InterFaith Aurora will be host to its 14th annual “Thanksgiving Celebration of Music and Friendship” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, at the Cathedral of Grace St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2950 Bilter Road, Aurora. All presenting songs and religious praise from diverse congregations throughout the Aurora area will also be streamed to celebrate this year’s theme: “Gathering Together Again: Listening, Loving and Leading.” The link to view the service can be found on our InterFaith Aurora Facebook page.
“This celebration is the consummation of our year-long activities where different faith communities work to bring understanding, inclusion, awareness, and friendship of each other in order to work toward a more harmonious and just community,” said Tammy Helfrich, the organization’s coordinator.
There will be readings from members of the Jewish, Sikh, Muslim, and Christian communities, as well as music from multiple faith communities. The celebration will be available to the public.
Offerings raised from the celebration will be donated to Simply Destinee in Aurora, which is a nonprofit organization committed to caring for Aurora’s youth to inspire positive development in their lives, their families, and the community. Simply Destinee strives to help our youth overcome everyday challenges.
Prior year recipients were: 2020 Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry; 2019 The Neighbor Project; 2018 Jesse Torres Boxing Club; 2017 CASA Kane County; 2016 Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry; and 2015 Family counseling Service of Aurora, IL. The 2020 Thanksgiving Celebration was conducted via Zoom from the Cathedral of Grace St. John.
Participating congregations in this year’s event include the following:
Aurora Jewish Renewal Congregation, Temple B’nai Israel, St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, The Orchard Community, The Sikh Community, Aurora Human Relations Commission, Our Savior Lutheran, Al Aqsa Mosque, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, New England Congregational, and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
InterFaith Aurora, a non-profit organization, has been in existence for approximately 22 years. The mission of the organization is based on the common belief that we are all children of God. We set for ourselves the mission of sharing and connecting. We believe that building understanding, acceptance, and love within the community in which we make our homes will help transform and heal the world in which we live.
For more information on how your congregation can join InterFaith Aurora, please contact Tammy Helfrich at tammy@theorchardcommunity.com.
— InterFaith Aurora