Photos © Nubar Alexanian
A national dialogue about
personal values and civic ideals
FACILITATOR’S MANUAL FOR
HOUSES OF WORSHIP
(Version 7.05)
This I Believe
Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………….…....…….3
Fact Sheet……………………………………………….…………..............5
House of Worship Facilitation Process…………………….………………6
Quotes from the This I Believe Series……...………………………….…..15
Quotes from the Original This I Believe Series……………………………16
Essay-Writing Tips……………………………………………....………...17
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NPR’s This I Believe
House of Worship
Facilitator’s Manual
Introduction
Through the initiative of the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, an inter-religious organization,
a group of leaders from houses of worship in Louisville Kentucky gathered around a table to
discuss ways to use This I Believe as a tool for dialogue in both intra- and interfaith settings.
The group developed this Facilitator’s Manual to assist anyone interested in hosting a This I
Believe Conversation within and/or among houses of worship.
The manual offers several different approaches to choose from, depending upon one’s level
of experience and comfort in facilitating groups, as well as the nature and makeup of the
group itself. For example, some facilitators and participants might know each other well,
while others will be meeting one another for the first time. Some facilitators may wish to
follow a detailed, step-by-step process while others are content to work from a general onepage outline and fill in the details accordingly, based on the unique dynamics of the
particular group they are working with.
In response to this need for a variety of approaches to choose from, we have compiled the
“best of the best” in dialogue processes, from a very general outline adopted from the Public
Conversations Project to some detailed and tailored step-by-step processes that have been
piloted by our core group and modified within a faith-based setting. This tailored House of
Worship section is located on page 6 in packet.
We do suggest that you include somewhere in your session a listening segment. You can
listen to a number of essays in streaming audio on the project website by going to
www.npr.org/thisibelieve. You will find that the very act of listening to these essays
generates significant sharing and dialogue on its own, but you can facilitate the flow of the
discussion by using some of the simple tools suggested in this manual.
Some facilitators find that the process of discussing the essays, then relating them to and
sharing one’s own beliefs is a sufficient goal in and of itself. Other groups choose to make
submission of their own personal essays the ultimate goal for these groups. The important
thing is to get people talking to one another about deeply held values in ways that are
inclusive, respectful, and meaningful.
Questions came up during the process of creating this manual that gave us pause, such as
“What action results from sharing one’s core beliefs through essays?” and “Is there an
expectation that these essays reflect the way we live out our beliefs?” It was suggested that
the process of facilitating conversation around This I Believe essays might include discussion
about ways we put our faith into practice.
Participants commented on the empowering nature of the This I Believe dialogue process. As
one member commented “There is a strong movement in modern suburban culture
surrounding ‘meaning making.’ This I Believe is a way to demonstrate that those who don’t
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identify strongly with a particular creed or theology also believe deeply in core values which
bring meaning to their lives.”
There were concerns as well. Would people feel free to express opinions and beliefs that
may not be in complete agreement with established theological tenets? Can we differentiate
between personal belief and church doctrine in the process? How should facilitators handle
these questions?
The group agreed that This I Believe essays are not intended to be a recitation of religious
doctrine, but rather a description of how a few core beliefs play out in one’s life. Essays
from the original and very successful 1950’s series also included descriptions of how the
essayist came to hold those views and the reasons why they were so important to them at
that time.
Finally, the group talked about the likelihood that beliefs expressed in the essays might not
be very diverse. However, the factor that makes each essay unique is the individual’s view of
how he or she came to hold those beliefs and how they play out in his or her life. One
member used the analogy of looking at the same landscape from different vantage points—
each view has a slightly different perspective.
Ultimately, we hope that understanding the subtle differences in perspective among those
sharing the same faith is a stepping-stone towards exploring the wider differences among
those of different religious or spiritual origins.
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This I Believe
Fact Sheet
What It Is: This I Believe is a national media project that invites Americans from all walks of
life to share brief essays describing the core values that guide their lives. National Public
Radio is broadcasting these three-minute essays each Monday on their newsmagazines
Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The essays also will be featured in a variety of other
venues including print media, the Internet and community gatherings. The project is based
on a popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.
How It Works: Each week, NPR broadcasts a new This I Believe essay read by its author. At
the conclusion of each segment, host and curator Jay Allison asks listeners to submit their
own essays for inclusion in our on-line archives and possible future broadcast on NPR. The
best essays received from listeners combined with essays commissioned from prominent
Americans will air on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and appear on NPR’s website
at npr.org. That site includes text and audio features from the new series as well as striking
portraits of the essayists made by noted photographer Nubar Alexanian. The website also
offers visitors a chance to explore the 1950s essays with an extensive archive of text, audio
and photographs from the original series.
