Welcome to the website for A Common Word Alberta – Christian Muslim Dialogue.
The annual dialogue happens on the last Saturday of October. If you are interested in joining the organizing team please contact us.
2025 Dialogue In Review
Suzanne Gross
On Saturday October 25, the 13th A Common World Alberta Interfaith Dialogue took place at the Al Ameen Masjit in Edmonton. Seventy-six Muslims and Christians gathered to explore together the shared story of Abraham/Ibrahim welcoming the strangers/visitors/angels. Six of the Christians present were Edmonton Mennonites.
We opened with a Quranic reading read by the Sheikh of Al Ameen Masjit. This was followed by a land acknowledgement and an Indigenous teaching offered by Candida Shepherd, one of our teachers at our annual dialogue in 2023 on the topic of the medicine wheel.
The speakers this year were Imam Jamal from Al Rashid Mosque for the Muslim voice and Pastor Suzanne Gross from Holyrood Mennonite for the Christian voice.
The theme was hospitality, sharing together how we are called through this story to be hospitable in a world full of fear of each other. Christian representation included Catholics, LDS, Anglicans, Mennonites, and non-churchgoers who grew up Christian. Anke Jessen, one of the Mennonite participants who attends Lendrum Mennonite Church had the following to share:
“It was a wonderful event and I enjoyed it and learned a lot. At my table I had participants aged mid-teens to at least mid-70s from & 6 co-nationalities (if you count the young Christian woman who joined us after the main program & who grew up in Dubai and is of Chinese descent). One woman had been part of the group from its origins, while two heard about it for the first time from Eventbrite. And before that I met an engaging couple originally from Turkey at my original table. The warmth and variety of people I met was further enhanced by the great programming a delicious food!, of course! I will do what I can to encourage more Christians to participate next time! We were definitely outnumbered 🙂 It was a rich experience and I hope more folks take part in it next time!”
A Common Word Alberta Offers this Lament for the London Murders
Download our Letter of Lament for the London Murders here. (letter is in PDF format)
Two Common Words – Resilience and Community (Shelly King, Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, November 4, 2020.
A comprehensive Document for Christian Muslim Engagement. Thanks to the Anglicans and Lutherans of Canada.
We have a blog! Our most recent posts are A Quaker-Jewish Perspective on Ethics and Halachah by Robert Kirchner and What I learned from Ramadan by Randolph Haluza-DeLay
OUR MISSION
As Christians and Muslims, we strive to create spaces for gatherings where our faith communities can engage each other in order to overcome stereotypes and embrace our differences. Click here to learn more about us.