Boston Avenue has four social ministry committees working as part of our Reconciliation Council. Those committees include Religion and Race, Health and Welfare, Interfaith Concerns, and Church and Society and the Status and Role of Women.
Religion and Race works with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Society to plan and host events, activities, and contests during the Fall and Winter months. In addition to sponsoring a Speech Contest for Elementary School students in the Fourth and Fifth Grades, they participate in the wonderful MLK Jr. Parade every January by decorating a church bus and having youth and adults walking together side by side. This committee has also participated in the Hispanic Ministry in Tulsa.
Health and Welfare's task is to be sensitive to the health and welfare needs of the congregation and the community by providing and promoting health and education programs. In the past, they have organized a class during our School of Continuing Education which brings several persons in the health field to Boston Avenue. They also organize Blood Drives for our church.
Interfaith Concerns assists with the annual Interfaith Trialogue Series sponsored by the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice (OCCJ), bringing Christians, Muslims, and Jews together for dialogue around a specific topic. This event takes place in February each year. The 2012 Interfaith Trialogue Series, “Food for Thought: Thinking about Food, Religion, and Community,” will be held on February 5, 12 and 19. The first session will be held at Temple Israel, the second session at Masjid Al-Salam Mosque, and the third at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. All sessions will start at 2:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information about the OCCJ's programs for greater understanding and respect among faith communities, please visit their site at http://www.occjok.com/.
This committee also organizes a tour of various faith communities around Tulsa every Fall. Called “Interfaith Interactions”, the tour is part of the Boston Avenue School of Continuing Education, which begins in October. Over the years, they have visited the Buddhist Temple, some Jewish Synagogues, various Christian churches, and many other places of worship.
Open Tables, also sponsored by OCCJ, is an interfaith program designed to bring together people from different faiths to share dinner and dialogue. During the school year, three potluck dinners are held at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. For each dinner, we ask that you bring a favorite dish to share, as well as an open mind and respect for those from different traditions. You will be seated at tables with people from other faith groups and encouraged to begin a conversation toward better understanding. There will be presentations at the dinners about the different celebrations and traditions of the various faith groups involved. Throughout the course of the year, more opportunities to attend other interfaith events will be announced.
Our upcoming potluck dinner dates are:
September 23, 2012
January 13, 2013
April 28, 2013
Each dinner is held on a Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m.
at Boston Avenue Church.
The purpose of Open Tables is to build relationships and better understand persons of differing faiths. We believe that through potluck-style meals, we are feeding and being fed by our neighbors. This is a significant step in beginning a relationship with those who may have been outside our circle of experience. At interfaith tables, we hope everyone will begin to see each other not just as symbols of our religions, but as real people who are neighbors and fellow citizens of the world. While understanding is not agreement, we believe that open, honest discussion can improve our relationships and help us to better understand our own values and beliefs.
For more information about Open Tables, please contact Vicky Langston at 918.307.1997.
Church and Society and the Status and Role of Women works with our prison ministry at Redemption Church and Exodus House located at St. Luke’s United Methodist church on North Boston Avenue, part of the Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries with our Oklahoma United Methodist Conference. They also assist the Mental Health Association in its work to address the needs of Tulsa's homeless population and work with Project Transformation, which assists young children with their reading skills during the summer. Other areas of work for this Committee include drug and alcohol work, mental health, and environmental work.
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