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Mall Area Religious Council (MARC)

SEPTEMBER 2005 ISSUE

Topics covered in this e-newsletter
1. A Major September MARC Observance at Mall of America
2. U.N. International Day of Peace & Maitreya Art Project websites
3. Holy Days Holidays of Thanksgiving around the World at MOA
4. Interfaith News Updates on MARC Website
5. Prayer Space at Mall of America
6. Abbott Northwestern Hospital Institute for Health and Healing
7. "It's Hard to be a Pope" -- Tuesday, September 27th (7-9 PM)
8. Are we "linked" up, as yet?
9. An American Challenge -- "theology of the land"

1. A Major September MARC Observance at Mall of America

Our "One World Many Faiths" 2005 Annual Event will be held at National American University (NAU) first floor, west side of Mall, on Wednesday, September 21st from 4-5:30 PM. We will join on that day with Interfaith
Groups world wide in observance of the United Nations International Day of Peace. Come to the NAU Mall location for this educational opportunity, lite refreshments, and wonderful interfaith fellowship with people from many of the world's religions. The topic "World Peace from a World Religions Perspective" will be presented from a Unitarian Universalist Perspective by Linda Hayen, and from an Orthodox Jewish perspective by Rabbi Barry Woolf. David Sterling (Baha'i) or a Buddhist representative will introduce the Maitreya Art Project on "inner and
world peace." Questions & Discussion will be monitored by Arleen El-Amin from Masjid An-Nur Islamic Center. Linda, Barry, David and Arlene are all members of the MARC Board of Directors. Copies of the MARC Annual 2005 Booklet of Reports will be distributed and summarized by MARC President, Rev. John Chell
(Lutheran) from Bloomington/Richfield Workplace Ministries. Rev. Stan McFall from Southtown Baptist Church in Bloomington will offer the closing prayer.

WELCOME to all representatives, staff and members from the 41 Congregations and Religious Groups who have membership in MARC. A warm welcome also to Mall visitors and neighbors from Twin Cities communities in our seven county metropolitan area. Mall Area Religious Council (MARC) is the sponsor of this event with
space provided by National American University (NAU) -- Mall of America.

2. International Day of Peace & Maitreya Art Project Sites

September 21st is U.N. International Day of Peace. Learn more by visiting their special United Nations website at www.internationaldayofpeace.org The Buddhist Maitreya Art Project on "inner and world peace" will be only briefly
introduced at the MARC "One World Many Faiths" Event on September 21st (4-5:30 PM) held at National American University (see article #1 above). You may visit their website in advance at www.maitreyaproject.org

3. Holy Days Holidays of Thanksgiving around the World

This will be the 13th consecutive year that MARC will present this interfaith event at Mall of America. It will be open to the public in early December. Watch for details on the date and Mall location. Thousands who walk the corridors daily will once again stop to enjoy religious art, learn about world religion holy days, pick up placards with information on 41 local places of worship and discover the latest information on the growing interfaith movement worldwide in this 21st century.

4. Interfaith News Updates on MARC website

MARC invites you and people worldwide to daily visit the MARC website for INTERFAITH NEWS UPDATES. Learn about beliefs of world religions, upcoming MARC activities held at the Mall of America, local faith events of congregations/ religious groups, scheduled holy days of all world religions for 2005 and beyond, and "helps" for your own spiritual journey.
Go to -- www.meaningstore.org (MARC website)
Go to -- www.interfaithcalendar.org (Delton Krueger website)

5. Prayer Space at Mall of America

MARC is respected by Mall Management, and is often consulted on maters of race, faith and cultural diversity. Together we opened a prayer room for all MOA employees off of their break-room. We are presently in conversation with the architect on the Mall's phase two development (which will double the size of the Mall). We are encouraging the inclusion of a public prayer room for people from all of the world's religions to use for their prayer times, while shopping at Mall of America.

6. Abbott Northwestern Hospital Institute for Health/Healing

Abbott Northwestern Hospital has commissioned Richard Bonk to create a custom Mandala reflective of the Institute's mission and values and responsive to the space, staff and patients. There will be a dedication of this unique image and an opportunity to meet the artist and view an exhibit of his mandala and spiritual art prints on Friday, October 7, from 7-9 PM (free), at the Institute, 800 east 28th St. Minneapolis. For further information you may phone 612-727-3562.

