Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania
working for the unity of the church and the wholeness of communities through collegiality, collaboration, and connectedness
We Have to Talk
We Have to Talk is a network of interfaith spiritual leaders from across Southwest Pennsylvania: over 500 clergy and lay people who gather to build relationship across our diverse traditions through conversation and action.
Our network's core principles are named in our statement of purpose, Living Faithfully With One Another.
We Have to Talk offers both large thematic gatherings and small, informal "Spiritual Leader Spaces" throughout the year. The key organizing partners are Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania and the Center for Loving Kindness at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh.
Our network began in the days immediately following the mass shooting at Tree of Life synagogue on October 27, 2018. Should we cancel a planned interfaith gathering the following week? we wondered. No, we agreed. Because: we have to talk.
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Photo by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
OUR NEXT EVENT:
We Have to Talk ...
around Abraham's Table
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
10 AM - 11:30 AM
McNaugher Lounge
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
616 N. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
What happens when the children of Abraham—Christians, Jews, and Muslims—all gather around the same table? They break bread together, share in conversation, build relationships, encounter real differences, and discover common ground.
That’s what happens at Abraham’s Table, a shared initiative bringing together three faith organizations in the South Hills: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mount Lebanon, the Turkish Cultural Center in Beechview, and Temple Emanuel of South Hills in Mount Lebanon. Since October, members of the three groups have been meeting monthly for dinner, exploring a new theme each month through presentations and table discussions. Attendance and enthusiasm have been strong.
On February 28, we welcome the leaders of Abraham’s Table—Rector Noah Evans of St. Paul’s, Rabbi Aaron Meyer of Temple Emanuel, and Benyamin Aysan of the Turkish Cultural Center—for a special installment of the We Have to Talk series of interfaith conversations.
The South Hills leaders will tell their story, sharing how this initiative began, what has led to its success, and how we all might learn from it. Together, we’ll support one another in our efforts to build interfaith harmony in our own neighborhoods. As always at our "We Have to Talk" events, there will be ample opportunities for you to share your own ideas and experiences as you nurture new and continued connections with your colleagues.
Admission is free, and registration (via the form below) is much appreciated but not required.
This event is intended primarily for spiritual leaders: clergy and religious and those holding lay leadership roles in houses of worship and faith institutions across Southwest Pennsylvania.