Spirit & Place, IU Indianapolis

Spirit & Place Common Read: A Thousand Thanks by A.J. Jacobs
2024-02-06 13:30 - 14:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis)
Join Spirit & Place this year as we embark on an exploration of the festival’s GRATITUDE theme through a series of book discussions.
Our first gathering will occur on Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 6:30 to 7:30pm (EST) via Zoom. We will discuss the Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey by A.J. Jacobs.
BOOK SUMMARY:
Author A.J. Jacobs discovers that his coffee—and every other item in our lives—would not be possible without hundreds of people we usually take for granted: farmers, chemists, artists, presidents, truckers, mechanics, biologists, miners, smugglers, and goatherds.
By thanking these people face to face, Jacobs finds some much-needed brightness in his life. Gratitude does not come naturally to Jacobs—his disposition is more Larry David than Tom Hanks—but he sets off on the journey on a dare from his son. And by the end, it’s clear to him that scientific research on gratitude is true. Gratitude’s benefits are legion: It improves compassion, heals your body, and helps battle depression.
WHERE TO FIND:
Indianapolis Public Library
Amazon (from $2 – $15 depending on quality & format)
ZOOM DETAILS:
You will be emailed a Zoom link upon registering. Registration begins on January 11 and will close at 12noon on February 6. The waiting room will be enabled and, to avoid disruption, guests arriving after 6:40pm will not be admitted.

Powerful Conversations on Race
2024-02-18 10:00 - 12:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race. This is an immersive experience. As such, we’ll spend a considerable amount of time in small groups to dialogue with each other about these topics.
This dialogue is virtual and occur on Eastern Standard Time / Eastern Daylight Time.
February’s gathering will celebrate local hero Major Taylor by diving into historical documents and photographs to understand the racial environment that shaped his legacy. After the dialogue, attendees are encouraged to learn more about Taylor’s life by attending the film screening of Major Taylor: Champion of the Race at the Indiana State Museum. Learn more here.
Registration ends at 12 noon day of event and you will receive a Zoom link after registering by using the blue button/web link below.

Powerful Conversations on Race: Race & Gender
2024-03-10 11:00 - 13:00
Powerful Conversations on Race (PCR) is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but rather a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race.
In honor of Women’s History Month, the March 2024 dialogue will explore the intersection of race and gender.
VIRTUAL EVENT via Zoom. A camera check-in is required and admittance into the virtual space is not granted after 3:15PM.
Register by clicking here or using the weblink below.

Spirit & Place Festival Applicant Meeting
2024-03-19 06:30 - 07:30 | College Avenue Branch LIbrary, 4180 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
Learn about the Spirit & Place Festival’s application process by attending one an info session this March (in person, limit 50) and April (virtual, no size limit). Each session will cover the same information and attendance is not a requirement to apply to the festival – although it is strongly encouraged!
Meetings sessions will cover:

Spirit & Place’s background & values.
What kind of events the festival Selection Committee looks for (i.e., selection criteria)
Partner benefits and requirements.
Application tips and resources.

Session dates:

Tuesday, March 19 from 10:30 – 11:30am. College Ave. Branch Library (4180 N. College)

An earlier post said 10am, but this meeting begins at 10:30am.

Tuesday, March 19 from 6 to 7pm. Haughville Branch Library (2121 W. Michigan St.)
Tuesday, April 9 from 12 to 1pm. Zoom.
Thursday, April 26 from 12 to 1pm. Zoom.

Unable to attend a session but still want to learn more? Reach out to Program Director Erin Kelley at ekkelley@iupui.edu.
The registration button below will take you to an Eventbrite page where you can select the session that is best for you.

Spirit & Place Festival Application Meeting
2024-03-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Haughville Branch Library, 2121 W. Michigan St., Indianpolis, IN, 46222, United States
Learn about the Spirit & Place Festival’s application process by attending one an info session this March (in person, limit 50) and April (virtual, no size limit). Each session will cover the same information and attendance is not a requirement to apply to the festival – although it is strongly encouraged!
Meetings sessions will cover:

Spirit & Place’s background & values.
What kind of events the festival Selection Committee looks for (i.e., selection criteria)
Partner benefits and requirements.
Application tips and resources.