Goal: The goal of This I Believe is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs;
the goal is to encourage Americans to begin the much more difficult task of developing
respect for and reaching a deeper understanding of beliefs different from their own.
Producers: Dan Gediman and Jay Allison, award-winning producers of documentaries and
feature stories for public radio.
Funders: The Farmers Insurance Group, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the
Righteous Persons Foundation.
Debut: April 2005
Contact:
community@thisibelieve.org
Website: www.npr.org/thisibelieve
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NPR’s This I Believe
House of Worship Process
Revised 6/30/05
OVERVIEW
Step 1—Welcome & Opening Prayer
5 minutes
Step 2— Ice Breaker Activity:
Talking About What’s Important
15 minutes
Step 3—Description of This I Believe
10 minutes
Step 4— Review Principles of Conversation
5 minutes
Step 5—Writing About My Beliefs
15 minutes
--session can be split here as participants take more time for writing portion--Step 6—Sharing My Beliefs With Others
25 minutes
Step 7—Talking Together About Our Beliefs
15 minutes
Step 8—Reflecting On the Process
10 minutes
Step 9—Next Steps as a Group
10 minutes
Step 10—Celebrating Our Beliefs
10 minutes
Total Time:
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DESCRIPTION OF GROUP PROCESS
Suggested timeframe: 2.0 hours (can be split into two sessions)
Items needed
 Comfortable chairs in a circle
 Refreshments
 Materials for writing or drawing
 Computer with Internet access to listen to streaming audio of the essays
 Signs for Icebreaker Activity (see Step 2)
Step 1—Welcome & Opening Prayer (5 minutes)
Opening prayer to acknowledge sacred space
Individuals take a moment to introduce themselves around the circle
EXAMPLE: Say something like: “Let’s start by going around and saying your name and
…” (Facilitator chooses one or two of the following)
•
something that led you to accept the invitation to join this dialogue.
-or•
something that you hope to experience or learn while you are here.
-or•
something that could happen in this conversation that would lead you to feel glad that
you decided to participate.
“Please say just a few sentences - not more than a minute or so. I’ll start, then we’ll go
around.” (As the first speaker, you can model brevity with a two-sentence response.)
Courtesy of the Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org)
Step 2— Ice Breaker Activity: Talking About What’s Important (15 minutes)
(The following icebreaker activity is inspired by This I Believe curriculum used in the Jefferson
County, Kentucky, Public Schools.)
•
•
•
•
Ask participants to pair up, or hang signs around the room that say “Strongly
Agree,” “Agree,” “Disagree,” and “Strongly Disagree.”
Distribute or read out loud statements in the exercise titled “What Do You
Think?” (found on page 14 of this document)
Explain that the statements represent a few of the axioms that some people
believe are true in their lives. If paired, ask participants to select one that they
consider to be true and one that they do not, and talk about their choices with
their partner. Participants can add statements to the list. Or, read them out
loud and have participants stand beneath a sign for each.
At the end of the exercise, ask participants to share the statements they would
add to the list. Or have them discuss their observations based on the group
activity with the signs.
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Step 3— This I Believe Background (10 minutes)
• Provide background information on This I Believe (See document entitled
Introduction to NPR’s This I Believe on p. 13 and This I Believe Fact Sheet on
p. 5)
• Play a selection of original and/or current essays from the project website,
www.npr.org/thisibelieve
• Talk about the anticipated impact of This I Believe on multiple levels:
o Individuals—As essayists from 50 years ago acknowledged, writing a
This I Believe essay can be a powerful personal experience.
Participants often tell of acquiring new personal insights and
motivation to stand up for what they believe to be right and true.
o House of Worship—Bringing people together within their worship
community to share their This I Believe essays can have the effect of
developing deeper understanding or new insights among participants,
and as a result building stronger connections between parishioners.
o Communities—Conflicts about beliefs threaten to divide our
communities. This was as true 50 years ago as it is today. Engaging
others in respectful, insightful discussions about basic beliefs helps
communities reach common ground, can bring about deeper trust, and
ultimately create stronger communities.
Step 4— Review Principles of Conversation (5 minutes)
Review the "Principles for Conversation" below and seek confirmation or revision:
• Acknowledge one another as equals
• Try to stay curious about each other
• Slow down so we have time to think and reflect
• Expect it to be messy at times
Reprinted with permission of the publisher. From “Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope for
the Future,” copyright© 2002 by Wheatley, M., Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, CA. All rights
reserved. (http://www.bkconnection.com)
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS:
Regarding the spirit of our speaking and listening,
1. We will speak for ourselves and from our own experience.
2. We will not criticize the views of other participants or attempt to persuade them.
3. We will listen with resilience, “hanging in” when what is said is hard to hear.
Regarding the form of our speaking and listening,
1. We will participate within the time frames suggested by the facilitator.
2. We will not interrupt except to indicate that we cannot hear a speaker.
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3. We will “pass” if we do not wish to speak.
