and take control of your financial future, then get ready, because real estate multi-millionaire, and best-selling author, than merrill, star of a&e's hit tv show, flip this house has one heck of an opportunity for you. for the last decade you've seen than all over tv. and now, than's chosen to hold a free two hour live class where you'll learn how you can start making money in real estate on a part-time or full-time basis. you'll learn his step-by-step blueprint for flipping homes and buying and holing income properties that generate consistent cash flow. this is the exact process that than and thousands of his students have used to get started and become successful. and now it's your turn. on today's show, you'll meet people just like you who've attended than's class and completely transformed their lives. - i never knew there were so many ways to invest in real estate with out using our own money.

- i get my monthly reports which show consistent, strong returns. much better than i was getting in the stock market. - i was able to buy and renovate 10 properties in just one year while still working a full-time job. - we actually sold a house last week. we purchased it, renovated it, listed it, and sold it. i've never been there. - because of my passive income portfolio growing, i now have a little bit more time that i can spend with my kids. - i said i wanted financial freedom and i wanted to get out of that rat race, and i have. - [narrator] this event is a perfect opportunity for you to learn how you can build your personal net worth, and achieve true financial freedom even if you don't have a lot of money, credit, prior experience, or spare time. - if you're looking to increase your income, become less dependent on a job, spend more time with your friends and family, and ultimately have more fun and freedom in your life, then you're in the right place at the right time. because i'm gonna show you

how you can have all of those things and more by learning my proven system for investing in real estate. i'm than merrill, star of a&e's hit tv show, flip this house. over the past 14 years, built a large portfolio of rental properties, and become a self made multi-millionaire to get very predictable and profitable results. over the course of this program i'm going to show you properties i've made money on in the past few months. and ones i'm renovating right now like the one behind me. real estate has completely changed my life. and for the past decade i've been able to share that passion through our live training events. these events have helped thousands of regular everyday people get started investing in real estate the right way. which has allowed them to make more money and live with more passion and purpose. on today's show you'll also meet some of those people and hear how they did it. and when you do, you'll feel a sense of excitement and confidence because you'll realize that by learning my system you can do this too.

i'd like to introduce you to jenna hooover. a single mom who knew absolutely nothing about real estate before she attended my two hour class. - i had zero experience. i didn't know anything about real estate. i always would see the shows on tv, and i just never had anybody that was there to teach me or to educate me. and there were so many components that i was nervous about or i was afraid about. i didn't know how to walk into a property and know how much it would cost to renovate it. all the tool systems and resources than provided me, answered all those questions. they took all those insecurities and threw them out the door for me. i think back at my confidence level, and being a single mom, with a two year old little girl, and i did things i never thought were going to be possible. i wasn't just learning how to flip a house, i was learning how to have belief in myself when i didn't have it - people often ask me, "than, why real estate and why right now?". well you've probably already noticed what's currently going on in this country is very scary. most americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

i'm talking about middle-class people, maybe like you, who are losing ground and losing faith. the old idea that if you work hard and pay your dues, you'll get ahead, might be giving you false hope. people are frustrated out there. working harder, longer hours, but they're just not gaining financial momentum. on the other hand, you might be doing well financially, but you're just not happy. even if you're doing okay right now, in the back of your mind you know it only takes something as common as a job loss, a divorce, an unexpected medical problem, and you can go from staying afloat to financially sinking over night. realize, this can happen to you. there's nothing worse than the hurt and stress a lack of money causes. and it doesn't have to be that way. that's why so many people wanna get a financial education and learn the proper steps, so you can take care of yourself and your family. i know the fastest way to go from where you are now financially, to where you want to be is by learning

a proven system for investing in real estate. - before i saw myself working as a teacher until 65 maybe. where now, i can retire when i'm ready. - if my son or daughter were to come to me and said, "dad i don't know what i wanna do in life, i just wanna better myself financially". i'm gonna tell them with 100% conviction and without reservation, to learn how to invest in real estate. because it's proven time and time again that it has the highest probability of success. real estate sets you up for life. and it all starts for you by attending my upcoming event. over the course of this show you'll see examples of the 29 real estate deals that i have going on right now,6 like the one right behind me that i'll be selling in just a few days. and on this one i'm gonna make over $47,000. this isn't just something i talk about, it's what i do everyday. this is what my students are out there doing everyday. it's something that can change your life forever.