7. "It's Hard to be a Pope"

The Twin Cities chapter of the Parliament of World's Religions will present Lori Chu, speaking on this timely topic at their Tuesday, September 27th meeting (7-9 PM). As always it will be at the Baha'i Center, 3644 Chicago Avenue South in Minneapolis (free to the public).

8. Are We "Linked" Up, as yet?

Attention all congregations and faith groups! We can best serve your office staff and members, once our MARC website is placed on your site as a "link." We encourage individuals to regularly visit and use the MARC website on
your home computer. The site is easy to remember, simply www.meaningstore.org

9. An American Challenge -- "theology of the land"

An exploratory meeting took place August 26th here in the Twin Cities, with a world-renowned author of many books. It was arranged by two friends of MARC and a member of the MARC BD of Directors. The author has a Ph.D. in Religion and Art and is read worldwide. His "theology of the land" challenges Americans to create an authentic American spirituality that can embrace traditions that we brought and the powers and forces of the landscape where we now live. If details can be arranged and are approved, watch for a major announcement in the next issue of the MARC e-Newsletter -- November 2005

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The articles above have been provided by local MARC Member Congregations & World Religion Groups, and by the MARC Board of Directors. We invite you to email to us your notices about upcoming events of interest to the larger faith communities. Notices for the November MARC e-newsletter issue are due
by October 28th, sent to Johnmchell@aol.com (952-831-0447)

July, 2005

Subjects covered in this newsletter - see detail below.

1. Phase Two Development -- Mall of America

2. Your website -- Link to our MARC site www.meaningstore.org

3. Parliament of World’s Religions - Twin Cities Chapter

4. Welcome to Rabbi Barry Woolf

5. Muslim Daily News Site

6. Ethiopian Choir Notice from Unity South Church

7. Local Methodist Congregations Announce Vacation Bible School

8. Spiritual Fringe Festival August 4-14.

9. The Marc Board of Directors meet Thursday, July 21

****** ****** ******

The articles below have been provided by local MARC Member

Congregations & World Religion Groups, and by the MARC

Board of Directors. We invite you to email to us your notices

on upcoming events of interest to the larger community.

Notices for the September MARC e-newsletter issue are due

by August 15th, send to Johnmchell@aol.com (952-831-0447)

****** ****** ******

1. Your MARC Board continues to make our case for a public Interfaith Location for silence and prayer in the Phase Two development at Mall of America. Thanks for several significant suggestions you have sent us since our last e-newsletter.

2. Two Suggestions:

(A) Place a MARC website link on the homepage of your Congregation’ web site,or your Religion site. We encourage you to do so at once.

(B) In your Bulletin or Newsletter, provide your members with the MARC website, which they can use to access community and interfaith events and information. MARC seeks to become more and more a bridge builder..... with you and all peoples and cultures in our communities. Remember to use and list the MARC website -- www.meaningstore.org

3. The Parliament of the World’s Religions join together thousands of people worldwide, representing the vast diversity of the world’s religions, spiritual and cultural traditions. The Twin Cities Chapter is one of our MARC members. Their open meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM at the Bahai Center, 3644 Chicago Ave. So. in Mpls. Welcome to...... + .....their July Meeting on Tuesday, July 26th with Ron Paine, who has practiced and studied metaphysics in the areas of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other mystical studies.

Ron, with degrees in art and sociology, will lecture and exhibition mystical art and the historical connection to the future of art.

4. We are pleased to introduce our newest MARC Board Member, Rabbi Barry I. Woolf. He is active in the MN Rabbinical Association and is highly familiar with the Jewish Congregations in the entire Twin Cities area. Welcome, Barry!

5. American Muslims continue to speak out against terrorism. This happens n many ways, and especially daily through the Muslim Public Affairs Council on their website and in emails. You can access their latest strong reaction as Muslim Americans to the London bombings and receive all of their daily “releases”. Go to their website or email to them your email address, and you will receive their timely press releases. www.mpac.org (website) / News@mpac.org (email)

6. Unity South Church of Bloomington invites the community to enjoy the Ethiopian Children’s Love Choir in Concert on Thursday, August 25th, 6-9 PM. Unity Church is one of the charter members of the Mall Area Religious Council (MARC), located at 7950 First Avenue So. For further information phone 952-884-6656.