Session dates:

Tuesday, March 19 from 10:30 – 11:30am. College Ave. Branch Library (4180 N. College)
Tuesday, March 19 from 6 to 7pm. Haughville Branch Library (2121 W. Michigan St.)
Tuesday, April 9 from 12 to 1pm. Zoom.
Thursday, April 29 from 12 to 1pm. Zoom.

Unable to attend a session but still want to learn more? Reach out to Program Director Erin Kelley at ekkelley@iupui.edu.
The registration button below will take you to an Eventbrite page where you can select the session that is best for you.

Spirit & Place Festival Application Meeting
2024-04-09 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-04-26 08:00 - 09:00

Powerful Conversations on Race
2024-04-14 11:00 - 13:00
Powerful Conversations on Race (PCR) is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, rather it is a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race.
Register for April’s PCR by clicking here or using the weblink below.
VIRTUAL EVENT via ZOOM. A camera check-in is required and admittance into the dialogue is generally not permitted after 3:15pm.

Spirit & Place Common Read: The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
2024-04-27 07:00 - 08:00 | Michigan Rd. Branch Library, 6201 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, 46268, United States
Join Spirit & Place this year as we embark on an exploration of the festival’s GRATITUDE theme through a series of book discussions.
Our second gathering will occur IN PERSON on Saturday, April 27 from 11am – 12pm at the Michigan Road Branch Library (6201 N. Michigan Rd.). We will discuss The Book of Delights by Ross Gay.
This is a book club-style discussion, not an author appearance. There are a limited number of FREE BOOKS! Information is provided in the registration confirmation.
BOOK SUMMARY:
The New York Times bestselling book of essays celebrating ordinary delights in the world around us by one of America’s most original and observant writers, award-winning poet Ross Gay. The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyrical essays, written daily over a tumultuous year, reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders.
WHERE TO FIND:
Indianapolis Public Library (eBook, Book, & Audio)
Local Books Stores! Call and see what is in stock.
Amazon (Used, New, & Kindle from $8-$19)
REGISTER HERE or use the blue button/weblink below.

Powerful Conversations on Race: The U.S. Construction of Race
2024-05-19 11:00 - 13:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but rather a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race.
This month we will explore the construction of race in the United States.
VIRTUAL EVENT via Zoom. A camera check-in is required and admittance into the virtual space is not granted after 3:15PM.
Register by clicking here or using the weblink below.

Spirit & Place Common Read: Here For It, or, How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas
2024-08-13 14:00 - 15:00 | College Avenue Branch LIbrary, 4180 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46205, United States
Join with Spirit & Place on an exploration of the festival’s GRATITUDE theme through a series of book discussions.
Our next gathering will occur IN PERSON on Tuesday, August 13 from 6 – 7PM at the College Ave. Library (4180 N. College Ave.). We will discuss Here For It, or, How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas.
This is a book club-style discussion, not an author appearance.
BOOK SUMMARY:
R. Eric Thomas didn’t know he was different until the world told him so. Everywhere he went–whether it was his rich, mostly white, suburban high school, his conservative black church, or his Ivy League college in a big city–he found himself on the outside looking in.
In essays by turns hysterical and heartfelt, Eric redefines what it means to be an “other” through the lens of his own life experience. He explores the two worlds of his childhood: the barren urban landscape where his parents’ house was an anomalous bright spot, and the verdant school they sent him to in white suburbia. He writes about struggling to reconcile his Christian identity with his sexuality, about the exhaustion of code-switching in college, accidentally getting famous on the internet (for the wrong reason), and the surreal experience of covering the 2016 election as well as the seismic change that came thereafter. Ultimately, Eric seeks the answer to the ever more relevant question: Is the future worth it? Why do we bother when everything seems to be getting worse? As the world continues to shift in unpredictable ways, Eric finds the answers to these questions by re-envisioning what “normal” means, and in the powerful alchemy that occurs when you at last place yourself at the center of your own story.
WHERE TO FIND:
Indianapolis Public Library (eBook, Book, & Audio)
Local Books Stores! Call and see what is in stock.
Amazon (Used, New, & Kindle from $8-$19)
REGISTER HERE or use the blue button/weblink below.