right now i'm gonna share with you one of those stories. - i started as a letter carrier in the postal service and worked my way up through the corporate ladder. i thought i was well on my way. my family, i have three kids and my husband. all of that changed because my husband passed away. i was devastated. i didn't want to do anything. i didn't work for 14-15 months, and i just was not the same dee dee. when i went to than's two hour event, it was different from anything i had ever been to. i felt the passion. i felt the real sincerity and honesty that they were offering to be able to take the tools and use them to be successful in real estate. i was able to land my first deal and it was a huge success. i always had wanted to have a family owned business. that was what was important to me. since going to than's event we have done 19 deals.

we're working on seven right now. and one day you're going to take over this whole company. - thank you. - would you like that? - yes. - not one time did i ever think that i would ever be in the position that i am in today. and for that i am eternally grateful. - there's nothing in this world more beautiful than helping people like dee and her family transform their entire lives. the best part is dee's story is just one of many. this event will be a turning point for you. just like it has been for thousands of my students over the last decade. you see, i've invested over 14 years of time developing my system. i've spent the time to find out what works and what doesn't work so you don't have to. not only have i helped people get a tremendous education, i've also helped them get started financially. in fact, in just the past few years alone my business partners and i have funded over $165,000,000 in real estate projects.

making it possible for so many people who've attended my event to get started. in high school and college they teach us how to get a job. but in my live event i take pride in sharing with you how not to be dependent on a job. at the same time many of my students love what they do and may invest on a part-time basis. and that's the great thing about real estate and using my system. you can use it to supplement your income, or it can be much bigger if you want it to be. it just gives you more options in life. it doesn't matter if you have money or not. it doesn't matter what your upbringing was. it doesn't matter what your previous education is either. all that matters is that you have the right system to follow and if you like the idea of putting a little effort to start working toward your goals. - [narrator] real estate multi-millionaire, and best-selling author, than merrill, star of a&e's hit tv show, flip this house has chosen to hold a two hour live class. where you'll learn how you can start making money in real estate on a part-time or full-time basis.

you'll learn his step-by-step blueprint for flipping homes and buying and holding income properties that generate consistent cash flow. this is the exact process that than and thousands of his students have used to get started and become successful. tickets for you and a guest to attend this life-changing event are currently free. (upbeat music) - [narrator] during the show to ensure your seats. - this event was amazing, was incredible. i am so happy that i made it. - we walked into that room, and it was like- - wow! - yeah, wow! - it is amazing. it will change you life and it will get you on the right track. - it got me excited. it got me motivated. it showed me that i can do this. - [narrator] just for registering than will immediately send you a free digital copy of his money resource guide which gives you the seven best sources you can use to invest in real estate with little or no money out-of-pocket. page 18 shows you how to find private money lenders in your area who have cash to fund your deals.

within minutes you can be reading this insightful, money saving book before the show is even over. (upbeat music) - [narrator] to reserve your free tickets. when you arrive at than's class, you'll also receive this real estate toolbox. a $200 value packed with essential tools and how-to guides. and reveal how than finds his deals and buyers. this free gift is yours to keep, just for attending. seats are limited so don't let this opportunity pass you by. - my system's not about finding a needle in a haystack, or one lucky deal. it's about getting people calling you, offering you properties every single month. at my event you're gonna learn five ways to find real estate deals at a serious discount. for example, the property behind me is a pre-foreclosure. i just picked up at a great price using a very unique strategy you'll discover at the event. we've also had a lot of people who've used these strategies to buy their dream home at a big discount.