If suggestions are made and agreed to by all, write them on any posted list.
“So is each of you prepared to follow these guidelines as best you can, and allow me to
remind you if you forget?”
Look for verbal and non-verbal responses.
“OK, these will serve as our agreements.”
“If at any point you feel that these agreements are not serving our purposes adequately,
speak up and we’ll see if it makes sense to revise them.”
Courtesy of Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org)
Step 5—Writing About My Beliefs (15 minutes)
Read the Essay-Writing Tips and Invitation by Edward R. Murrow for a clear
description of what a This I Believe essay is all about. For those who do not wish
to submit an essay, allow them to craft a "story" about their beliefs. The story can
be in many forms, such as:





A picture
A list of bullet points
A series of statements
A description of a moment that crystallized beliefs
A description of a time when they have felt their beliefs were tested
The intent is to allow the person to articulate and subsequently share with others
three to four foundations of belief that he/she feels is operating in his/her life,
and/or to begin the process of actually writing a TIB essay.
SAMPLE PROMPT QUESTIONS
1. “As you strive to be a faithful person, who/what do you turn to for guidance and
inspiration?”
-or2. “During the course of your life history were there particularly formative or
transformative times that relate to your choosing those sources of guidance and
inspiration?”
-or3. The essayists spoke about ways that their faith is expressed in action, in their
professions, and in their personal lives. In what ways, large or small, is your faith or
value system expressed in your life?
Courtesy of Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org)
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------Here the session may end and participants given the opportunity to work on their
written essays and reconvene at a later date-------
Step 6—Sharing My Beliefs With Others (25 minutes)
Review Principles and Ground Rules if group is reconvening. Provide each person
with the opportunity to share, (without discussion or comment) their "story" from
Step 5. Restate selected prompt question if necessary to get the conversation going
again.
EXAMPLE: “We are now at the point in our time together when you can talk more
freely. As we move into this less structured time, it’s important to remember why we are
here: not to debate or persuade but to speak with sincerity, to listen with open heartedness
and resilience, to reflect on our own views, and to seek understanding of other views.
Optional: When you’d like to speak, please let me know by raising your hand.”
Courtesy of Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org)
Step 7—Talking Together About Our Beliefs (15 minutes)
After each has had a chance to share their story, individuals are invited to share patterns,
surprises, insights, or questions that surfaced as they listen to others.
EXAMPLE: CONTRIBUTING TO A CONNECTED CONVERSATION

Note a point of learning
Have you heard something that stirred fresh thoughts or feelings?

Pick up and weave a thread
Has an interesting theme or idea emerged that you’d like to add to?

Clarify differences
Have you heard something you disagreed with? If so, first check to see if you
understood it correctly. Then say what was unsettling to you about what you heard
and why.

Ask a question
Is there something someone said that you’d like to understand better? If you ask a
question, be sure it reflects genuine curiosity and is not a challenge in disguise.
Courtesy of Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org)
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Step 8—Reflecting On the Process (10 minutes)
The group takes time to look at the guidelines from Step 3 (Principles of Conversation) to
evaluate the experience.
EXAMPLE: “Our time here is coming to an end. Are there any parting words that you’d
like to say to bring your participation to a close?”
“You may want to simply comment on what the experience has been like for you. Or you
may want to say…” (Facilitator chooses one of the following)
 one idea, feeling, commitment or promising question that you are taking with you.
-or one thing you want to remember about this conversation.
-or something about what came up for you here that you may want to share with a friend,
family member, or co-worker, or take out into your life in some other way.
Courtesy of Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org)
Step 9—Next Steps as a Group (10 minutes)
The group briefly talks about whether it wishes to convene again for some additional
conversation about beliefs and insights/questions arising from this sharing.
Step 10—Celebrating Our Beliefs (10 minutes)
Individuals are invited to develop their “stories” into an essay to be submitted to
the This I Believe project. Details on submitting an essay can be found at web site:
http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/agree.html
Other ways to celebrate and share personal essays might include:
1. Host a coffee during which participants are invited to share their essays
with others in the community/congregation
2. Encourage participants to submit their essays to the
community/congregation’s newsletter or newspaper
3. Display text of the essays in common areas of your house of worship
4. Encourage participants to submit their essays to their local public radio
station and/or local newspaper for publication. (NOTE: To be considered
for national broadcast, essayists must submit their work through the
project website, www.npr.org/thisibelieve.)
