Updates to Restore in light of recent events

Dear friends,

In light of recent events and the intensely charged political environment, Sharon McMahon has made the difficult decision to step back from a number of upcoming events. She has informed us that she will not be able to join us at Restore this year.

In this moment of intense polarization, it feels more important than ever to connect with each other, to inspire each other, to restore our feeling of community, and to recommit ourselves to the difficult and important work of peacemaking.

As our friends Paul Edwards, Patrick Mason, Emma Addams, Maury Giles, Becca Kearl, Tami Pyfer, and Marianne Viray wrote this week,

“We need spaces—physical and digital—where people can mourn together, reflect together and rebuild trust together. … Now is the time to turn our mourning, our fear, our anger into individual and collective action for good.”

At Restore, Patrick Mason will be leading a main stage session on how we can create and enjoy more peace in polarized times. Some of our breakout sessions will also speak to this urgent topic.

We believe this is the work we most need to be engaged in right now, and we want everyone who wants to join us at Restore to be there. If you or anyone you know would benefit from a deeply discounted ticket to Restore, please send us an email at info@faithmatters.org. It would be our sincere pleasure to help you attend.

Rest assured that we are working closely with the UCCU Center and UVU to provide added measures of security for this event.

If you have questions or concerns we can address, you can email us any time at info@faithmatters.org.

In faith,

The Faith Matters team

Breakout sessions on this topic include:

When Loved Ones Journey Away: Adventures in Peacemaking — Patrick Mason & Chad Ford

Stepping Out of Our Chapels and Into Our Communities — Kristin Andrus & Bethany Brady Spalding

Creating a Church of Belonging — Chanté and Alexis Sinclair, with Tom Christofferson

Polarized Pews: How Faith Can Reduce Political Tribalism — Marianne Viray and Chandra Whetstine