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We started off with a bang with a brand new evening session: Fed-U-Cation! Named for getting fed (thanks to Chef Djamil Bah-Traore of House of Bah Foundation!) and educated at once, it carried through the year with eight different sessions.  Our sessions started with presentations from Dr. Lucas Schulte, covering topics such as the 5 B’s of religion and anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim tropes, and continued with guests such Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer and the clergy of our faith partners. Each presented an interfaith discussion focused on interfaith collaboration and relations, with participants being able to walk away with new knowledge and steps to take to make their own communities more welcoming to other faiths and traditions.

Our Fed-U-Cation series even featured a Tri-Faith first: an interfaith iftar! With 36 registered attendees (and a few others that arrived once the event was in full-swing!), it was one of our most-attended Fed-U-Cation events of 2025.

The iftar featured several personal stories from our guests of honor, including Sidra Fahad, Abdullah Amiri, and Dr. Hamza Haqqi. The presentations were full of personal anecdotes of what Ramadan looked like across international cultures. About three-quarters of attendees took up AMI’s offer to join the Maghrib prayer at the masjid before returning to the Tri-Faith Center for the iftar, further continuing the interfaith experience for our non-Muslim attendees.

Summer brought us the Race, Religion, and Social Justice Conference. On June 9, 2022, more than 170 people from across the country met on the Tri-Faith Commons for Omaha’s fourth annual Race, Religion & Social Justice (RRSJ) Conference. Our theme for this year’s conference was “Fueling The Work,” featuring Chef Djamil Djibril Bah-Traore and Chef Anthony Warrior as our keynote speakers.

Hosted across the Tri-Faith campus, RRSJ 2025 brought together speakers and attendees from on and beyond the Tri-Faith Commons. Together, we highlighted the impact of food on communities both in and outside of Omaha, with the key takeaway being how attendees could recognize food as the tool it was for building connections despite religious differences.

Throughout the year, we also featured two courses: “The Foundations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” and “A Tri-Faith Introduction to World Religions.” Both aimed to educate on the fundamentals of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, with the latter course also introducing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.

Our first class took place in February 2025, with fourteen people attending. Their end goal was to be able to identify and describe basic elements of all three religious traditions, and analyze and summarize the similarities and differences between and within Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Our second class took place over 13 weeks in fall and winter 2025, with eighteen people attending. Topics included information about the population size and geographical concentrations of these various religions, an introduction to some of the core tenets of each religion, an overview of some of the major sacred writings and scriptures within the religion, and other facets to the religious practices.

Fall saw the culmination of two years’ work with both the Bridges of Understanding: An Interfaith Dialogue Experience and our Emerging Clergy program. Bridges of Understanding featured Rabbi Dr. Reuven Firestone, a scholar on Jewish/Muslim texts also known for his founding of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement. Over 250 people attended over the course of the five events that made up the interfaith experience, not including the Shabbat and Sunday services led. 

The Emerging Clergy Seminar, made up of clergy from all walks of life, spent the year meeting virtually to connect and build interfaith relationships that they could then take back to their communities. During our Bridges of Understanding Interfaith Experience, three cohort members and one co-director came to the Tri-Faith Commons to experience Tri-Faith’s multi-faith campus for themselves. They attended several sessions with Rabbi Dr. Reuven Firestone, held their own online seminars, and attended services at the American Muslim Institute, Temple Israel, and virtually for Countryside Community Church. Amidst this, they got to explore the campus and learn more about how the commons operates and works together to uphold their dedication to religious diversity and equity.

But our events and programs are not the only thing worth celebrating. In 2025, Tri-Faith Initiative was awarded the Inclusion Leadership award from the Midlands African Chamber! The awards were aimed towards individuals, businesses, and organizations that uplift the Midlands African Chamber, Inc. through leadership, mentorship, and community support. The award was granted to Tri-Faith’s new Executive Director, Renee Franklin.

2025 brought huge changes, but it also took the steps to bring us closer together. Here’s to 2026 continuing that mission!

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Her memorial service will be November 22nd at Countryside Community Church on the Tri-Faith Commons. Her services start at 10AM CST.

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Omaha, NE (Oct. 28, 2025) The Tri-Faith Initiative (TFI), a nationally recognized nonprofit fostering interfaith collaboration, has named Renee Franklin as its new Executive Director. Franklin brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership and will guide the Omaha-based organization in deepening local roots while expanding its national and global impact.

Tri-Faith Initiative fosters collaboration among its three founding faith partners—Temple Israel, Countryside Community Church, and the American Muslim Institute—on the Tri-Faith Commons.

“We’re excited for Renee to lead the next chapter of Tri-Faith,” said Rick MacInnes, past board chair and chair of the executive director search team. “She’ll deepen our roots here in Omaha while amplifying our voice nationally and globally for interfaith dialogue and religious pluralism.”

“Renee is the leader Tri-Faith needs right now,” said Brian Fahey, board chair of the Tri-Faith Initiative. “She knows how to build partnerships, grow organizations, and bring people together across differences.”

Franklin brings a wealth of experience to TFI—from leading organizations like the AIM Institute, the Learning Community of Douglas & Sarpy Counties, and Kids Can Community Center, to serving as board chair of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands.