the next thing you'll learn in the class is how to profit three different ways. you'll discover how you can put a property under contract, and then with my system i can connect you to other investors that wanna buy that contract. which means you profit without even having to fix up the house. imagine how good that'll feel. putting little to no money into a deal and receiving a check in your hand when it closes. this is a perfect strategy if you just wanna dip your toe in the market, you don't have a lot of capital or spare time. the second strategy you'll learn is how to fund a deal using other people's money. and then how to fix and flip those properties quickly using my system. this is one of the most exciting parts of the entire class because you'll get to see the systems at work first hand. this is what's gonna separate you from everyone else in your area. and why so many people with real estate experience always turn to us. - we were real estate agents

and while we made a living at it, we weren't passionate about it. well we went to the event, it really gave us the confidence to do a wholesale deal. we put it under contract with a 30 day close. found a cash buyer. we had no money out of our pocket. - so we were definitely hooked after that, cause what he said really works. - i've helped thousands of people from all different backgrounds. from teachers to truckers, realtors to contractors, to attorneys to veterans. to stay at home moms and dads who've all attended my free two hour class who are now successfully making money in real estate. right now i'm going to share with you an inspiring story. two students of mine, sam, and his father, robert. sam was working a full-time job, he was earning a good income, but he realized he was trading his time for money, like most people do. he knew there had to be a better way. - i had a job i actually really enjoyed in sales. i was making six-figure income, but my time wasn't my own and i wasn't generating the kind of wealth that i really wanted. - i thought it would be the greatest thing in the world

to be able to work with my son. i heard than on the the radio and it sounded like it was too good to be true. however, i have some friends that are in real estate and have been for a long time. the more i talked to them, the more i heard about attending that two hour meeting. and it interested me. - my dad and i went to the event and saw the type of business that than was able to build doing multiple properties at the same time. and that's exactly what we wanted. right after that we got a house under contract that was a flip. we actually got that seller to owner finance us the house. we got to see the processes at work. we got to see the systems at work. and when we sold it we made $25,000. our first year in business we did 33 houses. our second year we did 47 houses. we actually sold a house last week. we purchased it, renovated it, listed it, and sold it. i've never been there. we've built a real business that's impacting lives. and we just couldn't have done it without the training that than's provided for us.

- it took us to places faster than we would've gotten on our own. if you bring a good attitude and a solid work ethic, you're going to be successful, because the program works. - sam discovered that there's a big difference between earning a good income versus being wealthy. people who earn a good income are out there working for money. whereas people that are truly wealthy have learned how to get money working for them. by acquiring assets that pay them each and every month whether they work or not. now if you're sitting there asking yourself, "can this work for me?". well stay tuned, because you're gonna meet a man who started investing in his spare time. and went from being in debt to building great income in real estate. also later in the show, you're gonna meet a couple who used their idle cash to create a passive monthly cash flow. and today they enjoy a financially free retirement. - now one question i get from people is, "than, i know your system works, but don't you need money to get into real estate?".

well you do need money, but the beautiful thing is it doesn't have to be your own money. you see over the years i've discovered seven different sources of capital you can use to fund your deals. and when you register for my free class, i'm gonna immediately send you a free digital copy of my money resource guide, which reveals what these seven sources are that you can use to invest in real estate with out using your own money. this is my free gift to you. and when you read it you're gonna feel confident that money will not hold you back from investing in real estate. in fact, sam just mentioned how he used one of the seven sources to make $25,000 on his first rehab. you'll learn about that exact source on page 15 of my money resource guide. you'll also discover one source of capital i consistently use to fund the majority of my deals throughout my career. - i never knew there were so many ways to invest in real estate without using our own money. today we've done six deals,

and i've raised over $1,000,000. - no matter what you do for work right now, chances are you wake up, leave your house, leave your family, and trade your time for a paycheck. however, you know there are only so many hours in a day. so your ability to produce income will always be capped. you know it's funny week after week, millions of people watch me flip houses on tv. while i flip lots of properties, i also use my system to buy and hold properties to create a consistent cash flow every single month. this is where your long term wealth will be built. think about this for a second. you can't pass your job down to your kids, but you can pass on properties that you own. take this opportunity to learn to live and to leave a legacy. - three years before i was eligible to retire i started thinking, well what are we gonna do? i'm gonna be 55-56 years old, i had been fortunate enough to build a very nice 401k.

i had a small pension. i also wanted to be able to grow our income and build our wealth. i knew that real estate in the long term held great promise, but going out and fixing toilets, and dealing with termites and tenants didn't really appeal to me. - so we heard the than merrill ad, and greg came home and said he would like to go. - i was really intrigued by all of the different aspects of real estate investing which i had never been exposed to before. i learned about the concept of passive investments, where the property management is all taken care of for us. it provides a great deal of security and a great return. the concept is very simple and very very appealing. it really wasn't a question of whether we were gonna do it or not. it was, we're doing this. we have subsequently purchased six properties. i get my monthly reports which show consistent strong returns. much better than what i was getting in the stock market. we basically take the checks, put them in the bank.