5. Listen to NPR broadcasts as a group in the months ahead so that
participants can connect with authentic audiences throughout the United
States (and eventually the world) who are accepting the challenge to write
about their philosophy of life
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Intra-faith or Inter-Faith Setting
This process can also between with members of houses of worship from different
faiths. In this setting, the process will probably take an additional 30 minutes or
so. More time will be needed in:
Step 1 (Introductions)
Step 5 (Sharing patterns, surprises, insights, questions)
Step 7 (Clarify next Steps)
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Introduction to NPR’s This I Believe
From 1951-1955, Edward R. Murrow hosted This I Believe, a weekly radio program that
reached 39 million listeners. On this broadcast, Americans from all walks of life read
five-minute essays about their personal philosophy of life. They shared insights about
individual values that shaped their daily actions. The radio series was a phenomenal
success and spread throughout the world via radio, newspapers, and books.
Fifty years later, National Public Radio and Dan Gediman, a Louisville radio producer,
are again inviting Americans of all ages and all perspectives to examine their belief
systems and then write a 350 – 500 word personal essay. In addition to radio broadcasts,
Gediman and his team seek to bring people together in their communities—in houses of
worship, libraries, classrooms, coffee houses, bookstores, and on the Internet—to begin
talking about their beliefs.
NPR’s This I Believe began airing nationally in April 2005. We hope to encourage
members of our community/congregation to participate in the national dialogue, and to
do so by first sitting down with each other and sharing their own beliefs. Anyone who
wishes to can submit their essay via the project website, www.npr.org/thisibelieve, for
review and possible broadcast on NPR. The This I Believe team isn’t looking for
perfectly written, grammatically correct writing samples. Instead, they are looking for
thoughtful words that genuinely reflect those core beliefs that guide your daily life.
Hundreds of people responded to Murrow’s invitation 50 years ago, including former US
presidents and diplomats, captains of industry and educational leaders, nurses, students,
taxi drivers, actors and homemakers. Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Albert
Einstein, and Helen Keller were just a few of the many who provided their statements of
belief.
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NPR’s This I Believe
House of Worship Process
The following statements are just a few of the axioms people hold to be true in their lives.
Do you agree or disagree with these statements? For those you agree with, how did you
come to that position? For those you do not agree with, why? Please feel free to add other
statements that sum up one or more of your most cherished beliefs.
What Do You Think?
Life’s fair.
Words can hurt.
What goes around comes around.
How you act in a crisis shows who you really are.
Love conquers all.
An eye for an eye….
People learn from their mistakes.
You can’t depend on anyone else; you can only depend on yourself.
If you smile long enough you become happy.
Miracles do happen.
There is one special person for everyone.
Money can’t buy happiness.
Killing is wrong.
Don’t what is right means obeying the law.
Others provided by facilitator and/or participants:
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This I Believe
Quotes from the NPR series
Give, give, give – what is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don't
give it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don't
share it? I don't intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving that I connect with
others, with the world and with the divine.
–Novelist Isabel Allende
There is such a thing as truth, but we often have a vested interest in ignoring it or outright
denying it. Also, it's not just thinking something that makes it true. Truth is not relative.
It's not subjective. It may be elusive or hidden. People may wish to disregard it. But there
is such a thing as truth and the pursuit of truth.
–Filmmaker Errol Morris
I seem most instinctively to believe in the human value of creative writing, whether in the
form of verse or fiction, as a mode of truth-telling, self-expression and homage to the
twin miracles of creation and consciousness.
–Writer John Updike
This I believe: that it is intellectually easier to credit a divine intelligence than to submit
dumbly to felicitous congeries about nature.
–Commentator William F. Buckley, Jr.
When I was young, an honest and moral life seemed like a straightforward goal. I now
know that it's not always easy to see what should be done and even harder actually to do
it. Nevertheless I'm grateful that I still have some time to keep trying to get it right, and to
savor each remaining day in my life.
–NPR Listener Elizabeth D. Earle
I believe in the journey, not the arrival, in conversation, not monologues, in multiple
questions rather than a single answer. I believe in the struggle to remake ourselves and
each other in the spirit of eternal forgiveness, in the awareness that none of us knows for
sure what happiness truly is, but each of us knows the imperative to keep searching.
