Spiritual Changemakers Community Opportunities

Recap of Special Community Gathering 01/25 

If you weren’t at the latest Community MeetUp, this is what you missed: 

Morning, afternoon, and evening collided in this one hour connection with members of the Spiritual Changemakers Community from around the world. The meeting began with a welcome message, one of inclusion and excitement. Mentor Dida led the group in a meditation to ground the ambient of the meeting which was met with connection, openness and a sense of sacred presence. This welcoming really set up the tone to a sense of belonging that continued throughout the meeting.  

For about 20 minutes or so, we heard from each other about things like “What motivates us”– and why is the spiritual changemaker identity important to us?...What has this community meant for us so far?  

Answers started flooding the meeting and there was resonance among the participants about the many blessings of being in a changemaking space that is not only rational but messy and human.  

In small break out groups, participants were then asked to discuss the following prompts: What kind of support do you need as a spiritual changemaker? Or what would be helpful to you as a spiritual changemaker in the coming year? what do we need from each other in this coming year? Within these groups, changemakers were discussing the often times overlooked challenges of being a spiritual changemaker and what they need to continue their important journey. The groups then shared the insight they gained in a larger group setting.  

In my break out room the topic that seemed to come up the most was community and it’s vitalness to our purpose as spiritual changemakers. In the end community is the most vital part of the human experience, let alone the spiritual changemaker one. Participants talked about the problems they faced in gathering a community and keeping one engaged. We came to the conclusion that in order to serve a community, one must be part of that community and encourage openness and kindness so that the spark of change can be supplemented by all the members of those communities.  

What else is coming up for the community?: 

• Onboarding Deadline FEB 15: Reminder, the deadline to apply to be part of the Spiritual Changemakers Community is approaching. Spread the word to your communities! 

• Soul Cafe: Our community talks continue! Join our special talks where the changemaker being interviewed becomes the interviewer in the following episode.  

• Mighty Networks: We are going to begin to launch a new platform for community management. 

In case you missed the last ALIVE conversation:

Kindness, Math and Music: The Spirit of Business 

How can you leverage spiritual values and faith to improve the cohesiveness of your team? James Rhee and Brian Grim, business leaders and changemakers, talk about their experiences leading in companies and business environments where sometimes norms and expectations limit the pieces of ourselves that we share with our colleagues. Apart from their notable achievements, James and Brain are also deep, reflective and beautiful human beings, who conduct business with people first in mind.  
 
Here are some insights about leading with a kind of wholeness that feels very radically vulnerable: leading from purpose. The insights from this conversation may be useful clues to lead better, more purpose-filled teams and projects.  

About James C. Rhee: He is an esteemed impact leader, entrepreneur, educator, and investor, known for his successful tenure as Chairman & CEO of Ashley Stewart. James comes from a long line of caregivers including his parents who are from Korea. His innovative approach in multi-stakeholder capitalism and societal change is marked by uniting diverse groups and redefining workplace roles. A Harvard College and Harvard Law School honors graduate, and former editor of the Harvard Law Review, Rhee also emphasizes the importance of kindness in professional settings, as highlighted in his TED talk. He describes his approach as combining "hopeful innocence and wisdom as a young person, as a kid." 

About Brian Grim: Brian Grim is the founder of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and the global chairman of Dare to Overcome, a corporate diversity initiative that builds mutual respect and engagement among different groups in the workplace. Brian spent 20 years living in different countries with his wife and studying how governments, business, and other social factors have an impact on people's lives. Get excited with him in this conversation as he is eager to contribute, always with a big smile. He is an expert at generating clear, rigorous, and comprehensive data about the international religious landscape and its socio-economic impact.    

Both Brian Grim and James Rhee emphasized the value of bringing our entire selves to work, including our faith and belief system. This approach fosters an inclusive and authentic work environment, leading to increased employee satisfaction and productivity. James argues that when a company creates an environment where employees are encouraged to bring their whole self to work, it creates an inclusive environment that can respond in a more educated way when global crisis and controversy comes to light.  
 

“I saw the power that opening the space inside for people to bring their whole self to work that  created environments of authenticity and created environments where people could share, build better teams, and understand each other better” - Brian Grim 

“But I think a lot of the art that I put to life is through how I invest money. The organizations I lead, the book that I'm writing. It's very multimedia, multi-sensory math music and I tried to allow the space for other people to live their life in song.” - James Rhee 

Cultivating a Culture of Kindness and Authenticity: The conversation highlighted the significant role of kindness and authenticity in the workplace. James Ree's experience with Ashley Stewart demonstrated how these values could lead to remarkable turnarounds in business performance and employee morale. 

“I say kindness and math came out because I believe both are sort of just intuitively true. Math is not man-made. Math is a science. We are discovering math and the more we can have conversations of which the pursuit is understanding of Truth not that declarative prescriptive ownership of Truth…  then it really encourages Free Speech.” - James Rhee 

“I think that that ability to see God, see the divine, see something of great dignity in the other is so important for our own souls but also for human progress.”  - Brian Grimm 

Listening and Humility as Core Leadership Qualities: Both speakers stressed the importance of humility and the ability to listen in leadership. By creating space for diverse voices and perspectives, leaders can make more informed, compassionate decisions and build trust within their teams. 

“One of the best practices I see happening is to make space to listen to people in inside of a company” - Brian Grim 

“We have not left enough space for what I would call the two in life. The two is what hasn't happened yet. It's what happens when orthogonal things come together and there's an invention... AI works on zeros and ones. I've tried to live my life as a two. I tried to treat people, leaving space for two by and two is somewhat irrational, but it's somewhat new.” - James Rhee 

Queer Space

Queer Space is an ongoing affinity group for queer folks who want to connect with meaning, purpose, higher calling, spirit, and/or God in an environment that is radically open and affirming. We will engage with queer theology, books, movies, art, etc., and with that inspiration offer one another solidarity, encouragement, and community. The group will be gently facilitated by Reverend Julie Davis, who is trained to hold space that is interfaith, non-judgmental, curious, warm, and brave.

Because we want Queer Space to become a consistent community, joining requires a one-time payment of $10 as a sign of your interest and commitment.

The main activity of the community will be gathering monthly on Zoom for conversation, book and film discussions, and other activities. Members will also receive regular emails noting the agendas for the Zooms as well as other resources.

Subscribe here. 

Interfaith group launches manifesto for Peace in the Middle East

On October 23rd, in the heart of Porto Alegre, Brazil, children bearing the flags of Israel and Palestine gathered on the main stage at Teatro São Pedro, accompanied by the melodic tones of "Imagine," a song by John Lennon renowned as a pacifist anthem. 

The event marked the commencement of a peace and anti-terrorism initiative organized by a coalition comprising delegates from nine different faiths, alongside civil society associations, religious institutions, the business community, and government officials. 

At this event, a manifesto was released in which the group calls on the international community to defend the two-state solution and the immediate release of all hostages held by the terrorist group. 

Rabbi Guershon Kwasniewski, who serves as the Coordinator of the interreligious dialogue group in Porto Alegre, delivered a message of peace, emphasizing the rejection of "all varieties" of terrorism. He also stressed the importance of not remaining indifferent to the ongoing loss of life in both Israel and the Gaza Strip, where the death toll has surpassed 6,400 since October 7th. With family and friends residing in Israel, the rabbi advocates for the resolution of differences through meaningful dialogue.