She has been recognized for transforming organizations, guiding strategic growth, and fostering inclusive dialogue, with honors from the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Aspen Institute, and the White House.

“As a lifelong advocate for equity, inclusion, and collaboration, I am inspired by Tri-Faith’s vision of bringing people of different faiths together,” said Franklin. “Tri-Faith is rooted in Omaha but increasingly shaping national conversations about pluralism and belonging. I am honored to join this remarkable community and lead its next phase of growth and impact.”

In her new role, Franklin will oversee programs that build understanding among diverse faiths, expand local and national partnerships, and elevate Tri-Faith’s thought leadership. Her priorities include strengthening financial sustainability and championing the Tri-Faith Commons as a model for interfaith collaboration worldwide.

About Tri-Faith Initiative

The Tri-Faith Initiative is dedicated to cultivating inclusive spaces that foster interfaith relationships and understanding. By promoting dialogue, education, and collaboration among diverse faith communities, Tri-Faith aims to create a world where differences are celebrated, commonalities are embraced, and everyone feels a true sense of belonging.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Roni Gosch, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

rgosch@trifaith.org | 402-934-2955 ext. 104

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According to the New York Times and a 2023 survey of 5000 Gen Z people in the United States, 40% of women and 34% of men declare themselves as “religiously unaffiliated.” While this number is not exhaustive and a proper representation of the overall Gen Z population, it does align with the Pew Research Center’s survey indicating that there has been an increase of young people declaring themselves religiously unaffiliated throughout the 2020s. In fact, in comparison to the average population growth, the religiously unaffiliated are outpacing almost every other religious category.

However, this isn’t a sign of an uncaring population – quite the opposite. In the same surveys, 86% believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body, and 79% believe there is something spiritual beyond the natural world. This coincides with the rise of Wiccan and witchcraft-esque beliefs in Gen Z, especially among the TikTok crowd. 

The turn from organized religion as a whole seems to be driven by an overall need for identity exploration and growth. Which is where the term “spiritually curious” comes into play.

What is spiritual curiosity?

Spiritual curiosity is born from the exploration of other spiritual identities outside of your own. This can be as simple as doing research on Google or Wikipedia, all the way up to attending the services of different faiths to learn about their practices and beliefs. It’s defined by the search for understanding of the spirit and the divine, and can be seen as something spiritually neutral as opposed to spiritually damaging.

To those that are more strict and rigid in their beliefs, the spiritually curious can be seen as spiritual anarchists, defined by outspoken atheists and those that are only looking out for themselves. But just as there are different sects and differences in practice among the major religions, the spiritual but unreligious are not a single monolith defined by its most outspoken followers. They can be as community-minded and oriented as any other religious person, or have their own rigid belief system that lies outside of organized religions. This is why interfaith spaces are as important for the spiritual but unreligious crowd as they are for the religious folks.

Common questions from the spiritual but unreligious population:

1. Is it okay to explore multiple faiths?

Curiosity is a gift that all humans share, so it stands to reason that you’d be curious about what other people believe in. It’s quite alright to explore multiple religions, especially alongside someone from that faith. Just remember to stay safe, and ask a trusted person outside of the faith questions if you have any concerns or fears about the religion you’re researching. This is not a warning to stay away from any particular religion, but a reminder to stay safe when faced with religions that aren’t always welcoming to religious curiosity.

2. What if I never commit to a religion?

There’s no law that says you need to commit to a religion. If you’re happy with your beliefs and are just curious about other religions, it’s always okay to explore and return back with a better understanding of your set of beliefs. If you’re happy with simply being spiritual over religious, being curious will simply help you understand the basis of your beliefs and give you a deeper understanding of those around you.

Where do interfaith spaces come into play?

Interfaith spaces such as Tri-Faith Initiative play a large role in connecting the spiritually curious to other religions around them. While the name “Tri-Faith” indicates the 3 founding faith partners on the Tri-Faith Commons, the Tri-Faith Center itself is an interfaith center with no specific religious affiliation that is open to people of all religious identities–including the unreligious. Without a neutral place to learn, those that are spiritually curious may not get to experience a truly unbiased educational experience. These spaces are open to all to learn and to teach, and provide a non-judgemental place for those with questions to ask and answer.

How do you begin your journey as someone spiritually curious?

• Look into the different faith congregations that can be found in your city. You’ll be surprised what religions are represented within your city, all of whom will be happy to answer any questions you ask via email, phone call, or in person.
• Go to places like the Tri-Faith Initiative. Tri-Faith often features events with speakers from multiple faiths as well as their own educational programming to educate the spiritually curious.

The world was built on the backs of curious people. Without them, we wouldn’t know anything that we do now about the universe, each other, or ourselves. It’s natural to be curious about belief systems other than our own, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, attend services, and look to interfaith entities for guidance on your spiritual journey.

If you’re ready to get started, Tri-Faith is hosting a World Religions 101 class weekly starting in August. Stay turned to our social media channels for dates, times, and further information.

You can sign up for the full course here!

