Interfaith Picnic
Local Initiative Grant 2023
Rev. Marissa van der Valk
Parsippany United Methodist Church
Parsippany UMC in collaboration with the Parsippany Interfaith Clergy Council held its first annual Interfaith Picnic on Sunday July 23rd. The event was held in the beautiful meadow of the Parsippany Presbyterian Church. It was made possible with a generous grant from the Council of Bishops. The picnic was attended by many faith traditions including Jewish, Presbyterian, Baptist, Hindu, Islamic, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist.
Over 75 people attended the gathering, which had a wealth of food from many different faith traditions. In addition to hamburgers and hot dogs, the picnic gatherers sampled Halal, Kosher, and vegetarian food. There was also a wealth of games from corn hole, to volleyball, and a rousing game of frisbee. Based on feedback, the Interfaith Clergy Council has decided to make this an annual event. It was a wonderful and momentous occasion, marking the first of many events to promote understanding, harmony, and unity among diverse communities.
Here are some quotes about the picnic from the Interfaith Leaders:
“Our Interfaith Picnic provided a relaxed atmosphere to meet and speak with many people from our diverse community. It was a delightful opportunity to share our faith backgrounds and family stories with one another as we mingled in large and small groups of friendly people and ate delicious food together.”
Rev. Dr. Stacie Turk
First Baptist Community Church
“There were about seven of us from St. Andrew Lutheran church. We had a wonderful time! We had the opportunity to mix with people from various religions: Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and various Christian denominations. It was a relaxed atmosphere with many different foods and activities to take part in. What I liked the best was that because we were there to meet one another, people were eager to get to know one another and to engage in conversation. I hope this is the beginning of an annual event of celebration and inclusion.”
Rev. Psomi Psomas-Jackloski
St. Andrews Lutheran Church
“Several families attended the picnic from the Islamic Community Cultural Center of Parsippany. The number could be much higher, however, the event was announced a little late at the center due to some miscommunications. Nonetheless, it was a delightful experience for us to see our kids play together and share food with the members of the local houses of worship. Volleyball, frisbee, and hay-ride were the highlights of the day. This was a successful event for a start. We are looking forward to larger events with larger attendance.”
Mesut Sahin
Islamic Community Cultural Center
“What a wonderful opportunity to come together as neighbors and as communities of different faiths. Sharing food and being aware of the different dietary practices of different faiths was an effective lead-in to conversations where we learned about each other in a natural way. People from different Christian denominations, Jews, Muslims and Hindus found commonality while also being able to appreciate singularity and the uniqueness of each faith in a way that seemed very informal and normal. In a society that tries often to erase our paper over differences, it was wonderful to accentuate them in a way that still brought us together. Many people I spoke with talked about how they felt that an event like this sets an example that all of us in our fractured country should be following. Thank you to Pastor Jeff Edwards who dreamed of this gathering before Covid and to Pastor Marissa van der Valk who made it happen.”
Rabbi Moshe Rudin
Adath Shalom Congregation
“This event was a vision of my predecessor Rev. Jeff Edwards. Due to COVID and Pastor Jeff’s retirement, the event was put on hold, but the vision he passed on remained. The event was originally conceived for 50 people to attend. We were so pleased when we had over 75 people from the Interfaith community attend. It was amazing to see all the people from the different faith communities break bread together, share their faith traditions, and have fun. We are considering having this an annual event. I thank the Council of Bishops for their generous grant which allowed this event to come to fruition.”
Rev. Marissa van der Valk
Parsippany United Methodist Church