7. Four Methodist Churches, all charter members of MARC, have asked us to

announce

their 2005 Vacation Bible School dates.

+ VBS will be held at Normandale Hylands UMC August 1 - 5 (9-11:45 AM) for children ages 3 through 4th grade. Church address is 9920 Normandale Blvd. So., Bloomington. Please phone 952-835-7585 .

+ Combined VBS for Portland Ave UMC and Hillcrest UMC of Bloomington and Church of Peace UMC of Richfield will be for 5 evenings -- August 14 - 18 from 6-8 PM. The Combined VBS will be held at Portland Avenue United Methodist Church, 8000 Portland Ave. So. in Bloomington. It is for children preschool through 6th grade. Please phone host church 952-888-6070.

8. MARC is about bridge building! So also will be the Spiritual Fringe Festival August 4-14, 2005 held at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, 4901 Chowen Ave. S. in Mpls. For information go to www.fringefestival.org. Nine timely faith and interfaith themes will create thought provoking performances. One example: L’An: Four Jewish Characters in Search of Israel’s Future. Meet four Israel-bound travelers 4 different perspectives Israel-Palestine, a terrorist threat, detained by airline security, as they wrestle with their fears, their suspicions, and their ideologies. Performances August 4th (5:30 PM), 7th (8:30 PM), 11th (10 PM), 13th (5:30 PM), and 14th (5:30 PM). For information contact Ira Gordon at 612-861-6040 / takusoon@hotmail.com

9. The next Meeting of the MARC Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, July 21st, at Portland Avenue United Methodist Church in Bloomington. These are always open meetings for staff and representatives of all 41 MARC member Congregations and Religion Groups. We come together at 5:15 PM. Come meet and dialog with the faith and cultural diversity now present on our MARC Board. Portland UMC is located at 8000 Portland Avenue South, one block south off of 494 (Portland Exit). Parking is behind the church, enter building off rear

parking lot. Welcome!

John Chell

952-831-0447

952-851-0788

Johnmchell@aol.com

May 2005 Newsletter
1. Mall of America Phase Two
2. Guest Service Centers and MARC
3. MARC Signboard Update at Wild Bird Store
4. MARC & River Church in Dialogue
5. National American University at Mall
6. Roundtable Conversations on World Religions

+This E-Newsletter is prepared by the MARC Board of Directors. Please give us your thoughts, where to improve, how often sent, etc. Email comments to Johnmchell@aol.com or phone 952-851-0788.

1. Phase Two proposal has brought MARC in conversations with the Ghermezians and KKE Architects Inc. We are making our case for nclusion of a public Interfaith Location for meditation, prayer, etc. We will keep you informed...

2. Great News! Bridget Priesz, a real friend of MARC, was just hired by Mall of America to manage the Guest Service Centers. She believes deeply that MARC and our local religious communities can soon plan expansion of our spiritual presence at Mall of America

3. When you shop at the Mall visit the All Season’s Wild Bird Store They are a MARC sponsor and provide valuable entrance space for the Places To Worship signboard and Interfaith announcements. Thank Maggie (manager) for making it possible to announce your worship hours at the Mall, to the thousands of visitors, shoppers and new area residents.

4. River Church, an outreach of Willow Creek Church near Chicago, is renting space at the Mall of America. John Chell, Executive Director of MARC, and River Church Pastor Chris Reinertson, have regular intentional

dialog. Recently, River Church opened a small public storefront, which obviously raised a public question, is there any relationship between MARC and River Church. The answer is, only dialogue. We are presently expanding

dialog to also include our two Boards. The Mall has become a rich mix of cultural and religious diversity -- like a United Nations, and only a very few other places in the world. MARC’s influence & the Interfaith Movement are well established at MOA and we welcome increasing conversations with River Church and all Faith Groups.

5. NAU (National American University) at the Mall has a new president who continues to make space available at the “U” for MARC mtgs. and Interfaith events. They offer a course on World Religions with MARC involvement.

6. Our Welcome to Everyone! “Conversations on World Religions”. Help set the date. Breakfast Roundtables in the Mall’s 3rd floor, north side food court area. Visit the MARC website: www.meaningstore.org.

John Chell

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