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As changes happen to our worldwide religious “garden, Tri-Faith Initiative is here to adapt and help serve all. One of the ways that Tri-Faith Initiative can advance interfaith understanding is by having an understanding of what are the various religious groups in the world. Recently, the Pew Research Center has updated their worldwide population numbers for religious groups (“How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020”). I highly recommend looking over the article for yourself as well, but I wanted to share some of the highlights below. Please note that all of the following images are from the article and contain their sources and original labels. While Christianity is still the largest religion (population-wise) in the world, it did not grow as fast as the growth of the world’s population:  

Muslims were the fastest-growing religious group in the world over the past decade. Meanwhile the actual number of Buddhists in the world is the only population that actually shrunk smaller than its numbers a decade ago (meaning it shrunk even despite the world’s population increasing):

Hindus, Jews, and all other religions grew steadily at the same rate of growth as that of the world’s population. People with no religious affiliation are the only group besides Muslims that grew faster than the growth of the world’s population. This corresponds with a population trend we see here within the religious population of the USA: while Christianity is the largest percentage of the US population, the quickest growing group are people with no religious affiliation:

So, to recap: Jews, Hindus, and most religious groups make up the same percentage of the world’s population as they did a decade ago. Their numbers grew at the same rate as the world’s population overall.The two groups that grew at a faster rate than the world’s population are Muslims and the religiously unaffiliated. Islam is the second-largest religion in the world.Christians are a group that grew at a slower rate than the world’s population. While Christianity is the largest religion in the world, it is a smaller percentage of the world’s population than a decade ago.Finally, Buddhism is the only group in which the not only the percentage shrank but the actual number of Buddhists in the world is smaller than a decade ago.

 The trends of growth for Christianity and Islam as the two largest religions that may switch places in size in the future is a trend I have seen for a while. Also not surprising is how most other religions–including Judaism—remain steady with the world’s population growth: they grow in numbers no faster or slower than the world’s population growth. I am surprised that the worldwide Buddhist population shrank—that not only the percentage but the actual number of Buddhists in the world has become smaller over the past decade. As someone who has not only friends but even family who are Buddhist or come from countries with rich Buddhist heritages, I feel a bit saddened to hear this news, as I am to see the shrinking of any religious group and its distinctiveness in our world. The other trend that I notice the most here is that while we have seen more people in the USA disaffiliating with religion, this now looks to be a trend being reflected in the global population as well.Whether you are part of steadily growing groups like Jews and Hindus, shrinking groups like Buddhists, or more rapidly growing groups like Christians, Muslims, and even the religiously unaffiliated, Tri-Faith Initiative is here to cultivate inclusive environments where everyone belongs. However the garden of our society changes over time, Tri-Faith Initiative is here to tend to that garden.

by Dr. Lucas Schulte

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Welcome to our first edition of “Luke’s Book Nook”! We wanted to try out a new feature for our Tri-Faith Initiative newsletter and share some books that might be of interest to our readers. Often, these will be about nonfiction books to learn more about religious identities, interfaith efforts, and intersections between religion and other aspects of identity. But also I wanted to mix in some novels (particularly for summer “beach reads”) that may have something to teach about religion, culture, and identity that can also help us in our mission at Tri-Faith Initiative to “cultivate inclusive environments to advance interfaith relationships and understanding.” Do I personally agree with all perspectives offered in these books? Not necessarily. But each book I’m recommending here is one that I have found (or–for those I’m in the process of reading–hope to find) an enriching experience. I hope you will, too.

Our first book is The Covenant of Water: a Novel by Abraham Verghese

Thanks to NPR’s Book Concierge list, this was one of my Christmas presents last winter. Don’t let the size of this novel intimidate you! Personally, I love a large novel–but this one seemed to go by quickly despite its size. The author, Abraham Verghese, MD, is a physician from India who also wrote a memoir I read in college called My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story. India also takes an important role in his latest novel, which follows three generations of a family living in the Malabar Coast from 1900 to 1977. This family faces a mysterious affliction: at least one person in each generation dies from drowning. Considering Dr. Verghese’s medical career in addition to his literary career, it is not a spoiler to say that the practice of medicine plays important roles within this story. 

This heartfelt novel of family, grieving, joy, and the strive to overcome hardships has another aspect that our interfaith-minded readers may find of interest: the protagonist family is part of an ancient Christian community within India, one that traces its origins to the apostle Thomas (as in “Doubting Thomas”). There are different names and even denominations for the Saint Thomas Christians of India, but they are members of the churches of the East (the various Eastern Orthodox churches are probably the best known of the churches of the East). The author himself grew up within a Saint Thomas Christian family, so many of the insights offered about this religious minority within India are from an insider perspective. 

This is a beautiful novel that offers a chance to dive into another time and place during this hot Nebraska summer. Two of the best compliments I can give a book I will offer this book: I’m looking forward to reading it again, and I’ve planned to read another novel by this author (his first novel, Cutting for Stone, which I recently picked up at a used bookstore while traveling in Branson). And if this book has piqued your interest in learning more about the churches of the East, keep an eye out for my upcoming recommendation for An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches by John Binns.

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Jeremy Fricke

Tri-Faith Initiative VP of Mission Advancement

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