FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
ST. PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
same church, new event space (see below)
1340 3rd Ave SE, CEDAR RAPIDS

in-person and virtual options

From Dubuque to Selma and beyond: Understanding racism in America

Presenter: Dr. Dave Markward
Former superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District

Join us for Intersections in February as we embark on a transformative journey with former Cedar Rapids Community School District Superintendent Dr. Dave Markward as he shares his transition from an upbringing in an almost exclusively white community to a life enriched by diversity. Dave will discuss the challenges and learning he experienced in writing his latest book, From Dubuque to Selma and Beyond: My Journey to Understand Racism in America.

Please note: The church is undergoing renovations for the next few months, during which time we will meet in the Gathering Space. Enter the Second Avenue doors, go up the stairs or take the elevator to the second floor. Once there, take a left and you will arrive at the Gathering Space. For those who know the building, this is across from the sanctuary.

There are three ways to attend Intersections. Registration is required for all three:

• Attend in person (with lunch) by clicking here. Three boxed lunch options are available: smoked turkey, ham & swiss, and vegetarian wrap; boxed lunches are $15 each. You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Tuesday, February 4. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will not be available.
• Attend in person (no lunch) by clicking here. There is no cost for this option, but we do need your RSVP to ensure we have enough seating.
• Watch via YouTube by clicking here. This virtual presentation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Intersections is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Waveland Hall
4126 Ingersoll Ave, DES MOINES

in-person and virtual options

Standing with our immigrant neighbors

Presenter:
Erica Johnson
Founding Executive Director, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice

Even prior to the start of the second Trump administration, the rhetoric and threats were being lobbed at the immigrant community, particularly threats of mass deportation. President Donald Trump has a long history of spreading hate against people who are immigrants, threatening deportation, and causing great anxiety and fear. Regardless of immigrant status, people who are part of the immigrant community worry about their families, children, community, and themselves. Will they go to work and be swept up in a raid? What will happen to their children in that situation? What about other family members, including those for whom they provide care?

Join us at Crossroads on February 21 to learn more about what is happening in Polk County and communities across the state to help support immigrant families and how you can be part of the solution.

There are three ways to attend Crossroads. Registration is required for all three:

• Attend in person (with lunch) by clicking here. Four bag lunch sandwich options are available for $15: turkey, roast beef, ham salad, and vegetarian. You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, February 19. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will not be available.
• Attend in person (no lunch) by clicking here. There is no cost for this option, but we do need your RSVP to ensure we have enough seating.
• Watch via YouTube by clicking here. This online presentation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Crossroads is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Des Moines

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17
5:30 - 7:30 PM
BELLA LOVE EVENT VENUE
8801 University Ave, Suite 29, CLIVE

We know this 2025 Legislative Session is going to be challenging. No doubt about it. But Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund will be working tirelessly against bills limiting the rights of Iowans. Our presence at the Capitol – both in-person and through online communications – as well as our collective power remain as crucial as ever.

The Action Fund Reception is the only fundraiser we hold each year that supports our efforts at the Iowa Capitol. This year we are excited to hear from a strong supporter of the Action Fund’s work and a legislative champion: House Assistant Leader Rep. Heather Matson! She will share about the big legislative fights and how we can most effectively take action together.

Will you join us February 17 and help strengthen our important work and voice for all Iowans?

Sponsorship levels and individual tickets are available.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
3:00 - 5:00 PM
DES MOINES VALLEY FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
4211 Grand Ave, DES MOINES

Des Moines Valley Friends is hosting a two-hour workshop called, “Roots of Injustice, Seeds of Change” through a national program of Friends Peace Teams. The co-creator of the program, Paula Palmer, will be here to help with the presentation.

Here is a bit of what Friends Peace Teams says about the workshop:

We offer this workshop in response to calls from Indigenous leaders at the United Nations and the World Council of Churches. Through an experiential exercise, we trace the historic and ongoing impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery, the 15th-century justification for European subjugation of non-Christian peoples. Our goal is to raise our level of knowledge and concern about these impacts, recognize them in ourselves and our institutions, and explore how we can begin to take actions toward right relationship. In the Doctrine of Discovery we find the roots of injustice. In the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we find the seeds of change. How can we nurture these seeds to bring forth the fruits of right relationship among Native and non-Native peoples?

The workshop is free and a freewill offering will be taken, with proceeds going to the Meskwaki Nation.