–Commentator and blogger Andrew Sullivan
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This I Believe
Quotes from the original series
I came to believe in God because, over the many years, He time and time again made
Himself manifest to me. To embrace the career of composer is tantamount to embracing
a life of high adventure. There may be no atheists in foxholes, but there are none in the
Green Room either, especially before the premiere of a difficult, intricate and, I hope
always, courageous musical work. Also, one cannot long work in the composition of
music without coming to realize that one doesn’t do it all by oneself.
—Composer George Antheil
I do not believe in predestination, for I think we are given minds for development – and
the greatest gift ever given is that of freedom to decide and act. But there comes a time in
every person’s life – and generally many times – when things become greater than he and
when he must turn to Some One bigger. If one does not have Some One to turn to, one is
lost and unhappy.
—Ward Wheelock, co-creator of This I Believe
I believe that I should behave with courageous dignity in the presence of fate and strive to
be a worthy companion of the Beautiful, the Good and the True. But fate has its master in
the faith of those who surmount it, and limitation has its limits for those who, though
disillusioned, live greatly. True faith is not a fruit of security. It is the ability to blend
mortal fragility with the inner strength of the Spirit. It does not shift with the changing
shades of one's thought.
—Helen Keller
I feel no need for any other faith than my faith in human beings. Like Confucius of old, I
am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven
and the angels. I have enough for this life. If there is no other life, then this one has been
enough to make it worth being born.
—Novelist Pearl S. Buck
In all honesty, what I believe is neither inspirational nor evangelical. I cannot say that I
am even a sound Christian, though the code of conduct to which I subscribe was preached
more eloquently by Jesus Christ than by any other. About God I simply do not know; I
don’t think I can know.
—Writer Wallace Stegner
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This I Believe
Essay-Writing Tips
We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement
of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is – it requires such intimacy that
no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these
suggestions:
Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of
your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your
own experience, work and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does.
Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching – it can even be funny – but it
should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and
the shaping of your beliefs.
Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That’s about three
minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.
Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be
about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on a core belief, because
three minutes is a very short time.
Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not
what you don’t believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about
you; speak in the first person.
Be personal: This is radio. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to
speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each
time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone and story that truly echo your
belief and the way you speak.
For this project, we are also guided by the original This I Believe series. Below, you will
see the producers’ invitation to those who wrote essays in the 1950s. Their advice holds
up well and we are abiding by it. Please consider it carefully in writing your piece.
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In introducing the original series, host Edward R. Murrow said, "Never has the need for
personal philosophies of this kind been so urgent." We would argue that the need is as
great now as it was 50 years ago. We are eager for your contribution.
The Original Invitation from 'This I Believe'
This invites you to make a very great contribution: nothing less than a statement of your
personal beliefs, of the values which rule your thought and action. Your essay should be
about three minutes in length when read loud, written in a style as you yourself speak,
and total no more than 500 words.
We know this is a tough job. What we want is so intimate that no one can write it for you.
You must write it yourself, in the language most natural to you. One faces an intensely
personal moment when he draws up his will disposing of his belongings. Even more
personal is the testament of his faith. It is this we ask you to write in your own words and
then record in your own voice. You may even find that it takes a request like this for you
to reveal some of your own beliefs to yourself. If you set them down they may become of
untold meaning to others.
We would like you to tell not only what you believe, but how you reached your beliefs,
and if they have grown, what made them grow. This necessarily must be highly personal.
That is what we anticipate and want.
It may help you in formulating your credo if we tell you also what we do not want. We do
not want a sermon, religious or lay; we do not want editorializing or sectarianism or
'finger-pointing.' We do not even want your views on the American way of life, or
democracy or free enterprise. These are important but for another occasion. We want to
know what you live by. And we want it terms of 'I,' not the editorial 'We.'
Although this program is designed to express beliefs, it is not a religious program and is
not concerned with any religious form whatever. Most of our guests express belief in a
Supreme Being, and set forth the importance to them of that belief. However, that is your
decision, since it is your belief which we solicit.
But we do ask you to confine yourself to affirmatives: This means refraining from saying
what you do not believe. Your beliefs may well have grown in clarity to you by a process
of elimination and rejection, but for our part, we must avoid negative statements lest we
become a medium for the criticism of beliefs, which is the very opposite of our purpose.
We are sure the statement we ask from you can have wide and lasting influence. Never
has the need for personal philosophies of this kind been so urgent. Your belief, simply
and sincerely spoken, is sure to stimulate and help those who hear it. We are confident it
will enrich them. May we have your contribution?
Adapted from the invitation sent to essayists featured in the original 'This I Believe' series.
Excerpted from 'This I Believe 2,' copyright © 1954 by Simon and Schuster.
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