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Exploring Sacred Spaces 2019

Exploring Sacred Spaces 2019

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This is the third year in a row that the Auckland Inter-Faith Council has organised “Exploring Sacred Spaces”, a series of public visits to various places of worship. Since 2018 we have linked the initiative to the Auckland Heritage Festival, and have benefitted from the widespread promotion and advertising. In 2019 we organised five separate visits, as shown in the poster above.

The motto of the 2019 Festival as decided by Auckland Council was: “Journeys – Explore the stories of how our people travelled to Tāmaki Makaurau to create a shared future together”. This theme suited us well, as people who immigrated to New Zealand and settled in Auckland brought with them not only brought their language and culture but also their religious beliefs, and have been building places of worship.

Please click here for the 2019 report.

The Imam & The Pastor

The Imam & The Pastor

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Sharing their powerful story live in Auckland

Imam Dr Muhammed Ashafa, a Muslim cleric and Pastor Dr James Wuye, an Assembly of God Christian pastor, are known to many as “The Imam and the Pastor”. They are Nigerian religious leaders who spent years as the leaders of violent militias fighting each other. Then something changed, inside them, and since 1995 they have learned to trust each other and now work side by side for peace and reconciliation. Come and hear them share their amazing story!

7:30pm – 9:00pm Tuesday 27 August 2019 Hillsborough Room at the Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, Three Kings, Auckland (on-site free parking available).

No admission fee but we will be collecting a Koha to support their NZ visit and their work in Africa.

Exploring Sacred Spaces 2018

Exploring Sacred Spaces 2018

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In 2017 Auckland Interfaith Council (AIFC) initiated “Exploring Sacred Spaces” – a series of public visits to various faith venues over a two week period. The purpose of this initiative is to offer a friendly and non-threatening opportunity to visit faith communities now populating our city. During the visits the guests tour the facility and a representative of the hosts provides some basic information about their beliefs and worship practices. The visitors experience first -hand the atmosphere and hospitality of each sacred place and have a chance to ask questions.

What was new this year is that AIFC arranged to hold the series of Exploring Sacred Spaces visits in conjunction with Auckland Council’s annual Auckland Heritage Festival . This year the Festival’s theme was “The Heritage of our People”, which tied in perfectly with the Sacred Spaces concept. The booklets and online promotion of the Festival allowed a much wider audience to learn about our planned visits. The response exceeded all expectations, and we welcomed close to 600 people over the course of the five visits. The visits were mostly held on weekend afternoons, and were free of charge and open to the public.

Please click here for the 2018 report.

Sounds of the Sacred – Free Interfaith Concert

Sounds of the Sacred – Free Interfaith Concert

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Aucklanders  are in for a memorable and inspiring evening on Monday, May 28th when six local performing groups representing various spiritual traditions are coming together to offer a free concert of peaceful, meditative music. Auckland Inter-Faith Council has collaborated with Sri Chinmoy’s local organiser Jogyata Dallas and others to arrange this concert, which is intended to offer an experience of inner peace through music.

The performers are: local Mt Eden duo Monk Party; an instrumental/vocal women’s group from the Sri Chinmoy Centre; choirs from St Marks and Latter Day Saints church groups; Sikh Youth performers; the Sathya Sai organization; and musicians from the Family Federation for World Peace. The evening highlights both the diversity of Auckland’s cultures and their spirit of co-operation.

Join us to experience ‘Sounds of the Sacred’ in the Hillsborough Room in Three Kings’ Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road at 7:30pm. Light refreshments will follow. Admission is entirely free and tickets are not required.

Dr Maureen Sier, Interfaith expert from Scotland, to speak in Auckland

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Auckland Inter-Faith Council presents:

An Evening with Dr Maureen Sier

“Finding faith in a secular world: How interfaith engagement is revolutionising religion”

WHAT: Public lecture followed by a Q&A session with light refreshments served. All welcome
WHEN: Tuesday 27 March, 7:30 PM start
WHERE: Quality Hotel Parnell (Endeavour Room), 10 – 20 Gladstone Road, Parnell
PARKING: Free onsite
COST: Free entry; gold coin donations appreciated

Dr Maureen Sier is an inter-faith activist and international speaker who serves as the Director of Interfaith Scotland. Interfaith Scotland is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting good practice in interfaith dialogue, education, engagement and training nationally and internationally. Dr Sier was the keynote speaker at New Zealand’s National Interfaith Forum in 2009.

"Exploring Sacred Spaces" a great success!

“Exploring Sacred Spaces” a great success!

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“Exploring Sacred Spaces & Getting to Know Our Neighbours”

From 4 – 12 November 2017 several hundred people participated in one or more visits to 7 different faith venues throughout the Auckland region, organised by the Committee of the Auckland Inter-Faith Council. The participants expressed their appreciation for being able to see new places and learn something about the faiths practiced there in an informal and relaxed  way. Each of the host venues made sure the guests were welcomed, received some basic information as well as a tour of the facilities, answered any questions, and provided refreshments and an opportunity to mix and mingle.

The programme this year included visits to Muslim, Christian (Anglican and Catholic), Sikh, Buddhist, and Hindu places of worship. It was promoted to the public through Our Auckland website, Event Finda,  various newsletters, and by posters. We intend to continue this project on an annual basis.

To see a full report on the Sacred Spaces vent, click on the photo below.

2017 AIFC Exploring Sacred Spaces Report.compressed

To see photos of the event, visit our Facebook page.