LAKESHORE INTERFAITH INSTITUTE'S MISSION STATEMENT:

MESSAGE AND INFORMATION # (269) 543-3951

MISSION STATEMENT

The Lakeshore Interfaith Institute is a growing global community dedicated to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation and compassionate service, creating cultures of spirituality, peace, justice and healing for the earth and all living beings.

PRINCIPLES

The Lakeshore Interfaith Institute is dedicated to education and dialogue, as a way to promote understanding between the World's Great Wisdom Traditions, to experience the Oneness of the Spirit. People of all faiths and spiritualities are waking up to the urgency to work together in the service of human kind. Interfaith does not seek to blend all religions, yet honors the sacredness and uniqueness of each faith, and then creates new ways for many paths to meet on common ground. Differences need not seperate, but enrich our lives and deepen our capacity to love.

OBJECTIVES

The impetus of the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 initiated a network of varied multicultural and inter-religious organizations through which people of different faiths have been seeking to meet one another. Their aim has not been conversion, but in a spirit of mutual respect, engage in a many sided and open ended dialogue. The hope of individuals of different religions and spiritual traditions-while disagreeing on matters of belief-might agree on moral values and global ethics, continues to remain a conviction by members active in various interfaith movements.

GOAL

This sense of a common quest of a global consciousness in which differences be valued, allows people of diversity to overcome hostility and rivalry. The intention of the Interfaith Institute is to combine the role of spirituality and education as the transformation to learning, to enhance local and global awareness and responsibility for ethical development which bears on the economical, environmental, political, spiritual and social challenges facing our earth community today.

SPIRIT

Inspired by a central spirit we act from the deepest values and claim the right and responsibility to do extraordinary things, to serve interfaith cooperation on a local and global level. We respect the sacred wisdom of each religion, spiritual expression and indigenous tradition, and believe that each can better remain true to itself by honoring the truth inherent in all.

VALUES

We practice equitable participation of women and men in all aspects. We believe that our religious and spiritual lives, rather than dividing us, guide us to build our earth community. We encourage each individual to deepen their roots of their own tradition, while listening and speaking with respect to others of diverse faiths, as a way to build a mutual trust and understanding of one another.

VISION

We are united with people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions throughout the world, to combine resources in a coalition with faith groups and organizations, who take many different kinds of actions to serve a common purpose: compassionate action to awaken to our deepest truths, and to manifest love, peace and justice among all life, for the economic, environmental, political, social and spiritual challenges facing our earth community today.

EDUCATION

The goal of interfaith education and dialogue, is to consider the role of individual and global transformation and spiritual consciousness. The institute fosters a relationship of teaching and learning, for the cultivation of values, morals and global ethical development. We believe there is an emergence of a new intellectual vision: one that preserves and transcends the current state of distinctions and divisions. We are looking to heal the deep rupture between cultures and traditions, with the enrichment of religious diversity in education. For spiritual united nations, there must be education and dialogue to develop peace and understanding among the world faiths, cultures and traditions, for the good of all.

COME AND SEE

The Lakeshore Interfaith Institute is a spiritual place and educational center, yet moreso a community of contemplatives, seekers, intellectuals, pilgrims and sceptics, all looking for ways to rediscover the inter-relatedness with one another. Regardless of our particular faith tradition, everyone of us are looking to reconnect with the divine energy, that enables one to act with loving kindness, more caring and compassionate forgiveness, towards ourselves and each person we meet. Mystics have gone to mountains and deserts to find this sacred space. Others have gone to cathedrals, shrines, mosques and temples. We welcome you to come here and discover the sacred in all paths and traditions.