The first Michigan Communicators gathering of 2015 is coming right up from 9 a.m. to 12-Noon on Friday January 30.

Special thanks to Allan Gale of the Jewish Community Relations Council for arranging our January meeting location. We will be gathering at Congregation Beth Ahm. The website is http://cbahm.org/ The street address is 5075 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322

We continue to follow our long-standing practice of meeting by 9 a.m. and devoting our first hour to a tour and Q and A with our hosts, which gives participants an ever-growing background in southeast Michigan’s diverse religious and cultural communities. (Note: We are looking for hosts for future 2015 meetings.)

Please, if at all possible, try to arrive by 9 a.m. for this gathering because we have a special treat to start the year: Many of you may already know distinguished professor Howard Lupovitch of Wayne State University. Dr. Lupovich has agreed to conduct our tour of the synagogue, and he will also explain the function and purpose of Beth Ahm’s unique biblical garden and the opportunities in Spring, Summer and Fall for group tours of it.

Our roundtable runs from 10 a.m. until 12-Noon and we always end at 12 on the dot.

This year, we are expanding Michigan Communicators to welcome an array of new professionals working on creative media projects involving religious and cultural diversity. We’ll start this first roundtable by introducing a couple of newcomers to the circle who you’re sure to enjoy meeting.

This also may expand your own thinking on colleagues you might care to invite to future Communicators gatherings. We are, first, media professionals (in all forms of media) and, second, we “have an interest in religious and cultural diversity.” If you think about that long-standing mission of our gatherings, you’ll see that there may be other folks you’d like to welcome to these really valuable gatherings. Note: We all welcome college (or even high school) students in particular.

See you there!

David Crumm

OUR LAST GATHERING OF 2014

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21
9 AM to NOON
BIRMINGHAM

OUR HOSTS: First United Methodist Church of Birmingham, one of the major religious landmarks in metro Detroit, located at 1589 West Maple Road, Birmingham, MI 48009. Website is: http://www.fumcbirmingham.org/ Yes, there is ample parking behind the church.

LOTS OF NEWS! You’re receiving this update because we regard you as a friend and professional colleague. Over the years of meeting together, our circle has produced many collaborative connections. And this final gathering of 2014 will be packed with news. As always, we welcome everyone in the circle to bring us news. Please, if you know in advance you have something to share—alert me so I make sure you’re on the agenda. (Occasionally, we hit our 12-Noon closing time and we haven’t made it all the way around the circle.)

AGENDA—As always, we ask that participants arrive by 9 a.m. Our hosts will give us a walk-and-talk tour of this impressive church. The Rev. Laurie Haller, one of the senior pastors and also an author working with Cass Publishing in Detroit, will be our host. Over many years, this Birmignham church has served as a hub for a wide range of community programs. You’ll enjoy your time with Laurie. Then, at 10 a.m., we convene the Roundtable and share our news around the circle. We always end at 12-Noon.

See you there!

David Crumm.

FRIENDS:
NEXT GATHERING of our “Michigan Communicators” circle will be …

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19
9 a.m. to 12-Noon
Hosts: Crescent Academy, a Muslim school and mosque
40440 Palmer Rd, Canton, MI 48188

http://www.crescentacademy.org/

That is located just East of the 275 freeway off of Palmer Road. This gathering has been arranged by our friend Dawood Zwink, head of the regional organization that represents Muslim organizations. Dawood is an active part of our “Michigan communicators” circle. This is a rare opportunity to tour a highly respected Muslim day school, unique in Michigan. Our tour will run from shortly after 9 a.m. until our communicators “roundtable” begins at 10 a.m.

THEN, we have a lot of news to share at 1o a.m. in our roundtable! Much is unfolding in southeast Michigan involving religion, cultural-diversity and media. Don’t miss this gathering, if you can possibly make it.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you are aware of college students or young people in internship programs, please invite them to this gathering. We have a number of projects underway involving university students as well as young people.

NOTE: This meeting is not a “last Friday,” which is our custom. The change was made in September due to the collision of “last Friday” with Rosh Hashanah in the last week of September, this year.
Many thanks!Please try to come — and invite young people if they work with you.David Crumm

CHANGING OUR ‘NEXT MEETING’

A NOTE FROM DAVID CRUMM—I’ve heard from a lot of you who are part of our “Michigan Communicators” group that we are planning to participate in the remarkable gathering at Detroit’s Wayne State University in early August: The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN).

So we are cancelling our regular Michigan Communicators gathering at the end of July. We try to gather six times a year and we will consider our participation in NAIN from August 10 to 13 as our next gathering.

WHY NAIN?

Many of you have asked, “Why are you going to NAIN?”

This four-day conference in Detroit truly is a continent-wide meeting of men and women involved in inter-religious and cross-cultural programs—but it’s a small conference. We’re expecting attendance in the 100s, not the 1,000s. From our perspective, at ReadTheSpirit online magazine, NAIN is valuable because of the top professionals who are planning to attend. The smaller size of this conference also allows you to interact in more personal ways with the other participants.

We urge you to consider registering and attending. (CLICK THE LOGO ABOVE.) If you know a local clergy person who needs a Continuing Education experience in 2014, urge them to participate in NAIN for its educational value.

NEXT MICHIGAN COMMUNICATORS MEETING

Mark your calendars now for FRIDAY, September 19.

We’ve moved the September meeting one week earlier than the “last Friday” pattern because of Rosh Hashanah, which comes in that final week of September this year.

See you in Detroit at NAIN!

See you in our regular “circle” on September 19!

 

REMINDER OF OUR MAY 30 GATHERING

FRIENDS,the Friday May 30 meeting of our “Michigan Communicators” group is shaping up as one of our most interesting gatherings. First, we are meeting at a large regional church, this time, that has a new senior pastor and is interested in becoming a regional location for significant events over the next year or so. Also, we’ve got a couple of special guests coming this time. Len Coombs plans to come from the Bentley historical collection at the University of Michigan to talk about some issues of interest to all of us. And the documentary filmmaker Martin Doblmeier may visit with us from Washingotn D.C.

LOCATION: Northville First United Methodist Church
777 W Eight Mile Rd, Northville, MI 48167

TIME: 9 a.m. to 12-Noon, Friday May 30.
At this gathering, we also will discuss the major national event coming to Detroit in August: The North American Interfaith Network. That’s an occasion when national connections can be made with men and women from a wide range of groups involved in religious and cultural diversity. PLEASE, bring your own news updates, questions, handouts, etc.

And, yes: If you’d like to bring a friend or colleague—you’re welcome to do that.

Email me with any questions or updates I may need before May 30.

Looking forward to seeing all of you!

David Crumm