and i don't have to think about it that much. - the nice thing is that income from the properties allows you the freedom to go do other things. whether it's spending time with the grandbaby, or doing something together. it's life changing. i'd recommend it to anybody. - imagine having properties that produce a consistent monthly cash flow and increase your net worth. whether you're working, or not,, it's an incredible feeling. just think about this for one moment. at the class you'll learn to buy properties at a discount, so that day you close, you have instant equity. you're also gonna learn how to utilize other people's money to buy the property. on top of that the tenant is the one paying down the loan. you'll also get substantial tax benefits just for owning the property. and then if that's not enough, real estate values generally go up over time, which can significantly increase your net worth. that's the power of this knowledge and what you're gonna learn at the class. - [narrator] real estate multi-millionaire,

and best selling author, than merrill, star of a&e's hit tv show, flip this house, has hand selected to hold a two hour free real estate wealth building class. this is a rare and exciting opportunity to learn these powerful money making strategies. live and in person, absolutely free. if you're tired of trading your time for money. if you've ever worried about retirement, or wanna get your money working for you, then pick up the phone right now and (upbeat music) - [narrator] to get your free tickets. and just for registering, than will immediately send you a free digital copy of his money resource guide, which gives you the seven best sources you can use to invest in real estate with little or no money out-of-pocket. on page six, you'll learn one of the easiest ways to buy property with other people's money. within minutes, you can be reading this insightful, money making book before this show is even over. gain the knowledge you need to make money in real estate,

and it can change your life forever. just like it has for thousands of than's students all around the country. it all starts by attending his free 2 hour class. - another thing about than is he's a quality guy. you expect great people to make you great, and that's what he's doing. - you can't afford not to be here. - [narrator] when you arrive at than's class you'll also receive his real estate toolbox, a $200 value packed with essential tool and how-to guides and reveals how than finds his deals and buyers. this free gift is yours to keep just for attending. you only have nine minutes left to register during today's show. seating is limited and demand is high. so pick up the phone and (upbeat music) - [narrator] to reserve your free tickets now. - one of my students, dianet franco, mother of two, was working at a hotel. she hadn't graduated high school, had zero real estate experience before she attended my event. i love seeing someone like dianet leverage what i spend 14 years building,

use it to improve every aspect of her life. - when i went to than's event, it was just this whole door that opened up to me. it was eye-opening. i realized i can do more than what i think i can. and the only one that's holding me back, is really me. soon enough we got our first deal under contract. i did that deal and i felt great. i was like, "i cannot believe that i did this, like, that's awesome. i need to do it again". throughout the summer we'd have like 6, 7 deals going on, my confidence level went through the roof. at that point it was just deal after deal after deal after deal. currently we have five rental properties with high cash flow, and that gives me the opportunity to spend more time with my family. it's amazing what has changed in so little time. from when i first started to now, i would not be here if it weren't for than merrill.

- when i first met dianet, she didn't have a lot of confidence. and now, she's a completely different person. very confident, successful. and it's been so rewarding and humbling for me to know that i had a small part in helping her during that transformation process. - never in my life have i ever envisioned myself as successful as i am now in real estate, because i never felt that i had the capacity. but than sees the potential in people. they don't just rehab houses, they rehab people. - when you attend one of my live training events, you'll be learning from someone whose successfully doing this right now in today's market. over the past 14 year, i've done hundreds of real estate deals. i've made money in both up an down markets, because the systems i created allow me to get predictable results. at the event you'll learn how to fix and flip properties

just like we do on our tv show. for example, this is one of the 29 properties i'm working on right now. however, it's not as easy as it looks on tv, which is why we share both what works and what doesn't work. and why its so important to follow a system. - the fact that they've taught me to build systems, so i can run it like a business. before i was not running it like a business, i was just going for it. i was making money, but now i'm gonna make big boy money. - since i attended that event, my real estate career has skyrocketed. i am now on deals nine and 10 of rehabbing. i am making money that i never though imaginable. it introduced me to a whole new world. - a lot of people who fix up properties without a step-by-step system end up working way too hard, taking unnecessary risks. the last thing you wanna do is just wing it. at the event we reveal to you our hands off system for rehabbing properties. and how to get these properties fixed up

