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On Tuesday the 22nd April 2014, 31 members and guests of the Casey Multifaith Network went on a Tour to Places of Worship. The tour began at 9:30am sharp leaving from Narre Warren North with Pam Mamouney OAM the official guide and organiser.

The first stop was Etz Chayim (Tree of Life) Progressive Synagogue in Bentleigh. This synagogue was founded in 1951 and is a warm and friendly congregation that aims to nurture spirituality, learning and continuity within the Jewish community. The CMFN guests were warmly received into the main congregation hall and greeted by our host, who gave an informative talk about the traditions practiced by the members of this Synagogue. The Torah Scroll and other worship items were also displayed to the participants. An opportunity was given to ask questions allowing everyone a chance to learn more about this faith group.

The second stop was St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springvale, where our generous hostess Mrs Erika Watts gave us a comprehensive insight into the church’s history and the current composition and traditions of the congregation. A predominantly German-speaking membership attends this beautiful church, but due to a new generation born and raised in Australia, more services are now conducted in English. The Church premises include a large dining hall and children’s area as well. The Church hosted the tour for lunch and provided drinks and delicious desserts platter for all. There was also an opportunity to visit the Church’s Easter Market which was set up for fundraising.

The third and last stop was at the Dutch Reformed Church in Dandenong. We were welcomed with a beautiful cup of warm tea/coffee along with lovely hot cross buns by our hosts in the dining hall. Pastor Garry De Vries gave us an excellent summary of the church’s history and shared some views on the multifaith nature of our communities in Australia in the present day. We were given a tour of the beautiful hall where the congregation meets for church services and everyone was given a chance to ask the host questions.

At each place of worship, Casey Multifaith Network Vice President Stephanie Saunders presented our hosts with an interfaith prayer. The tour ended at 2:45pm. It was truly an inspirational and enlightening tour, where each member of the network had the opportunity to learn about other faith traditions, hopefully removing any previous held misconceptions.