All posts by Tim Helton

The “Quaker” Tradition

This event has already taken place, and, alas, technology failed us and we weren’t able to record the event. Happily, however, the presenter, Percy Hicks-Severn agreed to redo the presentation so that it could be recorded. You can view the recording on Facebook at https://fb.watch/jJvLXz55Ri or by clicking on the clip below:

Or, you can view it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/5EpZ-PIVEXY or by clicking on the following clip:


During the English Civil War in the mid 17th century, George Fox traveled widely preaching a message of unmediated access to God. Though charged with blasphemy, Fox’s message nevertheless gained a large following which came to be known as The Religious Society of Friends. Originally used as a term of derision, the name Quaker eventually became an informal name for the movement which contributed greatly to the abolition of slavery in the United States.

At 7:00 PM on March 28th, the Ventura County Interfaith Community is pleased to host Percy Hicks-Severn, a long time member of the society who will discuss the history and beliefs of this fascinating group.

We hope you’ll join us for this informative talk either in person at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church (1251 Las Posas Road, Camarillo, California 93010) or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VenturaCountyInterfaith.

The talk is free and all are welcome, so don’t hesitate to invite friends who may be interested.

Funeral and Burial Practices in Various Faith Traditions – Part 2

This event has already taken place, and, alas, technology failed us again and we weren’t able to record the entire event – we lost much of Rabbi Lotker’s presentation. Happily, however, Rabbi Lotker agreed to redo the presentation so that it could be recorded. You can view both the rabbi’s recording and our recording of the remainder of the event on Facebook at https://fb.watch/keeL0rW5F4/or by clicking on the clip below:

Or you can watch it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Q_KYL98W4FU or by clicking on this clip:


Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On February 28th, the Ventura County Interfaith Community (VCIC) offered the first of a two part series dealing with funeral and burial practices and the beliefs that underpin them. Leaders from the Bahá’í community, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Muslim community presented. For more information on that forum or to view a recording, click here.

On April 25th at 7:00 PM, VCIC will present the second and final forum in this series at Padre Serra Catholic Church, 5205 Upland Road, Camarillo, 93012. Presenters will include a rabbi, a Buddhist monk, and a Catholic priest. In addition to the live presentation, the event will be streamed to Facebook, and you can watch by pointing your browser to https://www.facebook.com/VenturaCountyInterfaith.

The event is free and all are welcome, so feel free to share with anyone you know that might be interested.

Funeral and Burial Practices in Various Faith Traditions – Part 2

At 7:00 PM on April 25th, the Ventura County Interfaith Community (VCIC) will offer the second of a two part series dealing with funeral and burial practices and the beliefs that underpin them. Leaders from the Buddhist, Christian, and Jewish traditions will present.

Join us in person at Padre Serra Catholic Church (5205 Upland Road, Camarillo, CA 93012) or online at https://www.facebook.com/VenturaCountyInterfaith.

This event is free, and all are welcome, so don’t hesitate to invite friends who may be interested.

Funeral and Burial Practices in Various Faith Traditions

This event has already taken place. Not to worry, though. If you missed it you can view a recording of the event on Facebook by clicking on this link: https://fb.watch/i-DW8xwtrb or by clicking on the clip below:

Not a fan of Facebook? View the recording on YouTube by clicking here: https://youtu.be/48kMlifTxnc or by clicking on the clip below:


People have been tending carefully to the remains of their loved ones for millennia. Tradition has dictated the manner of that care, but often tradition finds its roots in religious beliefs.

On February 28th, the Ventura County Interfaith Community (VCIC) will offer the first of a two part series dealing with funeral and burial practices and the beliefs that underpin them. Leaders from the Bahá’í community, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Muslim community will present.

This event will also be the first of what we hope will be several “hybrid” presentations. That is, you’ll be able to choose between participating in a live presentation or joining a livestream online. The live presentation will take place at 7:00 PM at the Church of Scientology. The Church of Scientology is located at 2151 Alessandro Drive, Ventura, 93001. As an alternative to the live presentation you may also join on Facebook by pointing your browser at 7:00 PM to

https://www.facebook.com/VenturaCountyInterfaith.

