What an amazing time we had last Thursday! The 2025 Award Celebration was truly a spectactular evening: hearing the prophetic voice of Sister Simone Campbell; celebrating the phenominal work of Bishop Betsey Monnot, Mazahir Salih, and Bleeding Heartland; and enjoying the tight harmonies of the small group ensemble, HarMANY. It was a night to remember! THANK YOU to all who attended and/or supported the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa with your generous gifts. We appreciate you, and are proud to stand with you as we Challenge Extremism and Reclaim our Democracy.

We are excited to announce we raised more than $130,000 from the Award Celebration (including over $22,000 the night of the event)! Thank you so much to all who contributed to the success of this event, ensuring our work and voice remain strong in the days to come!

Take a moment to view the photos from the evening. Many thanks to our photographer, Brittany Brooke Crow.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Waveland Hall
4126 Ingersoll Ave, DES MOINES

in-person and virtual options

Jews and Judaism: Simple, complicated, and still here

Presenter: Rabbi Neal Schuster, Temple B’nai Jeshurun

Judaism is one of the oldest religions of today’s modern world, spanning 6000 years with plenty of shifts and turns in its history. Jews are in every corner of the world but are also one of the smallest religious groups with about 0.2 percent of the world’s total population. For those who are not Jewish, we often think we know enough about Judaism and our Jewish neighbors. But can we ever really know enough about any minority religious tradition and its people? Can we ever really understand looking from the outside in what it means to be Jewish in the United States, especially given the history of antisemitism?

Join us at the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Crossroads luncheon in June as we unveil a new project, Understanding Our Neighbors, so we can all learn about and understand one another just a little bit more.

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: turkey, roast beef, ham salad, and vegetarian; brown bag lunches are $15 each. You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, June 18. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch are 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.

Understanding Our Neighbors is a new project of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa intended to help each of us listen to and understand those who differ from us. After all, if we don’t take the time to understand our neighbors, how can we ever move our world to one that is less divided? Understanding Our Neighbors may appear as a speaker at one of our luncheons (Crossroads and Intersections), a Zoom gathering, or in other ways. We invite you to come ready to learn, listen, ask questions, and find a better understanding of your neighbors.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 8
10:00 AM
CAPITAL CITY PRIDE MAIN STAGE
Corner of E 6th + Locust St, DES MOINES

ALL are welcome! Join the Rainbow Faith Coalition of Greater Des Moines for our ecumenical Pride worship service on Sunday, June 8. The Main Stage is located at the corner of E 6th and Locust St in downtown Des Moines.

If you would like to attend but cannot be there in person, we encourage you to watch the livestream on the RFC website.

Interfaith Alliance of Iowa is a coordinator of the Rainbow Faith Coalition of Greater Des Moines.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
ST. TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1020 24th St, WEST DES MOINES

Christian nationalism is gaining ground—but so is the courage to confront it. Join Rev. Kathleen Milligan for When Faith Becomes a Weapon: Confronting Christian Nationalism with Courage and Compassion.