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Donate to Fresno Metro Ministry. All donations are tax deductible!

Fresno Metro Ministry

 Human Relations

Cross-Cultural Clusters

The Cluster experience is based upon a copy-righted curriculum developed by Fresno Metro Ministry. Eight to fifteen persons of diverse cultural backgrounds meet for six two-hour sessions. Each participant responds one at a time to each of four or more questions.
  • Session 1 focuses upon getting acquainted.
  • Session 2 focuses upon family or cultural traditions.
  • Session 3 focuses upon experiences of discrimination.
  • Session 4 focuses upon conflict resolution styles.
  • Session 5 focuses upon hopes and fears.
  • Session 6 focuses upon what each participant has learned about themselves and about others.
Some cluster groups meet for less than the six sessions. Some clusters are created by groups that already have the needed cultural diversity within their own membership. Other groups link with several other groups to form clusters. Clusters have also been held at schools for both students and faculty. Sometimes Fresno Metro Ministry will organize cluster groups from scratch.

Metro Ministry will also provide a facilitator for your cluster groups, or train persons in your organization to facilitate a cluster. A Cluster facilitator training session is three hours.

Here's what some students at Clovis Unified's Gateway High School said about the clusters:
  • "Before Cross Clusters I thought we were different. I found out we're really all the same."
  • "This school needs to have an assembly so we can tell the whole school what we learned: stop hating people."
  • "Before this program I didn't trust kids from certain groups. Now we stop and talk. We hang out together between classes."
  • "Everybody on campus should do this, the teachers too."
  • "The only thing I would change is that we should meet longer than 50 minutes and it should last longer than 6 weeks."
  • "Does this have to stop? I wish we could just keep on meeting like this."
Multi-Faith Exchange

Unlike the Cross-Cultural Clusters, the Multi-Faith Exchange is not directed by Fresno Metro Ministry staff, even though it is sponsored by Metro Ministry. The two volunteer coordinators of the Exchange are Anidelle Flint and Linda Mack. Messages can be left for them at Fresno Metro Ministry, (559) 485-1416, or fax (559) 485-9109, or e-mail metromin@resnometmin.org

The Multi-Faith Exchange brings together persons of varying religious faiths who are eager to learn more about the origin, history, beliefs and practices of the several world religions represented by congregations in the Fresno-Clovis metropolitan area. The group began in 1997.


Participants are expected to be secure in their own faith and knowledgeable enough to be able to share their traditions with others. It is also expected that participants will neither seek to convert others nor pass judgement on their beliefs.


In 2000 The Multi-Faith Exchange published A Multifaith Handbook. A second printing is being planned.


Hate Violence Prevention and Response Network

This project developed a blueprint for preventing and responding to hate violence, and held one community conference. The blueprint is still here, still relevant, and needs interested persons to help generate the financial resources for needed staffing to make the plan a reality.