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First Annual Ozarks Festival of Faiths
The first Ozarks Festival of Faiths in Springfield, MO will be held January 28, 2023 at The Art Museum.
4:30-6:30 pm – faith and city leadership dinner: Location TBD. By invitation only. We will recognize city leaders who have helped us through these past few years.
6:30-9 pm – event: @ The Art Museum. Open to the community. There will be Faith exhibits to view and ask representatives questions, children’s art exhibit about “unity”, and a musical program with a childrens interfaith choir and an adult interfaith choir.
Two opportunities to view the Musical program include:
- 7-7:30 pm
- 8-8:30 pm
At 8:45 pm there will be a candlelight vigil inside the art museum to end the celebration.
Art Exhibit: Children (up to age 18) can participate in the art display about Unity. Email Sue for more details.
Service Project: Interfaith members will help assist the NAACP with MLK celebrations. More details to come.
Faiths currently participating:
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Presbyterian
- Methodist
- Christ episcopal
- First Unitarian Universalist
- Unity
- Buddha
- Hindu
- Bahai
- Sikh
- Islamic
- Jewish
- Catholic
- Baptist
- Native American
- Lutheran
- We are growing and welcome other faiths to join and participate.
Supporting partners: The Art Museum, Faith Voices, NAACP, The Have Faith Initiative and the Interfaith Alliance of the Ozarks.
Community members wanting to be apart of the Interfaith Children or Adult choirs should contact Deanna Carpenter: demaisdee@gmail.com
Overview
The Have Faith Initiative is comprised of Springfield and Greene County faith leaders who convene virtually to help coordinate the faith community’s response to the COVID 19 health crisis.
This initiative is being led by the City of Springfield and “Philanthropy Row”: Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Community Partnership of the Ozarks, and United Way of the Ozarks. Reverends Jenn Simmons of National Avenue Christian Church and Bob Roberts of Second Baptist Church serve as co-chairs.
The group was started when the City and County requested assistance after an initial Zoom call with around 30 faith-based organizations revealed members of area congregations had a strong desire to work together and participate in the community’s response to virus control and crisis recovery.
Now, congregational leaders meet bi-weekly via Zoom to discuss how they are serving their membership and various community outreach efforts. During the meeting the group hears updates from City and County leaders, including timely information from the Greene County Health Department.
A coordinated effort around four charges:
Former Director, Springfield-Greene County Health Dept.
“In times of crisis, it is only natural to look to our spiritual leaders from all faith traditions to help guide us through difficult times. It was very hard for me to ask that we stop congregating, even at places of worship, however, I felt supported and understood by the faith community. To be able to discuss what’s on my mind and hear what questions and advice they have on a weekly basis, is both comforting and helpful. Springfield and Greene County are unique and wonderful places. We will all get through this together.”
Former Greene County Commissioner
“In addition to finding innovative ways to minister to their flocks, the faith community has joined in meeting needs of the community at large by individually and collectively providing tons of food and other necessary supplies during this crisis. This group has also become an extension of government and health leaders in implementing the message of the importance of physical distancing.”