Powerful Conversations on Race (Sept. 2024)
2024-09-15 11:00 - 13:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race. This is an immersive experience. As such, we’ll spend a considerable amount of time in small groups to dialogue with each other about these topics.
This dialogue is virtual and occur on Eastern Standard Time / Eastern Daylight Time.
For the September 2024 dialogue we will explore the way race shapes our perceptions around community, civic cohesion, liberty and self-determination.
Registration ends at 12 noon day of event.
Register Here: https://PCR_Sept__2024.eventbrite.com

WAIT LIST Big Tent Talk: Nadia Bolz-Weber on Gratitude
2024-10-11 15:00 - 16:30 | Eugene and Marily Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, 46202, United States
This event is currently operating a waitlist.
Nadia Bolz-Weber is an ordained Lutheran pastor, founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, host of The Confessional podcast, and author of three New York Times bestselling memoirs, including Accidental Saints. She writes and speaks about personal failings, recovery, grace, faith, and really whatever the hell else she wants to. Hear Nadia tackle this year’s GRATITUDE theme from her unique and forthright perspective.
Registration strongly encouraged. Use the button below.

Spirit & Place Presents: My Black Country, An Evening of Story and Song with Alice Randall & Leyla McCalla
2024-10-18 15:00 - 16:30 | Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46202, United States
Alice Randall is a New York Times best-selling novelist, award-winning songwriter, educator, and food activist. Her new memoir, My Black Country, celebrates the power of Black influences on country music. Joining Randall with a performance is multilingual singer/songwriter Leyla McCalla, founding member of Our Native Daughters and alum of the Grammy-winning The Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Registration strongly encouraged. Use the button below.

Powerful Conversations on Race: Community, Liberty & Democracy
2024-10-20 11:00 - 13:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race. This is an immersive experience. As such, we’ll spend a considerable amount of time in small groups to dialogue with each other about these topics.
This dialogue is virtual and occur on Eastern Standard Time / Eastern Daylight Time.
For the October 2024 dialogue we will explore the way race shapes our perceptions around community, liberty and democracy.
Registration ends at 12 noon day of event.
Checkout the website at www.SpiritandPlace.org for up-to-date information.

Powerful Conversations on Race
2024-11-17 10:00 - 12:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, but a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race. This is an immersive experience. As such, we’ll spend a considerable amount of time in small groups to dialogue with each other about these topics.
This dialogue is virtual and occur on Eastern Standard Time / Eastern Daylight Time.
The November dialogue will be final PCR of 2024.
Registration ends at 12 noon day of event.
Checkout the website at www.SpiritandPlace.org for up-to-date information.

Powerful Conversations on Race
2025-01-19 10:00 - 12:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race.
This month we will offer only one dialogue in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The January 2025 dialogue, Beyond the Dream, will explore the writings and speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. outside of the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
This is a VIRTUAL event that begins at 3PM EST. Admittance to the breakout room dialogues will not occur past 3:15PM EST. A quick camera check is required by all attendees.
Register by using the blue button below.

Powerful Conversations on Race
2025-02-16 10:00 - 12:00
Powerful Conversations on Race [PCR] is a monthly community dialogue series exploring topics around race and racism and the resulting impact.
Powerful Conversations on Race is a way for us to get comfortable talking about uncomfortable histories and is, therefore, rooted in historical documents and subject matter.
This IS NOT a lecture or book club, a space for community to come together and dive deeply into a variety of topics concerning race.
This is a VIRTUAL event that begins at 3PM EST. Admittance to the breakout room dialogues will not occur past 3:15PM EST. A quick camera check is required by all attendees.
Register using the blue button below.