without ever having to pick up a single paint brush. i hear my students say time and time again, that their biggest regret is that they didn't start my system sooner. the fact remains, time is one of those precious commodities that you can never get back. - i've been in construction since 1978. started doing the house flipping about five and a half years ago. i was doing it all on my own, doing the work myself, doing everything i could. and i just knew there had to be a better, easier way. it's all there, it's already done for you, and we don't have to recreate it. - you know there are so many people out there that just talk about wanting to change their lives and make more money, but they never do anything. the fact that you made it this far in the show tells me you're different. and that you understand the power of financial education. however, if you sit around and wait, you're gonna miss the absolute best window of opportunity to make money. right now i'd like to give you the opportunity to get two tickets to my upcoming training event

before they're gone. - [narrator] real estate multi-millionaire, and best-selling author, than merrill, start of a&e's hit tv show, flip this house, have chosen to hold a free two hour live class where you'll learn how you can start making money in real estate on a part-time or full-time basis. you'll learn a step-by-step blueprint for flipping homes and buying and holding income properties that generate consistent cash flow. as you've seen and heard on today's show than has helped, literally thousands, of ordinary people all over the country use his systems to get started investing in real estate and change the course of their financial future forever. - i don't believe there's any other conference or event where they give you as many tools, and give you the confidence and the backing to go and do this for yourself and be successful. - that i wanted financial freedom, i wanted to get out of that rat race, and i have. - [narrator] now it's your chance to learn about than's strategies live and in person, absolutely free. seating is limited and demand is always high,

so don't let this opportunity pass you by. (upbeat music) - [narrator] to reserve your free tickets now, just for registering, than will immediately send you a free digital copy of his money resource guide, which gives you the seven best sources you can use to invest in real estate with little or no money out-of-pocket. page 18 shows you how to find private money lenders in your area who have the cash to fund your deals. within minutes you can be reading this insightful, money making book for free. when you arrive at than's class, you'll also receive his real estate toolbox, a $200 value, packed with essential tools and how-to guides and reveal how than finds his deals and buyers. this free gift is yours to keep just for attending. you only have two minutes left to register during today's show. don't sit by while others are taking advantage of this life changing event. pick up the phone and (upbeat music)

- [narrator] to register your free tickets before it's too late - some of you may have been to other trainings, or you're already in the real estate in some shape or fashion. you might be wondering, how can i help you. well over the years i've helped investors of all levels. i've even had students who've attended our training, who've started using my systems and become so successful, they've gained national attention and have their own tv shows. - we were showcased on hgtv diy with our own rehabbing show. - the discovery channel started calling me, and now i'm featured on property wars. - i obtained a four-part series on hgtv house hunters. - as real estate investors, the work we get to do everyday matters. we're out there providing housing for people, improving our neighborhoods and communities. that's why i want to give you the tools to do what we're put on this earth to do. as you're watching at home, we only have a few seconds left, so pick up the phone and call the number right now to make your guaranteed reservation.

this event is an opportunity many people in your area will jump on and utilize to change their lives forever. i invite you to be one of them. real estate has changed my life, and i know it can change yours. i know when you attend the event, it'll be a day you mark on your calendar as the moment your financial future and your life took a giant leap forward. thanks for watching. i look forward to having you at the event. (upbeat music)

[music] good morning. welcome to mosaic. i'm the pastor of st. patrick's church. on behalf our producer and my cohost, reverend ron swisher, i welcome you and hope you are having a wonderful sunday morning. in the bay area, we are able to celebrate diversity of different religions and faith groups. our guest today has thought deeply about how christians talk about inter faith matters in our own contexts and how we create authentic relationships with the interfaith communities that we might be engaged with.

