Activist Will Speak at First Congregational Church of Danbury

Opening a discussion about politics or religion with your family and friends can be a great way to start an argument.

How can you change that?

Kate Conetta, a community activist, will speak at the First Congregational Church of Danbury on Sunday, October 23. The first portion of her presentation will be at our 10 a.m. service when Pastor Pat Kriss shares the pulpit with Kate. The second part of Kate’s presentation will immediately follow the service in Annie Orr Hall. Kate will share more details on how to have respectful discussions, and she will take your questions and comments.

To answer the question: Well, you can simply not have the discussion, but that’s not always an option. Kate will show us ways we can have discussions about difficult topics without endangering our relationships with the people we love.

Five Questions About Controversial Conversations

1. Why do we feel anxiety about conversations with people who disagree with us?
2. How do we communicate our thoughts clearly when we are emotional about the topic?
3. Why is this especially difficult during the holidays?
4. Does a difficult discussion have to signal the status of your relationship with the person you’re talking to?
5. When the discussion becomes too heated, how can I turn down the temperature?

A Better Way to Discuss Hard Topics Without the Hard Feelings

People need help to navigate the turbulent waters of election time and of the Holiday season. The holidays are a time of joy but can become stressful when you encounter people who see the world differently. It is possible that our conversations can be lively – even respectful of one another?

Yes, says Conetta, who will speak during our service with the Rev. Pat Kriss on Sunday, October 23, at 10 a.m., as well as an extended open discussion afterwards.

This Real Theology event is open to the greater Danbury Community.

Who is Kate Conetta?

Kate Conetta, a community activist, was born and raised in Bethel and attended the United Jewish Center. A Danbury resident since 2011, Kate became active in community work in 2016. She serves on the Board of Action Together CT, which supports progressive candidates and legislation.

A member of the Danbury Board of Education since 2019, as well as a member of the Danbury Area Justice Network, Kate’s focus has been on social justice in our community for most of her career. Her work often places her in a position of talking with and working with people of differing views, and she has become aware of effective approaches to have respectful dialogue with a broad sector of people.

About the First Congregational Church of Danbury

The First Congregational Church of Danbury is a community of people who have come together to serve God the way that Jesus did -- by working to make God’s vision of a peaceful, just and inclusive world a reality. The church is a member of the United Church of Christ denomination, which believes that God is still speaking in ways that are grounded in ancient Christian understandings, but which are fresh expressions of the Divine presence in contemporary life.