Greetings everyone,

I hope the busy days of September are settling in to some semblance of order!
Please take a moment to catch up on some of the exciting developments in the
Surrey Neighbouring Faiths Program.

Fall 2009 Session is underway!

The Fall 2009 Session got off to a great start at the Newton Family Resource
Program on Sunday, September 20. We are once again fortunate to have an
open-minded and inquisitive group of families joining us. We are also
fortunate to have Kerri Van Eaton and Heather Jones providing much
appreciated assistance. It’s shaping up to be another great session!

Exciting developments
Funding through “Inter-faith Bridging Program” of EmbraceBC
The SNFP, in partnership with DiverseCity Community Resources Society and
the Surrey Public Library, is one of six inter-faith projects in the province that
has been selected to receive $12,750 through the “Inter-faith Bridging
Program” of EmbraceBC, a provincial program in the Ministry of Citizens'
Services. This funding will support the development of “Multifaith Storytelling
Kits.” The “Multifaith Storytelling Kits” will be compiled in partnership with
faith communities in the SNFP. They will be available for loan through the
Surrey Public Library, and will be a lasting resource for multifaith education in
the community.
This is a significant accomplishment for the SNFP, its partners and
supporters. Thanks go out to all who have supported the development of the
program over the past year.
2010 Multifaith Calendar Fundraiser
2010 Multifaith Calendars are available for purchase. They are $15 each or 2
for $25. They make great gifts! All proceeds go to the Surrey Neighbouring
Faiths Program. Packages are available for anyone who would like to sell the
calendars. Just let me know.
Early Childhood Education workshop
Members of the SNFP have contributed to the development of a workshop
designed to educate Early Childhood Educators (ECE) about the importance
of considering children’s religious and spiritual identities. The workshop is
titled: “Honouring the religious and spiritual identities of children in Early
Childhood Education.” The workshop was presented to 60+ ECE staff in the
Surrey Parks and Recreation Department in early September. There is
considerable interest in the ECE community for this workshop, and I hope to
continue developing it further. A PDF file of the most recent draft can be
accessed at the bottom of this newsletter. All feedback is welcome.
Listing in Surrey Leisure Guide
Watch for the SNFP listing in the spring edition of the Surrey Leisure Guide!
Thanks to Erin Balmer in the Surrey Parks and Recreation Department for
supporting this and offering it free of charge. This is a significant step forward
for the promotion of the SNFP.

Other upcoming local interfaith events

2010 Multifaith Calendar Launch
 The Board of the Multifaith Action Society cordially invites you to attend our
2010 Multifaith Calendar Launch and Artists’ Exhibition:
Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009
Time: 2 pm to 4 pm
Location: St. Andrew’s Hall , 6040 Iona Drive (UBC Campus)
Published annually by the Multifaith Action Society, the Multifaith Calendar is
a unique educational resource that facilitates understanding of religious
occasions and festivals important to many historic faith traditions and
emerging spiritualities.
The Calendar is a carefully selected collection of art work. Each year a theme
is chosen and artists from all over Canada and the USA submit work. We are
proud to say that these images are original works of art from a wide variety
of artists.
You will have an opportunity to meet some of the local artists whose work is
featured in the 2010 Calendar. Come and enjoy refreshments, meet members
of the Board of the Multifaith Action Society and view a collection of past
Multifaith Calendars.
For more information, please contact Sabina Harpe, Managing Editor
Tel: 604.737-4887 E.mail: sabharpe@shaw.ca

Ongoing announcements
Surrey Public Library - Multifaith Display Cases
The next library display will be at Semiahmoo Library in October. This display
functions as a “conversation starter” to encourage dialogue about the various
participating faith communities. This display will rotate through a number of
libraries over the coming year.
Cities Fit For Children
The SNFP will be presenting at the “Cities Fit For Children” Summit in Langley
on October 22, 2009. The event brings together municipal, regional and
Aboriginal leaders. Emphasizing the importance of local partnerships, the
goal of the Summit is to increase knowledge of the role of local governments
in enhancing early childhood development. The SNFP presentation will
highlight the importance of supporting diversity in the community. Register
for the conference here.
Early Years Conference – The Rights of the Child
The SNFP will be presenting at this conference in Victoria on February 4-6,
2010. The conference will explore early childhood, family and community
development through the lens of Child Rights. The U.N. Convention on the
Rights of the Child (1990) articulates various inherent human rights that
should be afforded to children. Policies designed to support and provide
general and specific services to children and their families, should reflect
these rights in order that all children may reach their full potential in society.
Conference participants will have the opportunity to consider research,
policy, and practice from a child’s rights perspective in order to further the
quality of their work with children, families and communities. Visit here for
more information.
Join us on Facebook!
Join our Facebook group and receive timely updates on the Surrey
Neighbouring Faiths Program and other multifaith events in the community. If
you are not already on Facebook, you will need to provide an email address
 and password to join. It is quite painless. This newsletter will continue to
provide more in-depth, monthly updates to your inbox.
As always, I invite your comments and feedback on any aspect of the program. If
you would like to get more involved, please let me know what your interests and
passions are, and we can explore some ideas together.
In peace,
David Dalley
(604) 502-8661
davidanderin@dalley.ca

“Comforted by how much we share, we’re able to delight in our differences.”

- Raffi, from “A Covenant for Honouring Children”