i'm pleased to welcome reverend susan strauss to the mosaic. susan wrote a book that i have found -- [technical difficulties] [no audio] -- have these conversations. her book is titled the interfaith conversation, how do christians talk among ourselves about interfaith matters. thank you, susan. you have been a parish pastor for 30 years, serving a variety of lutheran churches, some on the east coast and some here. you have been e messed in the lutheran congregation. your passion is about creating interfaith communities with christians and other interfaith groups. >> it is. >> how did you get interested

in this, susan? >> it wasn't something that i planned to do. when i was in buffalo, new york, serving a congregation in buffalo, i was asked by my bishop, then, to represent the lutheran church in an interfaith women's gathering. at the tomb i thought, -- at the time i thought it is one more thing to do. i went and i was hacked and got very involved with this organization and went to a lot of interfaith gatherings. the more i did it, the more i enjoyed it and eventually decided to move to california and berkley to welcome on my doctorate and out of that came the book. >> what hooked you? >> what hooked me on the subject of the book, i really enjoyed the interfaith activities. what hooked me on the deeper conversation among christians is in my own congregation it

happened september 11th, 2001, 911 happened. at that time, we had an adult forum, discussion group in my congregation. it was a joint group with another congregation. they decided they would like to study world religion and decided to study hinduism. i had a friend from the interfaith women's group, a hindu woman, i invited to talk with our group so they could hear her story and ask her questions and it went really well and great and everybody was interested in her story and asked insightful questions and everyone left that evening except for one person. elsey came to me and said i'm worried. i love our study, i liked

having our guest today. it was fascinating and i loved hearing her story. i'm worried that if i accept her religion as valid then i'm betraying jesus. >> susan, have you found in your conversations with many, many people, that's a common worry? >> it is. it seems that response to our interfaith world can go on a continuum, everything from, well, it doesn't matter, it's all the same god, i don't have a problem with it, all the way to i don't know what to do with passages from the bible like jesus saying i'm the only way, the truth and the light. there there in our own scripture. i realize in our own bible, we have these passages that would say that no, we cannot accept another perp's religion as

equally -- person's religion as equally valid. that's when i started to dig deeper in to these things, asking the questions, for myself as well. >> we were trained to be that engaged with interfaith groups. a little bit. >> not on that level. >> you were writing it for yourself and your congregation and you found that of course other congregations have appreciated the practical nature of what the book offers. >> i did. even when i was working on my thesis for the doctorate, i was filling in, in a congregation and we had an adult discussion group after church one day. i had invited the director of an interfaith council in san francisco for him and his wife to talk to the great. after that happened, a man came

to visit and say i couldn't come because i was teaching sunday school but i have a question for you. >> so let's hear that question when we come back to our next segment on mosaic. thank you. [ cell phone rings ] >> yeah, i'm watching it too. i see them every day. >> the curtains, they're always drawn in this place. >> i know. >> that guy, it seems like he's in charge of them. i don't know, i don't feel very good about this.

>> we have to report this. >> yes, absolutely. good morning. welcome back to mosaic. i'm pleased to have our guest

with us, reverend susan strauss, she has written a wonderful book, the interfaith. you were describing another sunday morning when you had some interfaith guests speaking with your congregation and another question came up that you were going to share with us. >> yes. this young man came to ask the presenters a question, he hasn't been able to be with the group but he said what do you say about i am the way, the truth and the life? one of the presenters, the presenter's wife says that's for christians and us and not everyone else. i could see the answer was not satisfactory to this young man. he sort of glowered and walked away and went to the church council of that congregation to ask what was pastor susan doing, doing with all of this.

>> what do you think he wanted to hear? called him and had a conversation with him. i told him my work is all about helping us to wrestle with that question and answer that question. he said, oh. that's good because i have often wondered that myself. it turned out he had those questions. i really realized that many people in our congregations have those questions. how to we look at them and how do we work with that. that's why i wrote the book to help congregations get in to raising the questions. i provide a lot of resources but really it's about talking together in a respectful way, not telling anybody they are right or wrong for their belief and working together to understand how we might think of these things. even in the interfaith world,

there is no agreement. there are so many different ideas and the academic level, there are so many different ideas. i give some of those but i give a lot of resource material if people want to follow up on it, they can go deeper. it's more than just learning about other religions, right? it's more than just studying islam, studying buddhism. >> you can get that in many different places. the key thing about the book is the intrafaith, it means within. when we have an interfaith experience, we are going to visit the mosque or the synagogue or the temple and it's great. the intrafaith is within our own tradition. it's not just christians, buddhists have these. i'm a christian pastor. for me, it's working with the

intrachristian conversation. i hear so often, especially clergy will say, interfaith is great but we need to have the intrafaith conversation because people in our congregations have all kinds of ideas and beliefs and thoughts about these things. i thought it's time for us to get together and talk among ourselves about how we work with these matters. it's an important thing to do. in this day and age we don't have the luxury of not engaging with our brothers and sisters of other traditions but then how do we bring that back in to our own tradition, what questions do we come back with, what insights do we come back with, how do we receive the gifts of other traditions and incorporate them in to our own. >> are you looking, is it a matter of what do we have in common with the other faith traditions? it's that.

