A Word About Faith In Community

Faith in Community is key to our work at The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport Faith in Community is many things. It is fellowship, connecting peoples and congregations. It is service, helping those in need. It is collaboration, diverse people and groups working together for the common good. The two facets of Faith in Community are Hunger Outreach and Bridge Building.

BRIDGE BUILDING

"Our Bridge Building Ministry connects the needs of God's people and the gifts God's people are called to share -- crossing social, economic and spiritual boundaries every day.”

— Linda Kraft, Pastor Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Trumbull and board member for two years

"Bridge Building is really what The Council is all about, linking the Bridgeport community with the five surrounding communities to think together about what is in the best interests of all."

— Bruce Dillingham, retired attorney and active Board member for 34 years

Bridge Building began as a Council Initiative in 1996 through action of the Council's Board of Directors. The basic mission, from the very beginning continues today:

"To cultivate positive relations across the divisions of race, religious affiliation and Municipality, developing positive approaches to human diversity."

Our approach to building and maintaining productive partnerships focuses on bringing people together around common values and concerns, through structured dialogue, guided by trained facilitators. Various events are designed for participation by community leaders, concerned individuals from the region, and young adults.

There are three types of Bridge Building Ministry community gathering events that the Council is in the midst of planning.

 1. The Annual Youth Conference. This year's event will be held some time in April/May.  Planning will begin in the Fall and some aspect of inter-group and interfaith relations important to high school student leaders will be the focus.

 2. Tent of Abraham Gatherings.  Conversations among Christians, Jews and Muslims on our rituals of marriage and death will be the subject of our two events this year.  The conversation on marriage ritual  will take place at Sacred Heart University on Sunday October 21st.  Leaders from each of the three faith traditions will give brief explanations of their faith celebrations the attendees will then share in table dialogue their experiences and what they have learned about each other’s faith.

Many of the people who attended the first of these dialogues last fall have attended every meeting since.  Some small groups have developed and meet between the large meetings in homes or meeting rooms at their places of worship.

 3. Leadership Forums.  The Bridge Building Ministry will host four Leadership Forums in the 2007 - 2008 program year.  Access to Health Care, was presented as a breakfast forum on September 27, 2007 and an evening forum on October 29, 2007.   The health care forums were held at Sacred Heart University .  Juan Figueroa, President and CEO of the Universal Health Care Foundation was keynote the September event and Susan Davis, R.N., D.Ed., President and CEO of St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport was the October keynote speaker.

Becoming an Informed Electorate will be presented at a breakfast forum on Thursday, February 7, 2008 from 7:30 - 9 a.m. at the Dolan School of Business, Fairfield University, with keynote speakers Mr. Jim Smith of the Connecticut Post newspaper; the Rev. Richard Ryscavage, S.J. of the Center for Faith and Public Life at Fairfield University; and the Rev. Dr. Brian Schofield-Bodt, President and CEO of The Council of Churches.

Taxation without Representation: Do We Need Another Revolution? will be presented as an evening forum on April 15, 2008, also at the Dolan School of Business, and featuring speakers and panelists under 30 from the Greater Bridgeport area.

For more information on The Bridge Building Initiative, or to be invited to any of the events listed above, please contact Jack Hickey-Williams at jackh@ccgb.org.