NATURE Brainstorming! (Zoom)
2025-02-19 10:00 - 11:00
Are you feeling stuck on on ideas for coming up with creative way to connect to this year’s Spirit & Place Festival NATURE theme?
Join us for an hour on Zoom to talk through what Spirit & Place has learned from the public as well as the variety of ways we hope you’ll you’ll interpret the them. Let’s find a NATURE inspired event idea that works for you! This session is also a great opportunity to meet with other event creatives who might be looking for collaborative partners.

Spirit & Place Festival Applicant Meeting (AM & PM Sessions Available)
2025-03-10 06:30 - 07:30 | Michigan Rd. Branch Library, 6201 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, 46268, United States
Whether you have pitched an event idea for the Spirit & Place Festival in the past or are new to the process, this informative 60-minute session will review what Spirit & Place is all about, how the festival application process works, and resources aimed to help you be successful!
Hosted at the Michigan Road branch library, this session will be offered at two different times – 10:30AM and 3:30PM.
Use the registration link below to choose the time that works best for you! (The information will be the same at each session.)

NATURE Brainstorming (Broad Ripple Park)
2025-03-25 11:00 - 12:30 | Broad Ripple Park Family Center, 1426 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, IN, 46220, United States
Are you feeling stuck on coming up with creative ideas on how to connect to this year’s Spirit & Place Festival NATURE theme?
Join us for an afternoon of breaking through creative blocks to find a NATURE inspired event idea that works for you. This session is also a great opportunity to meet with other event creatives — in real life! — who might be looking for collaborative partners.

Spirit & Place Applicant Meeting (Zoom)
2025-04-09 08:00 - 09:00
Whether you have pitched an event idea for the Spirit & Place Festival in the past or are new to the process, this informative 60-minute session will review what Spirit & Place is all about, how the festival application process works, and resources aimed to help you be successful!
Register by using the blue registration button below.

Big Tent Talks & Thomas H. Lake Lecture: Remaking the Commons
2025-04-11 12:00 - 14:00 | Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, 3535 W. Kessler Blvd. N. Dr., Indianapolis, IN, 46222, United States
At this crucial moment, when homelessness is exploding, affordable housing is diminishing, and segregated communities are increasingly common, we need to ask the question – “Are our built environments fundamentally immoral?” In this year’s talk, Dr. Jennings will present on “Remaking the Commons: Forming a Moral Imagination for Possession and Philanthropy in Place.”
As a renowned theologian who teaches in the areas of Christian thought, race theory, decolonial and environmental studies, Dr. Willie Jennings will explore how a faithful practice of giving might build new realities of community in our towns and cities. Dr. Jennings is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Theology and Africana Studies at Yale University Divinity School.
This event is free and open to the public. The in-person lecture will take place at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church (3535 W Kessler Blvd N Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46222) with a reception to follow.
The lecture will also be available to view live online. Registration is required to attend online and in person and you will make your selection when you register.
For questions, please contact lfi@iu.edu.
* Named in honor of Thomas H. Lake, this annual lecture hosted by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, part of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, invites a noted scholar or thought leader to speak on a topic related to faith and giving. This year’s lecture is in partnership with Spirit & Place as part of their Big Tent Talks series. Big Tent Talks presents notable and inspirational speakers focused on faith and spirituality.

Spirit & Place Festival Applicant Meeting (Zoom)
2025-04-24 06:00 - 07:00

Big Tent Talks: Spirituality & Psychedelics with Jay Michaelson
2025-08-06 14:30 - 15:30 | Indiana Landmarks Center, 1201 Central Ave., Indianapolis, 46202, United States
In a unique twist on this year’s Spirit & Place theme of NATURE, we invite you hear from author, rabbi, and scholar at the Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, Jay Michaelson, as part of our Big Tent Talks series.

