quaker, Humanist, Scientology, Christian (Evangelical, Episcopal, Methodist, Catholic, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Baptist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran (ELCA) ).