Faith to Faith Faith to Faith Worker Awais Dominic FAITH TO FAITH QUICK LINKS : A TOUCHSTONE GUIDE TO BRADFORD INTERFAITH ORGANISATIONS : CHRISTIAN PRIORITIES IN A MULTI-FAITH CITY : CONTACTS EMAIL AWAIS : faith2faith(@)touchstone-bradford.org.uk I would describe myself as a Pakistani Christian, born and bred in Pakistan. By profession I was a teacher and I taught science for 17 years in Pakistan. For the most part I worked in Christian missionary schools, except for one elite Muslim school, called Beaconhouse School System. I had the great opportunity to work closely with students and parents belonging to the Muslim community. During this period I gained an enjoyable experience of understanding the religious and social beliefs with the Muslim community in a respectable and cooperative manner. This experience has not only helped me to understand the real values of other faiths but I have learned how to share the love of Christ with my Muslim friends and neighbours. As Jesus taught us "love one another as I have loved you". My experience was enriched by participating in the religious and cultural festival celebration which was very helpful in order to advance our relationship through respect and appreciation of their faith. Moreover, cultural inheritance and practices provided a valuable, positive way into new relationships. God wants his people to work in different ways and I think this is true in my case. It is undoubtedly a great blessing for me that I have been called to be a Faith to Faith Worker in Bradford at Touchstone, Methodist Centre which has special vocation and calling to witness Christ through its ministry of outreach among diverse faiths and other Christian denominations. I am helping people in the local churches, especially women groups and other ethnic groups to gain better understanding and good relationship of other faiths and cultures by providing them an opportunity to meet, by sharing hospitality and providing them religious and cultural literacy. My work offers great prospects to network and participate in interfaith, multicultural activities and festivals at local, regional and national organisations. I have been able to help preparing and leading worships and participate in multicultural/faith prayer events. Some of my interfaith activities include encouraging interfaith relations and community cohesion, for example: 1. Interfaith Writers for Peace: brings people of different faiths and cultures together to share poetry (bilingual), fellowship and food. It also aims to build bridges between different communities by sharing the beauty of cultural and religious values in a creative way and reflect on current affairs. 2. Interfaith Women Group-Touchstone Neighbourhood. The group shares religious and cultural literacy for better understanding and relationship. Annual day outs are ways forward to strengthened the bond of friendship. 3. Turning Point: aims to socialise, listen, share and acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Asian women in various walks of life. The extensive interfaith activities that occur are published every four months in a Faith to Faith newsletter in collaboration with Rev Geoff Reid in order to share the constructive practices of interfaith relations which, are also often featured in Urdu magazines and newspapers.