English: You're invited to 'The After Party'

COEUR d’ALENE — Dan English is hoping that a little more respectful talking, and a lot less arguing, will lead to common ground.

“The goal of the series is to help interested community members to have better civic conversations, especially from different points of view in our faith and politics,” the Coeur d’Alene city councilman said. 

English is co-leading The After Party six-week series, “Faith and Politics equals Salt and Light? It’s possible.” He will be joined by Pastor Matt Erickson of Calvary Lutheran Church in Post Falls and Megan Dardis-Kunz, clinical associate professor at Boise State University in facilitating the event.

It will be held at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Community Room starting this Saturday, 3-4:30 p.m., and continuing the following Saturdays.

It is free.

English said last year that he was concerned about the “deterioration of civic discourse in our community, especially between our faith community and our local government agencies. That's not the way it should be.”

He set a goal at the start of 2024 “to help heal and reconcile that divide" as a presenter of the six-week series sponsored by the Redeeming Babel organization.

He said his experience as an elected city leader who has been active in the faith community and has been a counselor for three decades provides a foundation for understanding different perspectives. 

He believes the six-week After Party series will have a positive impact and perhaps bridge the gap between people who don't see things the same way.

“The whole point is to have civil discussion with folks of different viewpoints in a respectful way,” English said. “This can be a little bit of a model of one way to do it.”

Info: redeemingbabel.org/the-after-party