>> both. >> it's both. >> and i would imagine then it's reflecting upon our own tradition and what are we learning about our own identity as christians. >> one of the chapters in my book is about identity. can i tell another quick story? >> of course. >> when i was on my internship in buffalo, new york, this was before my interest in interfaith and there was a wedding rehearsal. my supervisor was having the couple come if for the rehearsal, it turned out it was an interfaith couple, a jewish christian couple. they asked if the christ candle could be removed from the sanctuary. i was appalled at that. i was naive seminary self. i was appalled by that. now i look back and realized that it is a question of identity. how do we see ourselves as christians and what matters. does the christ candle matter

to take it out or leave it there? what does that all mean. questions of who we really are. we used to not have to ask those questions. it used to be, this is what we did. i don't want to say we lived in a christian nation but we acted like we did. we have to pay attention to who am i in the midst of the other traditions around me. it's important questions, i find the more i learn about other traditions, the more i appreciate about my own. >> let's come back to that, about what you appreciate about our own tradition in this conversation when we come back to mosaic after this break.

welcome back to mosaic during this easter season. i'm talking with reverend susan

strauss about how christians reflect toot on interfaith matters and how it affects our own christian identity. i can imagine this might be a scary experience for some christians but also a very transforming experience and a growth filled experience. >> absolutely. >> can you share an example of that? >> i think i would have to go to the original person that asked me the question, elsee. i called it the elsee project dm her honor because she started me on this quest. i know our conversation opened us both up to new ways of thinking about our own christian identity and i know that that helped me relate more to her but then i also found my openness to talking about these questions and abled people in my congregations to talk to me about things that maybe they

wouldn't have talked about before because they maybe thought that i would not accept them or tell them that they were wrong, especially young people. >> let's talk about the millenials these days in congregations. would imagine they are exploring lots of different faith traditions. >> they are. they really are not real interested in hearing that this is the only way. if i come across as not being open to talking about that, i think that i would lose a lot of credibility with them. that opened up a lot of conversation about when i meet someone and it's like well i'm a lute ran pastor, you -- lutheran pastor, you see the glazed look. i have found in the relationship that develops, they are much more accepting of me as a christian and what that

means, as a christian that is open and thinking to talking about these things. it helps to talk about christianity in a positive way. i have been really happy with that outcome. >> in the bay area, susan, there are so many interfaith opportunities and experiences. if someone was wanting just to take a first step and attend or participate in something, can you make a suggestion? >> well, yes. >> or a place to find out? >> first of all, is there an interfaith council in your community most areas these days have something, some kind of interfaith council, especially here in the bay area. >> let's put a shout out to the interfaith council. they have a website. you can see what kind of

activities there are? >> you can contact them and say i'm interested in doing something. what is out there? i think anybody from those councils would be more than happy to get back in touch with you and say here is some things or what are you interested in? are you interested in vol untearing, we had a habitat for cleaning up a community garden day, all the way to great theological discussions. what are you interested in. they would be happy to put you in touch. if there is not such a thing, who are your neighbors? who is in your neighborhood? is there a mosque or a synagogue or a temple. could you introduce yourself to say hello or invite them to come for a pot luck supper or something, invite them to come. simple as that. build a relationship. it's all about relationships. >> i know some of the most

important questions are very open, open ended. tell me about your faith. i can tell you about my faith and what we have in common. >> curiosity, no judgment, no telling somebody else well that's wrong or you can say i don't believe that. tell me more about that. they can say the same to you. that's not my belief but tell me more about that. a lot of curiosity and learn about it and listen, listen and learn. >> have you run across christian communities that are really reluctant to have these conversations among themselves. what is behind that, do you think? >> i think fear. a lot of fear, if i take out one aspect of my belief system then some how it's all going to fall or fear for children, i hear this in people a lot, too,

of i don't want our children to learn this because they might convert. i say, we haven't been teaching them very well about what is valid in our own tradition that they would want to do that. i think it's more fear of the unknown. that's what that is about. >> speaking of children, you go to a school these days, our children are with kids of all faiths. you want them to know who they are, their identity. then also to engage with the others and learn about other faiths. >> how is anything immune from being together with, not that immune is the right word but we all have some sort of connection some how with people of other traditions in our workplaces and schools, marriages, intermarriages, how we need to have these conversations about what all this means.

