CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Belmont Serves day — Monday October 10, 2011 (Columbus Day holiday)

This was the 3rd annual Belmont Serves day, and the most successful yet! It is a town-wide day of community service, organized by the BRC and endorsed by the Board of Selectmen and other community organizations. On Belmont Serves day, the Belmont food pantry is filled to overflowing with donations from across the town (over 1,400 bags of groceries were collected this year). Trails and conservation areas are cleaned up for the fall, gardens are planted at a variety of public locations, and a fresh coat of paint is applied at different town facilities. The work is organized in advance, each individual can select a project to join, and teams are assigned to work at various locations throughout the town. The event concludes at 1 pm, with pizza ice cream. Everyone can then enjoy the afternoon with their friends and families, knowing they have made a positive difference that day for Belmont.

Thanksgiving Prayer Service — Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 5:30 pm, First Baptist Church

This year's inter-faith service will be held at First Baptist Church, 129 Lexington Street near Waverley Square. Parking is available across the street at St. Luke's Church parking lot. Note that the service this year is the Sunday afternoon before Thanksgiving at 5:30 pm.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving is a good time to gather together, and give thanks as a community for all the blessings we have received. This inter-faith service has become a long-standing Belmont tradition.

Each year, a different member of the Belmont clergy says a few words about the meaning of Thanksgiving. An inter-faith choir leads the congregation in song. Clergy and the faithful from a wide range of Belmont's faith groups participate. The offering provides funds for the Belmont Food Pantry, which the Belmont Religious Council had helped establish. Please come! All are welcome.

Inter-Faith Youth Mission Trip to Birmingham, Alabama (week of February vacation, Feb. 18-25, 2012)

Every other year, a team of 30 high-school students and ten adult advisors spend February vacation serving a less-fortunate community. Often these communities have faced recent natural disasters, combined with years of economic privation.

We typically travel to the southeast United States, where outdoor work (home repairs, painting, etc.) can be done in February. We travel there in a spirit of service, and often gain much more than what we provide in physical labor and supplies. A group of experienced adult advisors from Belmont and surrounding communities volunteer their week to participate in this inter-faith service trip.

We live in modest quarters, work hard every day, meet members of the community we are serving, and take one afternoon at mid-week to enjoy whatever makes that community unique and special.

Every high-school student (sophomore or above), who is associated with a Belmont faith community, is encouraged to apply. We can take up to 30 youth. Openings are allocated by faith community, and we try to balance participation by faith community, grade level and gender. While the trip typically costs about $700-800, generous financial aid is always available thanks to donations by individuals and faith groups.

Special Events — scheduled throughout the year

The BRC has sponsored forums on issues of concern to Belmont residents. One year, we sponsored an inter-faith panel on the controversial "Passion of the Christ" film. Another year, we held an "Introduction to Islam" evening seminar.

This past summer, we held a kick-off meeting to explore how Belmont faith communities can work with our schools to help our youth navigate the stresses and risks faced during their teen years. We intend to follow through on these themes over the coming months and years.

The BRC also sponsors an annual inter-faith choral concert, to experience the variety of musical traditions; and to simply enjoy hearing each other sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.