Interfaith Program
Fostering community with all of our neighbors. Every student and member of our greater community is a valuable part of our story and identity, regardless of their religious worldview. Calvin's interfaith programs strive to engage Calvin students and faculty with fellow students and neighboring communities of various faith traditions and worldviews, and to build a more inclusive and supportive community for students who may identify with a different religion or worldview.
Mission
Our mission is to prepare Calvin students to pursue lives of faithful service in the contemporary world. By engaging and connecting with religious institutions and communities in the greater Grand Rapids area, and with Calvin students of different worldviews and faith traditions, students gain long-lasting relationships and meaningful service-learning experiences that foster growth in inter-religious relationships, and that enhance student learning. We also aim to equip Calvin faculty to engage interfaith content in their curricula, and to provide a welcoming space of equal opportunities and respect for all Calvin students, regardless of religious identity.
Vision
Calvin's interfaith service-learning opportunities will encourage Calvin students to nurture a space for interfaith dialogue and understanding through their ability to connect with religious minority communities at Calvin and in West Michigan. The interfaith program will empower students through knowledge to reflect on their roles as faithful servants, and what it means to practice social justice, civic engagement, and community-based service-learning. Students will experience meaningful and reflective cross-cultural engagement through personal contact with various religions and their communities.
Get involved
Visits to local partners and places of worship:- Masjid At-Tawheed Islamic Center, Grand Rapids
- Sikh Gurdwara, Ada
- West Michigan Hindu Temple, Ada
- Temple Emanuel, Grand Rapids
- Baha'i Community of Grand Rapids
Calvin Interfaith Alliance (CIA)
CIA is our student organization division of our interfaith initiatives at Calvin, working alongside the interfaith program at the Service-Learning Center. CIA strives to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for religious and non-religious minorities at Calvin, and to expand engagement with the various world-views present on our campus. All are welcome!
