Our Approach
Our Mission
The Interfaith Center’s mission is to reduce the fear and prejudice among the people of the world’s religions.
We strive to achieve this through educating people about the world religions, promoting interfaith dialogue, providing relationship building opportunities, and teaching interfaith cooperation skills.
We also teach spiritual practices that invite the participants to connect with the Divine, while also connecting them with people of other faith traditions as companions on the spiritual journey.
We celebrate the commonalities, respect the differences, and share the timeless wisdom contained in the diversity of the faith traditions.
We envision an inclusive and safe community where all religions live and work together with mutual respect and a shared commitment for the common good of humanity.
Theory of Change
America is the most religiously diverse democracy in existence, where people are free to bring their personal convictions into public life. Diversity, if left unchecked, can lead to hostility, prejudice and polarization. However, our diversity can also result in healthy pluralism, if we use religion as a bridge of cooperation instead of a barrier of division.
Social sciences research shows that if you have appreciative knowledge about a religion and positive relationship with at least one person who belongs to that faith, it will result in more favorable attitudes towards that faith and the whole faith community (American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam).
Our Approach
The Interfaith Center aims to change the attitudes and behaviors of people who belong to diverse faith traditions by providing education and relationship building opportunities.
We are serious about our vision of an America where people of different faiths, worldviews, and traditions bridge divides and find common values to build a shared vision of the future together. Interfaith cooperation is the key to transforming this religiously diverse country into a more kind and pluralistic nation.
Thus, we create spaces where people can learn about other religions, provide opportunities for them to get to know each other and design conversations that can help bridge the differences and highlight commonalities.
We also train interfaith leaders of the future who are equipped with the vision, knowledge, and skills to positively engage the religiously diverse communities in Central Arkansas.
Theory Behind Programs & Activities
Our educational classes are focused on providing religious literacy and appreciative knowledge about world religions.
Our youth programs also provide education and relationship building opportunities in fun, innovative and interactive ways. They help children identify the commonalities in spite of the diversity of faiths. Once shared values are identified, it is easy for the youth to envision a better world and work towards the common good of humanity.
Our prayer services, fellowship meals, interfaith vigils, interfaith workshops are all geared towards creating a better understanding of our religious diversity and creating an inclusive community.