Sacred Synergies: Nature, Faith, & Science with Katharine Hayhoe
2025-11-06 18:00 - 20:15 | Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, 6501 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, 46260, United States
ASL Interpreted
Attendance is virtual or in-person
ZOOM ATTENDEE NOTICE:
Virtual attendees must register via Zoom — not Eventbrite — to receive the Zoom link and passcode. Complete your ZOOM ATTENDANCE registration here:
https://iu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T_9ygB1BQNK-7NeRfLe1Jw
How do we talk about climate change—across scientific, faith, and cultural divides?
Kick off this year’s Spirit & Place Festival with a virtual keynote and watch party featuring Katharine Hayhoe—Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, evangelical Christian, and author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.
Embrace the spirit of community with food, fellowship, and the chance to connect with event partners at our in-person watch party or bring that spirit to your place by connecting virtually. After Hayhoe’s keynote, join IU experts—online or in person—for interactive workshops exploring how to navigate tough climate conversations through dialogue, science and policy communication, and improv.
Why a virtual keynote & watch party? To reduce her carbon footprint, Hayhoe presents virtually. We’re pleased to offer both a communal in-person experience at Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation and an online Zoom option. All attendees will have a chance to explore what it means to talk—and listen—across divides.
Questions: Contact 317-274-2462 or festival@iu.edu.
Event Organizers: presented by Spirit & Place, IU Environmental Resilience Institute, Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Indianapolis, IU Indianapolis Communicating Science Program, The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, Hoosier Environmental Council, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Indiana, and Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation.
Registration: Requested by Oct. 23. Register Here.
(NOTE: In person attendees will register via Eventbrite and virtual guests directly via Zoom.)
What to Know:

For online guests: While cameras won’t be on, you’ll have plenty of ways to join in! Use the Q&A function to engage with Katharine and then stick around afterwards for something special: a short, interactive session with a representative from the IUI O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at their Constructive Dialogue work—practical, proven strategies for talking through the tough stuff. Curious about how to keep conversations open instead of shutting them down? You’ll walk away with a tool designed exactly for “important, complicated issues that can divide people.”
For in-person guests: Arrive early at 5:30PM for heavy hors d’oeuvres, live viola music by Colette Abel, and a chance to mingle with our event partners before Katharine takes the virtual stage at 6PM. And don’t leave right after the talk—you’ll miss one of the evening’s most engaging experiences! Krista Longtin, IU communication expert and winner of Spirit & Place’s 2019 Award of Awesomeness (“A Faith Leader and a Scientist Walk into a Bar”), will lead a fun improv-based workshop that will get you laughing, connecting, and reflecting on how to ask questions from genuine curiosity. You’ll practice communication skills that help build bridges and common ground, something we all need more of.

The Nature of Us: Weaving Ourselves into the Natural World
2025-11-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Hornet Park, 5245 Hornet Ave., Beech Grove, 46107, United States
ASL Interpreted
Explore your place in and as part of nature through hands-on activities and thoughtful inquiry. Create your own art and contribute to a collaborative weaving project, both utilizing natural materials. Engage with neighbors in prompted conversations that invite curiosity, reflection, and remembering your place in the natural world.
Step into nature and explore your place within it through hands-on creativity and guided inquiry. At this interactive experience, participants will rotate through stations to engage in thinking routines that spark reflection, collaborate on a community weaving project using natural materials, and create take-home art inspired by the surrounding landscape. Through conversation, observation, and artistic expression, guests of all ages will deepen their curiosity, connect with the natural world, and consider how their presence shapes and is shaped by it.
Questions? Contact 463-241-6090 or darren@beechgrovewellness.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Beech Grove Wellness, Beech Grove Parks Foundation, Hornet Park Community Center, and local artist and gardener Lorie Ann Dillbeck-Bagby.
Registration: Click here to register.