Beliefs and Practices of Native Americans

This event has already taken place. But, not to worry, we recorded it and you can view it on Facebook at https://fb.watch/hdYFp-fxr-/. Or, you can view it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/QdeO-TS7Dyc or by clicking on the clip below.


Mary Crist in Native Dress
Rev. Dr. Mary Crist

Indigenous people had a rich culture inclusive of spiritual beliefs and practices long before most of our ancestors arrived to the United States. Sadly, much of their culture and stories have been forgotten and erased. Learning about Native American beliefs and practices is vital to interfaith understanding and dialogue. Join the virtual meeting to hear Rev. Dr. Mary Crist, Coordinator of Indigenous Theological Education for the National Episcopal Church share her knowledge and insights on November 29th at 7:00 PM. Simply point your browser to: https://bit.ly/3F1d6rW.

The Feast of Faiths

Great News! The early bird deadline has been extended to October 17!

The Ventura County Interfaith Community is excited to announce the return of the annual Feast of Faiths. The Feast of Faiths is a gathering of individuals from various religions to discuss their beliefs with those of other faiths informally over dinner.

The theme for the 2022 Feast of Faiths is: “Almost 2 years of Pandemic: What have we learned?”

Members of various religions – including but not limited to Trinitarian Christians, Muslims, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Unitarian Universalists, Bahá’ís, Quakers, Scientologists, and others – will share a meal. The purpose of the dinner is to promote dialogue and friendship between people of different religions.

Halal-style and vegetarian food will be served.

Join us for this exciting opportunity for interfaith friendship at 4:00 PM on October 23rd. The location for this year’s event is Saint Columba’s Episcopal Church, 1251 Las Posas Road, Camarillo. You can get your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feast-of-faiths-tickets-411492243377. The suggested ticket price is $26 if received by the Early Bird deadline of October 17, or $30 afterwards. Suggested student (8 and older) price is $10 by October 17, or $15 afterwards.

Open Mosque Day

Several of us from VCIC will be attending the Islamic Center of Conejo Valley’s Open Mosque Day. Join us in showing your appreciation for the local Muslim community on October 22nd from noon to 4:00 PM! The address of the mosque is 2700 Borchard Rd. Newbury Park, CA., and you can find full information on the day by visiting https://iccv.org or in the flyer below. See you on October 22nd!

The Pentecostal Movement

This event has already taken place. But, not to worry, we recorded it and you can view it at https://fb.watch/fRBWJ082ef or by clicking on the clip below.

Or you can view it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/mezTXS07Akc or by clicking on the clip below.

Born in the beginning of the 20th century in a home prayer meeting on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, the Pentecostal movement has since grown to a worldwide movement comprising some 700 denominations and over a quarter of a billion adherents. At 7:00 PM on September 27th, Dr. Tim Helton, a former Assemblies of God pastor and student of the Pentecostal movement will present an introduction to the movement and the Pentecostal message on Zoom. Join us at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89358982084?pwd=cUdxcC9Rd3NYaTdGZVNmd05vYitrQT09 for Dr. Helton’s presentation. A question and answer session will follow.

Reconciling Faith with a Suffering World – Revisited

This event has already taken place. But, not to worry, we recorded it and you can view it at https://fb.watch/f6s08aRl8m or by clicking on the clip below.


Or you can view it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/5dis0zbOh00 or by clicking on the clip below.


Many wonder how one can reconcile faith with a world of suffering. On August 23rd at 7:00 PM, a member of the Bahá’í community, an imam, and a member of the Quaker community will revisit this topic and talk about their approach to this very difficult theological issue. You can listen in on this conversation on Zoom by clicking on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85970186278?pwd=QVVDazkyck1DRE5na1c4SDVNRm5SUT09. A question and answer session will follow the presentations of these faith leaders.