Madison's fourth annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration will be held on Sunday afternoon, November 22, 2009.

This multicultural and interreligious event is free and open to the public. It is being sponsored by the Greater Madison Interreligious Association (GMIA) and more than two dozen area churches and civic organizations (see the list below), including Lakeview Lutheran which is hosting the event in its East Hall.

As in past years, this year's Interfaith Thanksgiving will include music, poetry, dance, readings, prayers, a keynote presentation, and other expressions of Thanksgiving from a variety of cultural and religious traditions. Over the years, this event has brought together speakers and performers from organizations and communities in and around Madison, including Tibetan Buddhist, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Baha'i, Native American, Wiccan, Protestant Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sufi, and others.

This year's Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration begins at 2:30 pm with music. The program starts at 3 pm and a potluck social follows. There will be free childcare from 2:30 - 5:30 pm in the church nursery.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Joseph Elder who will be speaking on "Cross Cultural Perspectives on Thanksgiving." Dr. Elder is a professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in the Departments of Sociology, and Language and Cultures of Asia, and is a member of the Madison Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Lakeview Lutheran Church, 4001 Mandrake Road, is located at the corner of Mandrake and Northport Drive in Madison, Wisconsin. Directions to the site are on-line: Lakeview Lutheran Church .

Those who attend this year's event are invited, but not required, to bring canned goods or a cash donation for the charity food drive to benefit Dane County food pantries. Attendees also are welcome to contribute appetizers, snacks, or desserts to the social that concludes the program.

For more information, contact:
GMIA Secretary Jerry Mosser, jerrymosser@tds.net;
Lakeview Lutheran Pastor Dean Kirst, pastorlkview@charterinternet.com, (608) 244-6181;
or GMIA President Selena Fox, selena@circlesanctuary.org, (608) 924-2216.

For updates about this year's program and sponsors, see the GMIA website: GMIA . GMIA, the Greater Madison Interreligious Association, promotes understanding and cooperation across religious and spiritual boundaries.

The 2009 Interfaith Thanksgiving is sponsored by the following religious, civic and spiritual organizations:

Benedictine Women of Madison- Holy Wisdom Monastery
Circle Sanctuary
Compassion Circle
Congregation Shaarei Shamayim
Deer Park Buddhist Center
First Unitarian Society of Madison
Greater Madison Interreligious Association
Inroads Ministry
Jewish Federation of Madison
Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison
Lakeview Lutheran Church
Madison Baha'I Community
Madison Eckankar Community
Madison Interfaith Dialogue
Madison Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Madison Sufis
Madison-area Urban Ministry
Memorial United Church of Christ
Niagara Foundation
Northern Lakes Temple
Northside News
Northside Planning Council
Saint John's Lutheran Church
Saint Mark's Lutheran Church
Springdale Lutheran Church
The Crossing Campus Christian Center.
The Department of Religious Studies, Edgewood College
Tiger's Eye Temple
Tri-Unity Wellife Associates Unity of Madison
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Wisconsin Council of Churches
Wisdom's Well Interfaith Spirituality Center


Related Articles:

Interfaith Thanksgiving: A Wide Gathering of Gratitude by Theresa Peneguy Paprock Wisconsin State Journal: Neighbors Section: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Interfaith Thanksgiving 1

Interfaith Thanksgiving Builds Understanding by Dana Slowiak Northside Community News: Celebrations: December 2007-January 2008 Interfaith Thanksgiving 2

Respect for Religions: People from Several Faiths Share a Thanksgiving Prayer Service in Madison by Chris Martell Wisconsin State Journal: Monday, November 20, 2006 Interfaith Thanksgiving 3