Youth Rising for Nature: Getting Community in Action through Service & Advocacy
2025-11-09 14:00 - 17:00 | Frederick Douglass Park Family Center, 1616 E. 25th St., Indianapolis, 46218, United States
Community Forum & River Clean Up. Attend one or both gatherings.
Join Sea Scope’s youth Eco-Warriors for a two-part event exploring environmental justice, community dialogue, and a Fall Creek cleanup. Facilitated by local experts and inspired by Laudato Si, this experience blends spiritual reflection and action. Connect with neighbors of Martindale-Brightwood and our living earth—come for one or both days!
This two-part experience (attending both Saturdays is optional) connects storytelling, faith, Martindale-Brightwood neighbors, and environmental action. The first session features an expert and youth-led community forum exploring local ecological challenges and reflections inspired by Laudato Si’ – a 2015 papal encyclical focused on environmental stewardship, climate change, and ecological responsibility, emphasizing the moral and spiritual dimensions of caring for the Earth. A week later, participants engage in a hands-on cleanup along Fall Creek restoring natural spaces in disinvested communities while learning how local actions connect to global environmental issues. Through dialogue, reflection, and collective action, attendees will deepen their understanding of stewardship, equity, and the sacred responsibility to care for our shared planet.
Questions? Contact 317-203-9397 or seascopeincindy@gmail.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Sea Scope Inc., Earth Charter Indiana, Indiana Conservation Voters, The Garden Community Church, and Indy Parks and Recreation.
Registration: Click here to register for the Nov. 9 community forum.
Community Forum Details (Nov. 9): Doors open at 2PM for fellowship and the forum starting at 2:45PM. All are welcome, especially Martindale-Brightwood neighbors wanting to exercise their neighborhood voice and power!
River Clean Up Details (Nov. 16): See Nov. 16 event listing.

The Nature of Belief: How Translation of Sacred Text Decides Meaning
2025-11-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Arthur M Glick JCC – Laikin Auditorium, 6701 Hoover Rd., Indianapolis, IN, United States
Translation is never neutral, and it shapes more than words. In fact, it shapes the very nature of belief. Compare different English translations of sacred texts in small groups and how they have influenced understanding and belief across time, cultures, and communities. Participants will be challenged to rethink the meaning of well-known verses and how different meanings can reconstruct our thoughts.
Through small-group conversations, participants will explore how translations of sacred texts shape meaning and influence cultural understanding. Beginning with a brief introduction and examples of shifting translations over time, the event invites guests to compare different versions of ancient writings used across faith communities. By treating sacred texts as both poetry and philosophy, participants will consider how language, art, and interpretation influence belief, and how translation itself shapes the very nature of religious understanding.
Questions? Contact 317-531-6299 or gkelley@bez613.org.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Northminster Presbyterian Church, and JCC Indianapolis’s Ann Katz Festival of Books.
Registration: Click here to register.

Fear, Mercy, and the Nature of Us
2025-11-14 18:30 - 20:00 | 1000 Words Gallery, 3328 E. 10th St., Indianapolis, 46201, United States
Limited capacity. Registration encouraged.
Inspired by the poems Allowables by Nikki Giovanni and Mercy by Rudy Francisco this event explores the roots of our fears and the quiet, transformative power of mercy. Facilitated by Deborah Asante, participants will engage in guided writing, creative reflection, and optional group sharing in a safe and supportive environment.
Through the power of poetry and writing, this event examines and explores how the nature of fear and mercy shape us as individuals and a society. Engage in guided conversation about how we respond to what we do not understand. Write short reflections, letters, or poems and contribute a word or phrase to a collaborative community art piece called the Web of Mercy. Set in a calm and creative space, the program offers time for meaningful dialogue, quiet reflection, and artistic expression, leaving participants with a deeper sense of how the sacred choice of mercy can shape both our inner lives and our relationships with others.
Questions? Contact 317-274-2462 or info@blackworldschoolers.com.
Event Organizers: A partnership between Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore and Imani Willis-Henderson.
Registration: Click here to register.