>> we will come back to that for our last segment and talk about how we do that in our congregations.

welcome back to mosaic in this easter season. we have been speaking with reverend susan strauss about how christian communities learn

about their intrafaith. learning about traditions and matters and topics. let's go back to a conversation in a congregation or in a community about this. give us a sample of what that might sound like or look like from your book. >> well, one example is in one congregation, we scheduled four visits to a place of worship or meditation buddhist temple and so a group of us went to visit and of course you arrange this ahead of time and find out what is appropriate dress and all those things of thingses we did the advance work. we went to visit and experienced what they had to offer. the important thing about this, it's not just going to have this new experience, it's coming back and then reflecting on what did you experience? what was it like for you?

what did you see or hear or experience that was similar to your experience of christian worship or belief? what was not? talk about that. reflect on that. see what comes up for people. it's going to be different every time. different people are going to have different responses. you do have to be sensitive to some people, maybe they are feeling desensitive with their own faith. have the conversations and try to get a little bit deeper in to it. the important thing is first to go and have that experience and you make new friends in the process which is wonderful and you learn about something but then you come back and you talk about what does this mean to me as a christian. >> could you ask, how did i experience god in that setting or where did i see jesus if that setting? >> absolutely, even if perhaps those names were not used, how

is that? how do you feel about that? yes. one of these situation wes went to the buddhist group, the choir director of the congregation was a member of that group. it was interesting to have them go and participate in the ritual that their own choir director was part of. >> wonderful. >> it was. >> you did pleurism summer. what was that? >> pluralism summer, sunday is sponsored by progressive christianity.org. this comes around every year, it will be coming up soon in may, i believe. we decided to do a whole summer for 12 weeks, we had a different speaker each sunday come and share something about their tradita particular topic like gender, one summer, environment one summer,

politics, one summer. they would come and then afterwards, the congregation members would have a -- they could fill out while they were there or later or something to help them reflect on what did you hear about this that was like your own experience or belief. the same sorts of questions. it's always about coming back. we call it passing over and coming back. passing over in to another tradition but then coming back to your own with new insights, maybe new questions but then more insights which follow. >> you even said that you found that your own christian faith had grown stronger through this whole process. >> absolutely. >> how wonderful that was for you. >> i hear that often from many people, that is their experience, yes. >> in this last minutes, i want to encourage people to take your book and use it as a resource in their congregation or in their own lives, bring it

to your pastor and encourage them to do it. we are in the bay area. there are many many opportunities to have authentic interfaith dialogue without giving up or watering down your own faith. it's about respect. >> absolutely. >> it's easter season for us, as christians we celebrate the resurrection of christ. how might we have an interfaith experience even during easter season? >> absolutely. all about new life. all about most of the traditions, many of the world traditions talk about new life and being transformed. it's a common theme and it would be a wonderful time for us to explore those with one another. >> very god. -- very good. susan you have been a wonderful guest, thank you so much. thank you for being a leader

with us. thank you. i want to thank hue, my producer, reverend ron swisher, my cohost, but more importantly, i want to thank you viewers that joined this morning and easter season, blessings to each of you, thank you.

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a gunman opens fire on a bay area freeway... and almost shoots a police officer! live, this is kpix 5 news. a gunman opens fire on a bay area freeway and almost shoots a police officer. the search is on for the suspect. if the syrian regime uses this poisonous gas again, the united states is locked and loaded. tough talk from the trump administration after it deliver as thokout blow to syrian -- knock out blow to syrian weapons plans. it's 6:00 a.m., i'm melissa kay. >> let's start with a check of our forecast with juliette julie watts. we have a switch. you might see a little bit